Chapter 7

Camila had never felt her heart pound this hard in her life. "Stop right there. Don't move or I'll shoot. I mean it! I've trained in shooting, like, seriously. I never miss." She was on the verge of babbling. Let's be real-she'd never even held a real gun, let alone trained with one. But even so, her face stayed surprisingly calm. She might've fooled someone else with that act, but Prescott clearly wasn't that easy. "Never miss, huh? That good? I'm intrigued." His dark eyes narrowed dangerously, locking onto her face. His lips curled into a mocking smirk that screamed trouble. Camila's face turned pale as a sheet. Her back was already pressed tightly against a cold metal wall-nowhere else to run. Sweat trickled down her temple as she watched him step closer. Her lips moved, but under the pressure of his icy aura, no words actually came out. His breath brushed past her skin-warm, intense, leaving her totally breathless. Prescott noticed the terror in her eyes. With one smooth motion, he reached forward and swiftly snatched the gun from her hand. His fingers, long and steady, wrapped around the trigger. With just a twist, he spun the gun effortlessly. To Camila, it looked like magic. The way he handled the gun made her mouth fall open in shock. "Hah..." A low chuckle escaped his lips. His sharp gaze flicked across her stunned expression. "Seriously? Next time you want to try threatening someone with a gun, you might want to load it first." Camila tried to say something, but out of nowhere her strength gave out. Her legs went weak and her body slumped forward, completely drained. Just in time, a strong arm caught her around the waist. Prescott looked down at the unconscious girl in his arms, his dark eyes deepening with something unreadable-like they could swallow you whole. ***** Not far from the Imperial Crest Hotel, in the nearby central plaza... On the 17th floor, a woman stood silently by the floor-to-ceiling window. That woman was none other than Kendall-the one who had called Camila not long ago. Her eyes were red and puffy, her expression a mix of guilt and heartbreak as she stared out at the hotel. She clutched her phone so tightly that her knuckles had turned white. "I'm sorry, Camila. I never meant to sell you out. I just... I just needed money for my mom's surgery. You've got such a big heart-I figured you'd understand. Trading your virginity for her life... doesn't sound so unfair, right?" Then her phone rang. She looked at the screen for a long moment before finally answering, her voice barely above a whisper. "Hello..." "Hello my ass, Kendall, you bitch! You said you'd get Camila to Room 2388-so where the hell is she? Huh? Where the fuck did she go? You think you can play games with me? Screw me over? "I swear to God, if I don't get her, you can forget about your mom's treatment. In fact, get ready to plan her damn funeral!" Right as Jack was about to hang up, Kendall panicked. "Mr. Williams, you've got it wrong! I wouldn't dare mess with you even if I had a hundred lives! I did exactly what you said. I slipped that stuff you gave me into the wine she was drinking-I'm positive she drank it. I brought her to Imperial Crest Hotel just like you told me to. It's just... just that she mixed up the room number. She went to 3288, the presidential suite. I swear I'm not lying, you can check the cameras if you don't believe me..." "Oh, I'll check alright. Kendall, if you're messing with me, you already know what's coming." "I wouldn't dare, Mr. Williams... Hello? Hello?..." The call ended with a dead tone. Kendall looked at her phone, her hands shaking uncontrollably. Jack Williams, son of Braxton's mayor, was infamous for being a spoiled, relentless playboy. Cruel, dangerous, and the kind of guy no one dared to tick off. Half a year ago, he had his sights set on Camila. He tried all sorts of tricks to get her into bed. Camila's trip to Meridia was all just to run away from him. But Jack wasn't one to give up easily. Being rejected, humiliated-he snapped. If Camila wouldn't come quietly, he'd force her to. His plan? Drug her, get what he wanted, and then leak nudes online to completely ruin her. And Kendall? She was Camila's college roommate from Braxton University. Her mom had recently been diagnosed with leukemia and needed a bone marrow transplant. For a broke college student, the surgery fees might as well have been the moon. She turned to her boyfriend for help, and the guy blocked her the moment he heard how much money was needed. Just when she hit rock bottom, Jack found her. He said: get Camila to him, and he'd cover all of her mom's medical expenses. No discussion. He even had her mom transferred without waiting on Kendall's answer. A best friend on one hand, her mother's life on the other... Kendall barely hesitated before choosing her mother. Now, staring blankly out at the dazzling night lights, Kendall's fear was mixing with frustration-at Camila. From her point of view, all of this was Camila's fault. If Camila hadn't constantly turned Jack down and embarrassed him, he wouldn't have lashed out like this. He wouldn't have used Kendall's mom against her. Jack might have a temper, sure, but he's powerful. Tons of girls would do anything to be with him. Camila? So what if she's pretty and smart? It's not like she came from some big-shot family. Probably just a little better off than Kendall's. So where did she get the nerve to piss off a guy like Jack? Now with things spiraling out of control, who knows if Jack would really hurt her-or her mom. The thought of Jack's ruthless nature made Kendall's chest tighten with panic. She couldn't wait around. She had to find Camila before Jack completely lost it. No matter what-it had to be done. No more hesitation. Kendall spun on her heel and ran across Central Plaza, heading straight toward Imperial Crest Hotel.