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Trap

When Adam returned to his group, Samantha was not there. After exchanging contacts with the others, he waited for Samantha to return. The others said that her mother had taken her away a few minutes before he'd returned.

But when he looked around the room, he saw no sign of Samantha. Adam hurried back to his mother.

"Mom, do you know where Samantha's parents are? She wasn't with the others, and I can't see her."

Aurora looked around the room; sure enough, Samantha's parents were still in the room, but the girl was not with them. Aurora snatched a paper from under the tray on the table and handed it to Adam.

There's a little girl wanting to speak with you alone. Serenity of the Sea suite.

The note was from Mr. Hoppenstedt— from the group that had invited Logan to talk.

"Her parents are now with that group." Aurora said, indicating Samantha's parents.

"What do we do?"

"You are going to stay here and give that note to your father when he returns. I'll go take a look."

Adam waited for his mother to walk away, then took a picture of the note and sent it to his father. Aurora had been stern in warning him not to follow her. But worrying about her, Adam waited until she had left the room before he followed.

The floors of the hotel were named, and the second floor was Serenity. When he got off the elevator, Adam sprinted down the hall, checking the room names. Serenity of the Sea was at the far end of the hall, on the ocean side of the hotel. He got to the door but had no plan for getting inside.

Pressing his ear against the door Adam tried to make out the sounds from within. The voices were low and muffled, but he could make out some words.

"Aurora!"

It was Samantha. She was crying. Adam recognised his mother's soothing tone. He also heard the deep mumbling of a man's voice. Annoyed that he couldn't hear clearly, he attempted to open the door.

He gripped the door handle hard, ever so gently, and slowly brought it down. Giving the door a push with the same care with which he managed to crack it.

"—behind this, Nicholas."

It was Aurora. He heard a man speak, but it wasn't Nicholas, and without being able to see into the room, he had no idea who was in there or what was going on.

"I can give Logan the contract. If you want," stated Nicholas.

"Unlike you, Logan knows how to work for the things he wants."

"I know you. He'll never satisfy you."

"You don't know me." Said Aurora coldly.

A silent tension permeated the air. Samantha's sobs filled the silence between the adults, and as the silence stretched on, Adam grew impatient. As he pushed the door further, a firm hand gripped his shoulder.