Sweet Hatred-Chapter 465: Captive

ARIA’S POV

Consciousness returned slowly, like swimming up through dark water.

My head felt heavy. Wrong. Like it was stuffed with cotton.

Everything was muffled and distant.

I tried to open my eyes, but my eyelids were so heavy.

Where was I?

What happened?

I forced my eyes open, blinking against harsh fluorescent light that made my skull throb.

The ceiling above me was water-stained concrete. Unfamiliar.

Confusion bloomed through the fog in my mind.

This wasn’t the hotel suite.

This wasn’t anywhere I recognized.

I tried to move, to sit up, and that’s when I felt it.

Restraints.

My hands were bound behind me, zip-ties cutting into my wrists. My ankles were strapped to the legs of a chair, rough rope that bit into my skin.

And there was something in my mouth. Cloth. Gagged.

Panic exploded through me like a bomb going off.

I tried to scream, but the gag muffled everything into a pathetic whimper.

Tried to struggle, yanking against the restraints, but they held firm.

The chair creaked but didn’t move.

I was trapped.

Completely trapped.

Oh God. Oh God oh God oh God,

Memories flooded back in a sickening rush.

The knock at the door.

Opening it, expecting room service.

Seeing Sarah standing there in a hotel uniform, that horrible smile on her face.

"Happy birthday."

Her lunging at me. The cloth pressed over my face. The chemical smell.

Fighting. Clawing. Trying to scream.

Then nothing.

My breathing came faster, harsh and panicked through my nose.

I looked around frantically, trying to understand where I was.

The room was small. Concrete walls. No windows, just the single fluorescent light buzzing overhead. A metal door in the corner, closed. Heavy. Industrial.

Some kind of storage facility? Warehouse? Basement?

Abandoned, definitely. Everything was covered in dust and grime.

No one was here.

No one would hear me scream.

My hands strained against the zip-ties, trying desperately to touch my stomach.

But I couldn’t reach.

Couldn’t do anything.

Terror clawed up my throat.

I couldn’t tell. Couldn’t see. Couldn’t feel anything except the awful restraints and the gag choking me.

I forced myself to breathe. To think.

There had to be something. Some way out.

I scanned the room again, looking for anything I could use.

A loose piece of metal. A sharp edge. Something to cut the restraints.

But there was nothing.

Just empty concrete and dust and the chair I was strapped to.

My eyes burned with tears.

Kael.

Kael would be looking for me. He had to be looking for me.

He’d find me. He’d,

The metal door opened with a screech.

I froze, my entire body going rigid with terror.

And Sarah walked in.

Carrying a birthday cake.

A whole fucking birthday cake, complete with lit candles, cradled in her hands like some kind of twisted offering.

She was smiling. Bright and excited, like this was normal. Like she hadn’t just kidnapped me and tied me to a chair in an abandoned building.

"You’re awake!" she said cheerfully. "Perfect timing!"

She crossed the room quickly, setting the cake down on a metal crate she dragged over to sit in front of me.

Then she pulled up another crate for herself and sat down, still smiling.

I stared at her, my heart hammering so hard I thought it might break through my ribs.

"I know it’s already past midnight," Sarah said, adjusting the candles. "And technically your birthday is over. But I still wanted to celebrate with you. We always celebrated together, remember?"

Her voice was so casual. So fucking normal.

Like we were friends catching up.

Like she hadn’t drugged me and kidnapped me and tied me up.

She started singing.

"Happy birthday to you..."

Her voice was soft. Almost sweet.

"Happy birthday to you..."

I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. Could only stare at her through tears as she sang to me like a lunatic.

"Happy birthday, dear Aria..."

She held the last note, her eyes meeting mine.

"Happy birthday to you."

Then she leaned forward and blew out the candles herself.

The smoke curled up between us.

Sarah set the cake aside carefully and looked at me, her expression shifting.

The bright smile faded.

Something sadder took its place. More genuine.

More terrifying.

"I really missed you," she said quietly. "So much, Aria. You have no idea."

I tried to speak through the gag, but only muffled sounds came out.

She didn’t seem to notice.

"I had no choice," she continued. "You understand that, right? I couldn’t just... I couldn’t let him keep you from me. Kael took you away. Made you forget about us. About everything we were to each other."

She leaned forward, her elbows on her knees.

"I couldn’t stand it anymore. Watching you two play house. Pretending to be this perfect couple. Planning your future like I never existed. Like I didn’t matter."

Her voice cracked slightly.

"It’s not fair, Aria. None of this is fair. I was there first. I loved you first. And he just... he swooped in and stole you. And everyone acted like I was the villain for being upset about it."

Silence fell between us.

Heavy and suffocating.

Then Sarah’s voice dropped even lower. Quieter. More honest.

"I thought..." She paused, swallowing hard. "I thought everything was perfect between us. You and me. Best friends. Closer than sisters. I thought nothing could ever come between us."

My chest ached despite everything.

Despite the fear and anger and terror.

Because I heard the pain in her voice.

But I didn’t let it show on my face.

Couldn’t let her see that her words were affecting me.

Sarah stood up and picked up the cake, cutting a small slice with a plastic knife she pulled from her pocket.

She took a bite, chewing thoughtfully.

"Mm. Strawberry. Your favorite." She took another bite. "I remembered."

Then she set the slice down and reached toward my face.

I flinched back instinctively, but there was nowhere to go.

Her fingers found the gag and pulled it down, freeing my mouth.

I gasped, sucking in air, my jaw aching from being forced open for so long.

Sarah picked up the slice of cake again and held it toward my mouth.

"Eat," she said gently. "You must be hungry."

"No." My voice came out hoarse. Shaking.

"Aria, come on. Just a little bite, "

"I said no."

She sighed, like I was being unreasonable. "You need to eat. For the baby."

Ice shot through my veins.

She knew.

Of course she knew.

"You seem surprised." She chuckled.

I said nothing.

"When I was following you and Kael earlier, the first place you visited was a medical facility..."

She paused, a small smile stretching.

"I wondered what you and Kael would be doing in a facility like that and my guess was..."

Her gaze dropped to my stomach.

"And it looks like I was spot on."

My stomach sank to the bottom.

"Just one bite," Sarah coaxed, moving the cake closer. "Please?"

"Why?" The word burst out of me, raw and desperate. "Why are you doing this? Why won’t you just leave me alone?"

Sarah’s expression flickered. Hurt flashing across her face.

"Leave you alone? Aria, I’m trying to, "

"You already hurt Kael!" My voice broke, tears pouring down my face. "You betrayed me. You lied to me for years. You’ve done enough damage already. So why won’t you just stay away?"

The words came faster now, fueled by terror and rage and grief.

"Why can’t you let me be happy? Why do you have to destroy everything? I was your friend, Sarah. I trusted you. I loved you. And you, you, "

I couldn’t finish.

The sobs took over, my body shaking against the restraints.

Sarah set the cake down slowly.

Her face had gone very still.