002

Stephanie's POV:

When I got outside the club, I hopped into a cab.

“Where to?” The driver asked.

“Anywhere, just get me out of here,” I replied, but he didn't budge.

“I will pay triple,” I said, and he put the key in the ignition, driving away from the club.

I would have told the driver to take me to my house, but it wasn't a good idea. These men knew my name, and it won't be a shock if they knew where I lived too, so going home wasn't a good idea.

I relaxed my head on the chair, but my thoughts were filled with the events of today. I couldn't help but wonder who those men were and why they were after me.

Did they think I was affiliated with that bastard who tried to rape me earlier? What the hell was going on in my life? Why was I suddenly having bad luck? First was my mother showing up yesterday after ten years of being away from me and telling me to move in with her in her new husband's house; second was that bastard trying to rape me; then these twins.

“Young lady, these cars have been following us since,” the driver’s words caught my attention.

“What?”

I turned immediately and saw two cars behind us. I gritted my teeth knowing it was them and they were catching up to us. It suddenly felt like the driver was driving slowly, and it made me impatient.

“Please step on the accelerator,” I cried.

“What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into? You should get down before you get me killed,” he said, parking the car. He stepped out of the car, walked over to my side, opened the door, and dragged me outside.

“No, don't do this. Please,” I pleaded.

“My whole family is depending on me. I can't get myself killed. You can keep your money,” he said, entering his car and driving away.

“No!” I screamed.

I wanted to fall on the ground and weep, but I couldn't-not now. I had to save myself first. My heart pounded as I glanced behind me. The two cars were closing in fast. Panic surged through me like a tidal wave. Without thinking, I yanked off my heels and started running, barefoot and frantic, the sharp pavement biting into my feet. The freezing night did nothing to help as the icy breeze whipped against me.

A black SUV screeched infront of me , blocking my path. I turned around, only to see the two cars closing in behind me boxing me in like a trapped animal. I pivoted to my left, hoping to escape down another road, but another car skidded into place, cutting me off.

That was it. There was no way out. My chest heaved as I stood there, defeated, my hands on my hips, waiting for the worst to happen.

One of the car doors creaked open, and the twins from earlier stepped out, approaching me.

“Who the hell are you both, and what do you want with me?” I demanded, my voice trembling more than I'd like to admit.

“I think the question should be, ‘Who are we, and what do we want from you?” A deep, commanding voice cut in through the tension, like a knife, making me freeze. My head snapped toward the source. Three more emerged from the shadows, walking towards me with an unsettling calmness that made my stomach churn.

“I’m Tyler Salvador,” the man in the center said, his tone cold and authoritative. His presence alone sent a shiver down my spine.

“Nicholas, Alex Salvador,” the twins from introduced themselves in unison, their voices eerily similar.

“Aiden and Caden Salvador,” the other two added, their expressions unreadable.

Tyler stepped closer, his eyes locking onto mine. “We're your step brothers,” he said, his words Landing like a punch to my gut. “And we're here to take you home.

Stepbrothers? Home? The words ricocheted through my mind, hollow and meaningless.

Everything started clicking into place, the pieces fitting together in a way that made me feel sick. My mom, of course, this had her fingerprints all over it. I knew she had plenty of flaws, but sending these men- these strangers- to kidnap me? This was a new low, even for her.

Before I could say anything, Alex moved faster than I could react. He pressed a white handkerchief over my nose and mouth. The sharp sickly- sweet scent of chemicals hit me instantly. My instincts screamed at me to fight, to claw, to scream but my body betrayed me. My limbs felt heavy, my vision blurred, and the world started to tilt.

“Done. Now let's go back to Moonsdale,” Alex said flatly, his voice the last thing I heard before the darkness overwhelmed me.