The chaos

Nicholas's steps came to a halt. With a swift gesture, he signaled Alex to remove the tape from Brian's mouth. Alex complied, yanking it off with a force that made Brian wince, his face twisting in pain.

Brian blinked several times, his disoriented eyes adjusting to the dim light of the room. Panic set in as he looked up at the two men, his heart pounding in his chest. "Why are you keeping me here? Please, let me go. I've already told you that I have nothing to do with Gianna. She is just a co-star, nothing more."

Nicholas's lips curled into a disdainful smirk as he stepped closer. "Who do you think you're fooling? You're trying to protect Gianna but let me tell you something—she doesn't care about you. You're nothing more than a pawn to her."