"What?" Bella’s heart dropped into her stomach, a wave of panic crashing over her. ’Did he find out I had noted down my father’s number?’ her mind screamed. She instinctively pressed her hand to her chest, clutching the fabric, fearing he would take the folded paper from her.
Zack’s eyes flicked to her, cold and furious, and he snapped, "Did you call someone?"
She shook her head quickly, fear prickling her skin. "What are you talking about?" she retorted, her voice shaking as she tried to defend herself. "How could I call anyone? I don’t even have a phone. And I don’t remember anyone’s number."
Zack didn’t seem convinced. "Then why is someone following us?"
’Following us?’ Bella’s stomach twisted as she processed his words.
Bella instantly looked behind and saw the pair of headlights glaring in the darkness behind them. Her breath caught in her throat. A flicker of hope surged within her.
Maybe it was her father’s men, finally coming to rescue her. The thought made her pulse race faster.
Her fingers curled into a tight fist against her chest, and her whole body went rigid. The possibility of escape, of safety, was within her reach. She couldn’t let herself believe it just yet, but the anticipation in her chest was hard to ignore.
"You tricked me." Zack’s voice exploded in fury, snapping Bella out of her thoughts. "Who did you call?" His eyes were wild with accusation as he whipped his head toward her.
The panic on his face was unmistakable. It was clear to Bella now that Zack had ulterior motives to keep her with him.
"I lost my memory," Bella hissed defiantly. "How could I contact anyone? Besides, you didn’t give me a phone."
"Rose, I’ve been trying to save you," Zack’s tone grew even more venomous. "Do you even know how you had that accident? Someone is out there to kill you. I rescued you from that crash and kept you safe with me. But you— you betrayed me. Now, I don’t even know who is after us."
Bella’s head spun as his words sank in, doubts creeping into her mind. Could he be telling the truth? Did she misunderstand him?
But her conscious rebelled against the thought. If Zack truly cared about her safety, why had he kept her away from her family? Why hadn’t he contacted her father for help, or called the authorities like he should have? None of his actions matched his supposed concern for her well-being.
’No, he is lying.’ Her heart clenched with certainty. ’He is manipulating me.’
She reminded herself not to put her faith in him. Bella’s gaze flicked to the rearview mirror again, her fingers clenching against her dress as she saw the headlights still glaring behind them.
She turned back to Zack. "Who is trying to kill me?" she asked suspiciously. "Why would anyone want to kill me? My parents... they seem so humble, so harmless. They don’t have enemies."
Zack’s mind raced, momentarily silenced by Bella’s pressing questions. His expression flickered, but there was no real answer in his eyes—only the same deflection, the same half-truths.
He had kept everything about her family hidden from her, manipulating the narrative to make her believe his parents were hers. Could he tell her the truth? Could he admit that her so-called parents weren’t really hers and that enemies of her husband, Theodore, were after her?
Before he could find the right words, Bella’s voice cut through the tension. "Are you hiding something from me? You know these people, right? Who are they?"
Beep-Beep...
The honk of a horn sliced through the air. He glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the glaring headlights of the Range Rover. It blinked twice, signaling him to pull over.
"No way," Zack muttered, his grip tightening on the wheel as he slammed his foot on the accelerator, increasing the speed.
Bella gasped, her body jerking back against the seat as the car lurched forward at an alarming speed. The sudden acceleration sent a wave of panic through her. She instinctively grasped the seatbelt tighter as she looked ahead, wide-eyed and terrified.
The world outside blurred in a rush of motion, and all she could focus on was the cold dread settling in her stomach.
Inside the Range Rover, Skyler cursed under his breath, frustration rippling through him. "That bastard," he muttered, his eyes locked on the car in front of them. "He is speeding up."
"We have to stop them," Theodore hissed, urgency lacing his voice.
Skyler pushed the pedal down, matching Zack’s speed. "He can’t escape tonight."
The chase intensified as Skyler drove aggressively, his vehicle staying right alongside Zack’s.
Zack shot a quick glance at the Range Rover and, in a split second, made a reckless move. He swerved the car sharply, ramming the side of the Range Rover with a violent force. Skyler gripped the steering wheel tightly, struggling to keep the car steady, but managed to regain control just in time.
"Shit!" Zack swore under his breath, his eyes scanning the road ahead, searching desperately for an escape.
The path was straight, with no curves or exits in sight. He had nowhere to go but forward, so he pushed the speed even further.
Bella couldn’t breathe. The world outside turned into a blur of motion. The sensation of speed gripped her, making it feel as though the car itself was weightless like she was floating through the air.
Her body clenched in fear, drowning out everything else. ’This can’t end well,’ she thought, fear sinking deep into her bones. ’Please, let it stop before we crash again. I don’t want to die.’
"Can you slow down a bit?" she pleaded as she tried to get Zack’s attention. "I don’t feel good."
She grew uncomfortable, her stomach churning.
"Shut up," Zack roared, silencing her. He barely spared her a glance, his focus solely on the road ahead. His sole mission now was to escape, no matter the cost.
In the meantime, he saw a big truck coming from the opposite direction. The blinding headlights flashed in Zack’s eyes, momentarily throwing off his focus. The sheer intensity of the light caused him to lose control for just a moment.
His hands gripped the steering wheel tighter as he wrenched it to the side, trying to correct the car’s path. The tires screeched against the asphalt, their high-pitched squeal slicing through the night as the car veered dangerously off the road.
Inside the Range Rover, Skyler’s heart raced as he watched Zack’s car wobble, clearly on the edge of crashing. He hesitated for a split second, almost sure that the car would flip.
"Bella!" Theodore’s voice rang out in alarm, his worry for her palpable. His mind flashed to the possibility of her being hurt.
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