Chapter 701:

“What the hell do you want?” Millie’s voice trembled with both anger and desperation. She tried to sit up, but the moment she lifted herself, he shoved her back down again.

“Help—”

Millie had barely gotten the word out when his hand clamped over her mouth again, silencing her.

The car sped forward, destination unknown, and her gaze locked on Brandon, seated in front of her.

He was a mess.

The man who normally kept every strand of hair in place now looked like a tousled mop, with dark smudges under his eyes and a rough shadow creeping along his jaw.

It was clear he hadn’t had a proper night’s rest in a long while.

His bloodshot eyes burned with a mix of emotions she couldn’t pin down—emotions that felt suppressed and dangerous, as if they could erupt without warning.

This version of Brandon unsettled her to the core.

What was going through his head?

Had he completely lost control?

Neither of them spoke as the car hurtled ahead, the tension thick between them, until it rolled into an underground parking garage and came to a stop.

Without warning, Brandon’s hand covered Millie’s mouth again before yanking her from the seat.

Millie latched onto the car door with all her strength, but he ripped his tie free and bound her wrists together, forcing her along.

As the elevator began its climb, Millie’s heartbeat thundered in her ears.

What on earth was she supposed to do now?

𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚 @ gⱥ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⧿ⅽ𝗼𝗺

Millie forced her eyes shut, willed herself to steady her breathing, and think. She had only come to pick up Ari, yet Brandon had intercepted her right outside the kindergarten.

The situation was clear from the start—she’d arrived in the car Myron had sent, and if Ari remained uncollected for too long, it would surely raise suspicion. Either the driver or the kindergarten staff would sense something was wrong and start looking into it.

But how long that process would take was completely out of Millie’s hands.

If the driver assumed she and Ari were just playing inside the school or grabbing a quick bite nearby, the wait could drag on endlessly before he noticed something was wrong.

Depending solely on the driver or the school staff wasn’t an option. Even if they eventually realized she was missing, she needed to stall for time and figure out her own way to get free. Yet how could she manage that?

Brandon’s tie around her wrists bit into her skin, the pain sharp and unrelenting. His palm sealed her mouth, and she could feel his breath far too close for comfort.

Something about him was off.

What had pushed him to this point?

Regardless, the moment they stepped out of the elevator, she knew she had to find someone—anyone—nearby who could help.

.

.

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