Chapter 143
-Andi-
“Are you coming?” Cole asked, standing on the open driver’s door, tucking his phone in his pocket.
I don’t move from my seat. I just stare at the After Hour back entrance as though going through that door would take me to another world. It’s like first grade all over again, where I am scared to enter the school grounds. “Can I say no?”
“You can.” Cole murmured as he pressed the power button of his car, turning the engine off. “But if you do that, you don’t get a say in the case again. I will be handling everything,” he explained, waiting until he had my full attention, then continued. “I’m afraid I won’t be as lenient as Beckett, Andi.
His words carried more questions than answers, so I just stared at him, confused. “Lenient? What are you talking about?”
His gaze became pointed, and so did his voice. “I will tell you everything inside. If you don’t come in, I can’t give you the answers you need.” Maybe I had reached the bottom of his patience. He closed the door and went towards the front of the car, leaning on the hood.
The longer I sat here, wallowing in the what–ifs, the more I felt the urge to retreat into the safe place that I had promised to put myself into today. I glanced at Cole’s broad shoulder. He’s already lighting a cigarette and blowing out smoke.
Siobhan’s voice rang in my head. ‘You can’t let fear take over your life. That’s not who you are. If I chicken out now, I know I will regret this. Besides, in my solitude inside the car, the memories of the abduction were coming back to me, so before all this overthinking ate up the last of my nerves, I pulled in a huge breath and unbuckled my seatbelt, sliding out of the car.
Cole smirked at me as I stood beside him. “Let’s go,” he murmured, walking towards the back door of the club. I trailed one step beside him, pausing as he stopped at the standing ashtray beside the door. He put out the cigarette before we entered the building.
The back door leads to the kitchen, and it looks different in daylight.
Without the steam from the countless food cooking all at the same time, the aroma of delicious food, and the kitchen staff who were moving fast–paced to cook the piling orders from the club, it was just another kitchen of spotless countertop and shiny cookware.
I followed Cole as he went towards the door on the right. It was the storage room where the supplies were stowed. And if the kidnapping hadn’t happened to me over the weekend, I would be scared of how Cole stood in front of the vegetable rack, pressed something under the second shelf, and the entire shelf slowly detached itself from the wall
I almost lost my footing as a door appeared through the supposed plain wall. The hinges unlatched as Cole pushed the door open. I don’t see anything apart from darkness through the door. Cole stood there, so cool and calm, as if he hadn’t just revealed a secret passage/room to me.
“What.” I found my voice. “What’s in there?”
“You’ll find out soon enough. Come on,” Cole found a switch on the wall, and the light cast illumination on a stairwell that led to the underground.
The hair on the back of my neck rose as I took in what was in front of me. I clenched my fist, took in three deep breaths before I found the strength to drag my feet to Cole’s secret underground room.
The stairs were made of cement, and the temperature slowly fluctuated as I followed Cole underground. And with each step we descended, the pounding in my chest grew louder.
I wasn’t really scared of the dark, but I couldn’t stop the creeps from crawling under my skin.
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Chapter 143
55 vouchers
We reached the bottom of the stairs, and I didn’t see anything in the dark. I focused on Cole’s back, grounding myself. I can’t let Cole know that the ghost of the dark room was slowly eating away my courage. He once again found the switch on the wall, and the overhead lights cast a soft glow onto a long hallway.
Despite the place being underground, it doesn’t smell foul. The fresh lemon scent from the cleaning agent hung thick in the air, the walls were pristine white, and the tiles were sparkling white marble, blinding. Someone was taking care of this place. This is a working secret area.
“What is this place?” I murmured as I took in the five doors on each side of the hallway.
“It’s a family secret,” Cole mused, and beckoned me to walk with him through the hallway with a tip of his head.
I followed suit. The sound of our light footsteps was magnified in the silence of the underground. I don’t even hear the busy street outside. This place was soundproof, and that thought sent a shiver down my spine.
“Secret? Then why are you showing it to me?” I pried, my senses on alert, as a creepy thought crossed my mind. “You didn’t bring me here to kill me, right?” A nervous chuckle followed that.
Cole pinned me with a wicked gaze, and his smirk was taunting. “Don’t give me ideas, Andi.”
I groaned, rolling my eyes. “Ha, ha. Very funny.”
He paused at the last door at the end of the hallway. The doors were all made of the same heavy metal with a black panel on the side.
Cole gave me another glance before punching in the code on the box. The lock hissed as it unlocked. Cole pulled on the barrel lock and pushed open the metal door.
At this point, I thought nothing would take me by surprise to the point that I would forget how to breathe, until I saw the man sitting on the bunk bed inside the room.
My father.
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Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.

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