?<strong>Chapter 897:</strong>


    As Rory stepped out of the car, he realized something was wrong: Charlie was nowhere to be found.


    He learned that Jayden had attacked Charlie’s territory when he asked around. Without hesitation, Rory abandoned Elyse and rushed to support Charlie.


    Elyse stood there, bewildered. She couldn’t believe how careless Rory was to leave her—his supposed hostage—alone and unguarded. She scanned her surroundings, trying to gauge whether she could make an escape.


    At that moment, a woman scampered out of her room. It was none other than Aarya, barefoot and standing at the stair entrance of the second floor.


    The sight of Elyse seemed to rattle her; her entire body trembled as though she were on the verge of losing control.


    Elyse frowned. “Are you sick or something? Why are you shaking like that?”


    Aarya let out a dark, unsettling chuckle, her smile twisted with malice. “Sick? Yes, you could say that. It’s a sickness called love—a sickness that makes me want to kill both you and Jayden Owen.”


    She turned to the two bodyguards behind her and sneered, “I don’t like it here. Take her to my ce. I want to y some games with her.”


    Elyse remained silent, her gaze fixed on Aarya, unflinching.


    Aarya tilted her head, her eyes gleaming with madness. “I bet you want to y with me too, don’t you?”


    Elyse shrugged, her voice tinged with sarcasm. “Do I have a choice?”


    “Of course not,” Aarya replied with a wicked grin. “You’re my prisoner now. By the way, I heard you won first ce in the violinpetition. Impressive. It was a tough contest, but you came out on top. You must be quite talented.”


    Her smile grew more sinister. “I love torturing talented people. If you weren’t gifted, it’d be so boring.”


    With a wave of her hand, Aarya ordered, “Tie her up. Make it tight. If she escapes on the way, I’ll have your heads.”


    As the bodyguards approached, their steps slow but deliberate, Elyse felt a sinking hopelessness settle in.


    Elyse and Aarya sat in the same car, but their moods were worlds apart. Elyse knew she was in deep trouble. Her face was clouded with dread as she imagined what Aarya had nned for her.


    Meanwhile, Aarya practically glowed with happiness, humming and singing throughout the ride. The two bodyguards in the back seat remained stoic, wearing dark sunsses and betraying no emotion.


    Elyse stared out the window, wondering if she could make a run for it. She nced at the burly bodyguards behind her but quickly abandoned the thought. They weren’t ordinary bodyguards; they felt more like statues—unblinking and unmoving.


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