Mandy and I rented a small apartment in a two-story building, right outside campus. The owner only rented to campus students.
I looked up from my books, still seated at my small desk. “No. I’ve got to study. I got here on a scholarship, remember? I have to keep my grades up.”
I’d worked my ass off to earn my Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and get this scholarship for my Master's program. There was no way I was letting up now, especially since my end goal was landing a job at one of the top cybersecurity firms in the UK, far away from my manipulative father’s claws.
Mandy placed her hands on her rounded hips and rolled her green eyes. “CeeCee, you can rattle off that IT stuff in your sleep. It’s just one party. Besides, Jake’s friend Dan likes you. He’s hoping you’ll be there.”
“Is Dan’s friend Kyle going to be there, too? You know, Mr. Tall and Brooding…the one you’ve got a major crush on?”
Mandy’s green eyes lit up. “Of course! That’s why I designed this outfit just for tonight.”
Mandy and I were total opposites. She was outgoing, stylish, and getting her masters in fashion. She loved the spotlight. I preferred staying out of it, quite content with sitting behind a screen. I wore sweatpants and hoodies and kept my honey-blonde hair in a ponytail. When I wasn’t studying, I was working at the café just off campus.
“Okay, then let’s make a deal,” I said. “Next time Jake throws a party, if Dan actually comes up to me like a man and asks me to go, I’ll go.”
Mandy squealed and held out her pinky for a promise, then smirked. “And I get to dress you for it?”
I sighed. If I let Mandy dress me, I’d probably end up showing more skin than I liked, and socializing on top of that would wreck my nerves. I liked staying under the radar, not in the spotlight, where people could dig into who my father is.
I held out my pinky. “Only if it’s not too revealing.”
Mandy grinned and hooked her finger with mine. “Deal.”
She checked her reflection one last time: perfect makeup and black waves, thigh-high boots, a pleated skirt, and a halter top with a built-in tie that dipped between her breasts.
She grabbed her purse and winked. “Don’t wait up for me.”
“Don't forget to lock the door behind you.”
“I won't.”
With a blown kiss and a wave, she was gone.
Not more than two minutes later, there was a knock on the door.
“Mandy probably forgot her keys again,” I muttered, slipping on my flip-flops as I padded across the room.
“Mandy, did you forget your ke…” My voice trailed off the second the door opened.
Two tall, muscular men stood in the hallway, wearing black suits and earpieces, sunglasses covering their eyes.
“Miss Sienna Romonoff,” one of them said, his tone clipped. “Our boss sent us to fetch you.”
“W-who’s your boss?” I managed, speaking around the lump that had formed in my throat.
“You’ll meet him when you get there.”
“If you can’t tell me who he is, I’m not going anywhere,” I snapped, braver than I felt.
For all I knew, they were kidnappers, or worse, traffickers. I tried to shut the door, but the man jammed his foot in the way and shoved it open, sending me sprawling. Pain shot up my arm as my elbow hit the ground.
He stepped inside, making the room seem smaller than it was. “Miss Romonoff, it would be in your best interest to come quietly. You wouldn’t want to be the reason Miss Mandy Hillman goes missing, would you?”
My heart slammed into my chest as I tried to inhale the oxygen that my body desperately needed. I forced myself upright, gripping the edge of the bed to steady my shaking legs.
I couldn't let them take Mandy. I couldn't.
“What does your boss want with me?” my voice cracked.
