A few minutes ago…
"He left my side already. He went out for some fresh air. This is my chance — yours is to get the room ready," Mike muttered under his breath.
He noticed Aiden standing alone in the garden with a stranger and decided to approach him.
"Get away from him," Mike shooed the stranger.
"Why would you do that? He was only trying to have a conversation," Aiden argued.
"Eh! Almost deceived you. Didn't the person who brought you here teach you the ethics of strange places?" Mike warned.
"Err… let's not talk about him for now, it's just a waste of time," Aiden hissed, clearly annoyed.
Mike smirked. "Okay then. Here — I took this from the waiter on my way here." He handed Aiden a glass of drink.
"Thank you… how did you know?" Aiden asked, suspicious.
"I noticed your drink was almost empty. Thought this would be appropriate," Mike replied casually.
Aiden hesitated but nodded. "Hmmm… okay."
"Let's stroll to the garden," Mike suggested.
"That's a good idea. At least I can calm my nerves there," Aiden said, following him.
---
Presently…
Aiden sat quietly on a wooden bench somewhere in the garden. Mike had excused himself a few minutes ago to attend to "business matters."
He glanced at his watch. Thirty minutes had passed. He was about to check his phone when he realized… he must have dropped it while walking.
Suddenly, a hand covered his mouth, and before he could react, he was struck from behind.
"Hey! Let me go!" he screamed, struggling, but the next thing he knew, darkness swallowed him.
---
Meanwhile, back at the mansion…
"It's been forty minutes! Where is he? I haven't seen him since he left the penthouse " Damien said, pacing, tense and impatient.
"Sir, the waiter said he saw him heading to the garden with someone," Sean reported.
"Then go find him — now!" Damien barked.
"Chill out, bro. We'll find him. You shouldn't be so stressed," Charles tried to calm him.
Jessica, glaring, interjected sharply, "Yes, who is this kid to have you worked up? I bet he's just one of your toys, ugh!"
"Jessica, enough! Stop talking before you make things worse," Charlie snapped.
Damien, furious, interrupted, "Get out of here. I don't want to see your face — and I will cancel the wedding if you don't leave."
Jessica froze, shocked at his words.
Sean ran back to the penthouse, panting.
"Sir, we can't find him in the garden!" he reported, bowing with a mixture of fear and urgency.
---
Aiden slowly regained consciousness. The bright light in the room made him squint. He was lying on a bed, his wrists bound. The room was unfamiliar, but he guessed — one of the hotel's private suites.
"You're awake," a deep voice said.
He tried to move, realizing he was tied to the bed. A shadowy figure stepped closer, shirtless, his face obscured.
"Where am I?" Aiden asked, panic rising in his chest.
"You're in a… safe space," the figure chuckled.
Aiden froze as the man brought out a black scarf.
"No! Don't cover my face!" he pleaded.
"Who are you to dictate?" the man replied.
Before Aiden could react further, the scarf was tied around his eyes. He caught a glimpse of a tattoo on the man's waist — Japanese characters he couldn't read — before everything went black.
"YOU'RE MINE NOW," the man hissed, his voice filled with menace.
Aiden's heart raced. Struggling was useless. His mind raced with panic and fear as he realized he was trapped, completely at the mercy of this stranger.
---
Back at the mansion, Sean's voice broke the tense silence.
"Sir, we found him in—"
Damien's fists clenched, his jaw tight. "Take me there. Now."
---