??? ??????? ??? ??? ???? ; Haobin .?

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Hao’s morning started quietly, the weight of unresolved emotions hanging over him as he sat at the kitchen table. Hanbin had left early for a scheduled meeting, leaving the apartment in a heavy silence. Just as Hao thought about how distant things felt between them, a message popped up on his phone.

Hanbin: "Hey, you awake? Can you drop by my office? Need to see you."

Hao frowned. It was odd for Hanbin to text during a meeting, and something about the tone felt… off. Hanbin usually added emojis, petnames or something playful, but this message was cold and abrupt.

Still, Hao didn’t want to leave things hanging between them. He needed to clear the air. Without thinking too much, he grabbed his jacket and headed to Hanbin’s office.

Surely it's just Hanbin's mood change, right?

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When Hao arrived at the building, everything seemed normal. Hanbin’s team moved efficiently, and there was the usual hum of business. He made his way to Hanbin’s office, hoping this could be the conversation they needed.

He knocked softly, waiting for a response.

"Hanbin-ah!"

Silence. Frowning, he tried the door. It was unlocked, so he pushed it open and stepped inside.

The office was empty.

Confused, Hao stepped further in, calling out, “Hanbin?”

Just as the words left his mouth, there was a sharp click. The door behind him locked.

Alarm shot through him as he rushed back to the door, grabbing the handle. It wouldn’t budge. Panic started rising in his chest as he pounded on the door. “Hello? Hanbin? Anyone?”

But there was only silence. He fumbled for his phone, trying to call Hanbin, but the call didn’t go through. No signal.

Hao’s heart pounded in his chest. Something wasn’t right. He tried to piece together what was happening when suddenly, a voice crackled through the speaker system.

“Well, well, walked right into it, didn’t you?”

Hao froze, his blood turning cold. That wasn’t Hanbin’s voice. It was someone else. Someone unfamiliar. His breath quickened as the reality of the situation began to sink in.

“I didn’t expect it to be this easy,” the voice continued, mocking. “But here you are.”

Fear gripped Hao as he looked around the room, his mind racing. Who was this? What did they want?

“Who are you? What do you want from me?” Hao demanded, his voice shaking.

A dark chuckle echoed through the room. “That’s for you to figure out. But you’re not leaving anytime soon.”

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Meanwhile, outside the building, Matthew had just arrived. He’d been trying to contact Hanbin all morning but hadn’t been able to get through. A gut feeling told him something wasn’t right. He hurried into the building, heading straight for Hanbin’s office.

As he approached, he noticed the security guard nearby. “Is Hanbin in his office?” Matthew asked, trying to keep the urgency from creeping into his voice.

The guard shook his head. “No, haven’t seen him all morning.”

Matthew’s heart dropped. “Hao’s in there,” he muttered, rushing to the door. His instincts screamed that something was off. Reaching the office, he found the door locked. He pounded on it, his voice filled with worry. “Hao! Hao, are you in there?”

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Inside, Hao’s heart leaped at the sound of Matthew’s voice. “Matthew! I’m locked in! The door—it won’t op—”

Matthew wasted no time. “Hang on! I’m getting you out.” He looked around for anything that could help. His mind raced as he thought of how to break the door down.

Hao stood frozen, a strange mix of fear and relief filling his chest. Whoever had done this—set this trap—was playing a dangerous game. But one thing was clear: he couldn’t trust what was happening around him.

Matthew’s voice cut through the fear. “I’m not letting anything happen to you. Stay calm.”

But Hao’s mind buzzed with questions. Who had lured him here, and why? He didn’t know, but the eerie feeling settled deep in his gut as he waited for Matthew to set him free.

Matthew's heart raced as he worked the lock, his bodyguard instincts kicking in. He knew something was wrong—every fiber of his being told him that time was running out. With a swift motion, he managed to force the door open, bursting into Hanbin’s office, ready to find Hao.

But the room was empty.

A cold chill shot through Matthew’s body as his eyes swept across the room. There were no signs of a struggle, no clue as to where Hao could have gone. It was as if he had simply vanished.

“Hao!” Matthew shouted, his voice echoing in the empty room. Silence. Panic started to rise in his chest as he quickly checked the corners of the office, looking for any hidden passageways, any indication of what had just happened.

Nothing.

Matthew’s mind raced. He had been right outside the door—there was no way Hao could’ve slipped past him. The only other option was… someone had taken him. A trap. His fists clenched as he realized the seriousness of the situation.

Grabbing his phone, Matthew quickly dialed Hanbin’s number, his heart hammering in his chest. He couldn’t afford to panic, not now. But when Hanbin’s voicemail clicked on, his frustration boiled over.

“Hanbin, call me back. It’s about Hao. He’s… missing. I’ll explain everything, but call me now.”

His mind churned with a thousand possibilities. Whoever was behind this knew what they were doing, and they had planned this perfectly. Hao had been lured here deliberately, and now he was missing, taken right under their noses.

Matthew’s body tensed. He wasn’t going to stand by and wait for answers. He had to find Hao, and fast.

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The fact that I finished writing this after reading ady's new chapter...😧