One thing was certain—Janet was the mastermind behind this nightmare. *Drama* didn’t begin to cover it; this was a horror movie. My brain ached, nerves drawn tight. I’d lost track of what the armed men were saying, only catching the mention of “Hugghs.” With a deep, shaky breath, I glanced right and caught Julie watching me, her eyes tracing my face like she could feel the fear I was trying to mask.

It’d been a long time since we’d had a real conversation. Back then, we talked like tomorrow didn’t exist, as if our connection could make up for all the messes in our lives. The memory stirred a strange mix of longing and anger. But this wasn’t the time to dwell on that.

We were forced down a winding path to a towering, ancient building with the words *DE HUGGHS RESIDENCE* carved in stone above the door. I tried to swallow the bitter taste in my throat, realizing that the person I thought was my friend had led me here.

Julie handed me a handkerchief when she saw my tears, her fingers trembling as she passed it over. She knew she wasn’t innocent in this either. I took it without a word, pressing it against my face as we stepped inside the mansion. My eyes widened as we were greeted by rows of skulls lining the walls, perfectly preserved, almost as if they were on display. Human skulls.

My heart hammered, my breath quickening as I glanced at Julie. But she seemed unfazed, moving in eerie silence alongside me. There was something about her that almost impressed me; the calmness, the readiness. I wondered if she felt any fear or if she was just that good at hiding it.

Further inside, golden eyes stared out from the darkness. I stopped dead, my body tense. One of the armed men shoved me forward, but then a voice, thick and raw, echoed through the hall. “Leave him. He’s right where he needs to be.”

The lights flickered on, illuminating the faces around me. Except for one figure draped in a wedding dress, with a veil and hands stained with something dark and slick. The figure was seated on a throne, and the dress seemed more red than white.

A woman, tall and imposing, looked at us with a casual smirk. “Ah, so this is the ‘fresh catch’?” she said. “And who’s that girl with him? I thought you said only the boy was coming, Janet.”

The figure on the throne lifted her veil, revealing the last person I wanted to see. Janet. The sight of her emptied me of any remaining fear—I felt nothing. I simply stared as she smiled, waving cheerfully as if this were a reunion. She hugged Julie, who was seething, her face flushed with anger. Janet barely noticed, mocking us both with a glint of pleasure in her eyes.

“Oh, how adorable,” she sneered. “Lovebirds reuniting! I haven’t seen this much passion since… oh, Charles.” Her words twisted something inside me, and before I knew it, tears blurred my vision again. I hated myself for showing her any reaction.

Janet’s expression hardened, her voice like ice. “Oh, Sam, does that hurt? My apologies… Truly, I thought you’d be smarter.” She watched me, calculating, enjoying my anguish. “You thought I cared? You’re like a lost little lamb, led straight to the slaughterhouse.” She laughed, her voice ringing through the hall. “It’s easier than catching a stray dog.”

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay quiet. “You’re the one who’s foolish,” I said finally, more for my courage than anything else.

Her father’s voice boomed from the shadows, cutting her off. “Enough games, Janet.” He turned to the men. “Lock them up until our buyers arrive.”

It all clicked at that moment. The Hugghs' fortune wasn’t just from gold and diamonds—they were trafficking people, selling body parts to those twisted enough to buy them. *My eyes, my heart… every part of me now had a price.* The horror set in like ice.

The men dragged Julie and me into a room. The decor was elegant and ironic given its purpose. I turned to Julie, who hadn’t spoken a word since we entered. Something about her expression told me she wasn’t defeated. *She was planning something.*

“Are you okay?” I asked, trying to sound confident. “You’ve been quiet.”

She gave a faint smile. “Help’s on the way. I promised to protect you, remember?”

Her words struck a nerve. *Protect me?* Was she trying to play hero now? Did she think she was some savior here? But before I could respond, she revealed something that surprised me—she’d placed a tracker in her shoe before we left. She’d suspected Janet all along and prepared for this.

“They won’t leave us here to die, Sam,” she said, her voice steady. “If it’s the last thing I do, I’m getting us out of here.”

Her determination brought a strange sense of relief, though my mind still churned with fear. But one thing was clear: we were getting out of here, one way or another.