"Ara, Ara, you need to get up. Ara get up now."
The voice kept calling, pulling at me, dragging me somewhere I didn't want to return from.
I was trapped inside a nightmare—one that felt too real to be just a dream. Fire was everywhere. Thick smoke burned my lungs even though I wasn't breathing. Screams echoed from all directions, sharp and desperate, overlapping each other until I couldn't tell who was crying or why.
Disaster surrounded me. It felt like a memory… a broken memory from my past. Something I had lived through, something my mind had buried deep. I could feel it pressing against my chest, begging to be remembered, but no matter how hard I tried, the pieces refused to come together.
My body was soaked in sweat. My hair clung to my neck. My hands trembled.
The flashes came again, faster this time.
Then I saw her. A girl lay on the ground in a wrecked car. Her body was twisted in a way no human body should ever be. The scene was blurry, like I was looking through water, but I could feel everything.
I knelt beside her and held her hand. Warm, too warm.
When I looked down, my hands were covered in blood—thick, sticky, and red. It smeared across my skin, soaked into my palms, ran down my fingers.
Her clothes were soaked with it. Her body was soaked with it. I gasped and froze.
Before I could scream, a voice cut through the nightmare and yanked me back.
"Miss Henderson." A woman said it, but I didn't respond. My chest rose and fell too fast, my heart pounding painfully against my ribs.
"Miss Henderson." Her voice came again, firmer this time, followed by a gentle tap on my arm.
I jolted awake.
Sunlight hit my eyes immediately, bright and unforgiving. I hissed and turned my face away, my head throbbing as my body struggled to adjust to reality. My breathing was uneven, my heart still racing like I had run miles.
I turned quickly, expecting, hoping to see Raisem beside me.
He wasn't there.
The space next to me was cold and empty.
I tried to remember what happened last night, but my mind felt foggy, like parts of it had been wiped clean. All I knew was that he wasn't here anymore. He must have left the room for me.
Whatever. Who cares?
I pushed myself upright and slowly adjusted to the room, letting the fear settle back into its hiding place.
"Mrs Henderson." The woman called again.
"Yes," I replied softly, my voice low as I stared at her. She looked calm, professional, like nothing in the world could shake her.
"The private jet is ready," she said.
Private jet?
I frowned, confusion washing over me.
"Where is Raisem?" I asked.
"Boss went for a business meeting," she replied.
I nodded slowly.
"Where are we going with a private jet?" I asked, my curiosity growing.
"Bose asked us to bring you to the capital for a dinner night," she said.
Dinner night, I blinked. I had no idea he was the romantic type.
I nodded again, unsure how I felt about any of this, and began to get dressed. I slipped into a lilac silk gown that clung softly to my body, hugging my curves and highlighting my height. The fabric felt smooth and expensive against my skin.
My makeup was light and glowy—nothing heavy. Just enough to make me look alive, like I hadn't just crawled out of a nightmare.
Once I was ready, I was guided out of the room. Several men dressed in black joined us as we walked toward the exit. Their presence alone made me uneasy.
As we got closer, noise filled the air. Voices. Shouting. Cameras clicking all around me.
I stopped sunddenly when I saw the crowd outside. People were everywhere.
I froze.
"What's going on?" I asked, my voice tight.
"Guide Mrs Henderson through the back door," the woman said quickly.
The men immediately surrounded me, forming a shield as they guided me toward another direction.
Before we could escape, a man with a camera pointed at me and shouted loudly.
"That is her."
The moment those words left his mouth, chaos erupted.
People rushed toward us.
Cameras were shoved forward. Phones were raised high. Bright flashes exploded in front of my eyes, making me flinch.
The men tried to push back the crowd, but they were too many. Too desperate, too hungry for me.
Questions flew at me from every direction.
"Is it true you are secretly dating the billionaire CEO of Mavo groups?" one said.
"Are you carrying the heir?" another asked almost forcing his phone into my mouth.
"Is it true?" another asked pushing one of the men away so he could get close to me.
My head spun.
I didn't understand what was happening.
Fear wrapped around my chest and squeezed hard. These people weren't just curious—they were starving for answers.
Hungry for scandal.
"Protect Miss Henderson!" the woman screamed.
They forced a path through the crowd, dragging me toward the elevator. My heart hammered as the doors finally slid shut behind us.
Inside, I leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. My hands shook.
"What just happened?" I asked, my voice barely steady.
"It's just silly reporters trying to pry into boss' personal life," she said. "I'm sorry, Miss Henderson, but things won't be easy anymore. Your life won't be the same being with our boss. Things will change."
Fear settled deep in my stomach.
Before I could ask more, the elevator dinged loudly and the doors opened. Everything moved fast after that.
They rushed me through the back of the hotel and into a car. As we drove away, I saw reporters chasing after us.
"She is inside! Please give us an answer!" they shouted.
"Calm down, Miss Henderson. You won't be harmed," the woman said.
Calm down? In a situation like this?
I bit my tongue, my thoughts screaming louder than my voice.
The car sped up.
"Please speed up. We will be late and boss would not like it," the woman said, fear lacing her voice.
Everyone feared him.
I hoped they knew he was a psychopath.
I hissed under my breath.
Suddenly, the car stopped harshly.
I nearly hit my head on the front seat, but the woman grabbed me just in time.
"Are you okay?" she asked, checking me quickly. Then she snapped. "You moron, you can't even drive properly!"
"It's boss," the driver said in fear.
Everything went silent.
"Get out of the car." the cold familiar voice.
Everyone rushed out except me. I stayed where I was, watching through the glass.
The woman, the driver, and the men fell to their knees, bowing, shaking violently.
"We are so sorry, boss. We failed to protect Miss Henderson." the woman said.
Failed? I sat frozen.
"You all had one job, just one. Protect her from the media, but look at the mess you created," he said, anger vibrating in his voice.
"Boss, we didn't know they would ambush us in the hotel," the woman said. "I had no idea they would know our location."
"Are you that slow?" he snapped. "They are the media for a reason."
"Boss, we are sorry. We deserve to die," they cried.
My chest tightened. What is he doing?
"Where is she?" he asked.
"In the car," the woman replied.
Footsteps approached and the door opened.
"Didn't you hear when I told everyone to come down?" he said. "Were your ears blocked?"
I lifted my head and met his eyes.
"I think I deserve an explanation to the rubbish that just happened now," I said. "I signed a contract and you never told me about this. My life was endangered. Your team sucks."
"Should I kill them all?" he asked emotionlessly.
My heart skipped.
"No, please don't," I said quickly. "They tried their best to protect me."
"I thought you said my team sucks," he smirked.
"I wasn't injured. I'm fine." I replied quickly. Will he kill them?
"You think I care about your injuries?" he raised his brows.
"Then what do you care about?" I asked.
"Failure." he whispered and flicked his fingers.
Gunshots exploded. I screamed and shut my eyes.
When I opened them again, all I saw was Bodies, bodies,bodies, bodies. Everywhere.