Chapter 3 ESCAPE

I haven't stopped shaking since he left.

The contract sat on my lap like a stone, its weight pressing down on me even as my vision blurs. My tears have soaked the edges of the paper, but I don't care. My mind spins with the words I've just read.

Three months.

That's all my father has to pay back the money. And if he doesn't...

I clutch my stomach, trying to will away the bile rising up my throat. The dimly lit room around me suddenly feels like it's closing in, the air too thick to breathe.

I stumble off the bed, my bare feet hitting the cold marble floor. My legs are weak, but I force them to move, pacing back and forth in the small space.

I can't stay here.

I glance toward the door. It's heavy and made of some kind of reinforced steel. There's no handle on my side... just a keypad, its tiny red light mocking me.

My fingers dig into my scalp, tugging at my hair as I try to think. There has to be a way out. A window. A vent. Something.

I scan the room, desperate for any semblance of an escape route. The windows are too high up, the glass too thick to break. The walls are smooth, no cracks or crevices to exploit.

The reality of my situation settles over me like a cold, suffocating blanket.

I am trapped.

I sink to the floor, my back pressing against the bed frame. My hands grip my knees as I try to steady my breathing.

This is not happening.

I close my eyes, but all I can see is his face, those piercing grey eyes, the cruel smirk curling his lips as he tossed the contract at me.

Raymond Silver.

What seemed like hours passed, and I lay awake in the bed, feeling the weight of the silken sheets against my skin, but I couldn't sleep. I can't escape the thought of what's happening to me. I can feel it, creeping into every corner of my mind like a cold wind... this place, this cage. The mansion that should be a sanctuary feels like a prison. And I'm the captive.

The silence of the early morning is deafening. The kind of silence that fills you with dread. I can hear nothing, not even the soft hum of the night, and it makes my pulse race. The ticking of the clock on the wall sounds too loud in my ears.

I can't do this anymore.

I can't sit here and wait for them to decide what to do with me. I won't let them control me.

I push the sheets aside, my bare feet hitting the cold floor with a sharp jolt. My heart pounds in my chest as I stand up, every movement deliberate, as quiet as I can make it.

I scan the room, my eyes locking on the door.

It's the only barrier standing between me and freedom. I drop to my knees, heart pounding as I study the keypad.

"Here goes nothing..." I whisper under my breath, not sure if I'm talking to myself or to the universe.

"1... 2... 3... 4." I press the numbers carefully, then clasp my hands together in a silent prayer. 'Please work.'

The soft click of the lock turning catches me off guard, and I blink as the red light shifts to green.

Well, that was easier than I thought.

I inhale deeply, then slowly approach. The air in the hallway smells faintly of wood polish and something more sinister... like old money and regret. I can't think about that now.

I need to get out.

The mansion is old, and the halls stretch on forever, winding through rooms I've never seen. But I know one thing: there's an exit somewhere. There has to be.

My heart beats louder with each step. I don't know where I'm going. I don't even know if I'll make it, but I can't just wait here for them to come back. I can't let Raymond the monster win.

I slip down the hallway, my eyes flicking to the shadows, but I don't dare slow down. I'm terrified that if I stop, I'll lose my chance. The stairs to the lower levels are ahead, and I make for them, my breath shallow and erratic.

But then I hear voices.

Two women, their voices pitched low and conspiratorial. I freeze. The sound comes from just below.

I crouch low, pressing my back to the wall, holding my breath. I don't move. I can hear the faint shuffle of their shoes on the floor as they talk.

"Did you see her?" one of them says. "The new girl? She's nothing but a scheming thief."

My chest tightens at the words. They're talking about me, of course they are. To them, I'm just a pawn. A tool to be used.

"She doesn't belong here. She'll never last," the other one adds, her voice dripping with venom. "She's just like the rest of them. Just another one of his toys."

I swallow hard, biting back the surge of anger that rises in my throat. A toy? That's all I am to them?

I can't think about that right now. I can't let them see me. I hold still, waiting for them to move on.

After what feels like an eternity, their voices fade, and I exhale softly. Good.

I turn and continue down the hallway, my footsteps light against the polished floor. I feel the exit growing closer, my skin prickling with anticipation. I'm almost there. I can almost taste freedom.

And then, as my hand reaches for the door handle, I hear it.

The faintest shift of movement behind me.

I spin around, my heart lurching. A guard.

"You thought you could get away?" he sneers.

Before I can react, his hand shoots out, grabbing my wrist with a brutal force that makes me gasp. I try to twist away, but he's too strong.

"Let go of me!" I shout, my voice trembling with fear and fury.

But he doesn't answer. Instead, he yanks me back, dragging me away from the door. I kick and struggle, my heart pounding in my throat, but it's no use. The guard is too strong, his grip unrelenting. I can't escape.

"Stop!" I cry out, but my voice cracks as panic sets in. My whole body shakes with the fear of what's to come.

He drags me through the hall, and I can hear my own breath harsh and ragged in my ears. No, no, no!

My head spins, my thoughts scrambling. I try to fight back, but the more I struggle, the tighter his grip becomes. I'm caught.

I hear the unmistakable sound of footsteps... slow, deliberate echoing down the corridor. My heart sinks into my stomach, panic rising like a tidal wave.

Then I hear it.

His voice.

Raymond.

"You thought you could run?" He sneers, his tone dripping with mockery.

Before I can even react, darkness crashes over me, pulling me under. My world goes black.