Chapter 89
The cool sheets whispered against my skin as I carefully disentangled myself from Dominic’s embrace. His breathing was deep, even; the kind of sleep that came after a night when we pretended everything was okay.
It wasn’t
I slipped out of the bed, the chill of the room raising goosebumps across my bare skin. My heart pounded with the thrill and fear of what I was about to do. This was my chance the moment of quiet and darkness before dawn.
My clothes were scattered across a chair near the window. I didn’t dare rustle them on just yet, any noise might wake him. Instead, I clutched them to my chest as I tiptoed across the carpeted floor, each step a silent prayer not to stir him.
The door to his room was slightly ajar, a sliver of light from the hallway slicing through the darkness. I paused, listening, making sure the coast was still clear. My entire body was tense, ready to freeze or flee at the slightest sound.
Carefully, I nudged the door wider, just enough to slip through. The hallway was deserted, bathed in the soft glow of night lights spaced along the walls. My heart raced as I moved, bare feet silent on the plush carpet.
I was almost at the turn that would lead me back to my room when I heard it–a soft gasp.
I froze, blood turning to ice in my veins.
Turning slowly, I saw her. A maid, her cart stopped a few feet away, her eyes wide as they took in my naked body
“Miss Aria!” she whispered, a hand coming up to cover her mouth. “I–I was just…”
I clutched my clothes tighter against me, my face burning with embarrassment and panic. “Please, don’t,” I managed to say, my voice a desperate hiss. “I just needed…”
She looked down, her face conflicted. “I… Should I call Mr. Dominic?”
“No!” The word burst from me louder than I intended. I took a deep, shaky breath, trying to regain some semblance of composure. “Please, just… I was just heading back to my room. I’m okay.”
The maid nodded slowly, her expression softening. “I won’t say anything,” she murmured after a tense pause. “Please, be careful, Miss Aria.”
I nodded, murmuring a thank you filled with relief. She moved her cart, continuing down the hallway as if nothing had happened. I waited, making sure she was really gone, before I turned and all but ran the rest of the way to my room.
Slipping inside, I closed the door with a soft click that sounded like a gunshot in the silence of my room. Leaning back against it, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding.
The adrenaline of the moment was starting to ebb, leaving behind a tremor of nerves that vibrated through my limbs. I dropped my clothes on the floor and slid down the door to the carpet, pulling my knees up to my chest.
I was shaking.
The reality of what I had just risked–and nearly lost–was crashing down on me. Not just Dominic’s wrath if he found out, but the fragile semblance of trust we had been rebuilding. Would he believe I was just uncomfortable in his room? Or would he see this as a betrayal, a sign that I was still planning to leave him?
The room felt colder now, the shadows deeper. I wrapped my arms around my legs, resting my forehead on my knees. The maid’s face kept flashing in my mind–the shock, the quick flicker of judgment, and then understanding.
Was I really doing the right thing?
I had to believe I was. I had to believe that there was something better than this gilded cage, that the fear of what lay beyond these walls wasn’t as terrifying as the fear of what would happen if I stayed.
But as I sat there, alone in the dim light of my room, doubt whispered through the cracks of my resolve.
‘I lifted my head, pressing my palm against the cool wood of the door behind me. The mansion was silent around me, the
weight of its luxurious oppression heavier than ever.
I needed a plan. A real one. Not just a desperate sneak from one room to another.
But for now, I needed to breathe. Just breathe.
And hope that the morning wouldn’t bring consequences I wasn’t prepared to face.
But I didn’t sleep. Couldn’t.
By the time the sun had fully risen, I’d already made up my
This time, I wasn’t going to freeze.
I was going to run. I had nothing to lose.
Successfully unlocked!
I dressed quickly–quietly–grabbing a pair of jeans and a plain black T–shirt. I tied my hair back, slipped on sneakers, and didn’t bother with makeup. There was no one I wanted to impress.
1/2
Chapter 90
I glanced at the duffel I’d hidden behind my dresser. Inside, it held everything I needed cash i stole from Dominic’s drawer,
a burner phone Carmen once gave me, a scarf, an old hoodie.
I slung it over my shoulder, my hands shaking.
This wasn’t a game. I knew that.
If he caught me… he wouldn’t let me leave or give me freedom again.
Can I take this risk?
Yes. I had to.
I crossed the room slowly, heart pounding as I approached the window. I’d unlocked it earlier while the guards were
switching shifts. The security system hadn’t been reset yet. It was a small window of time, maybe five minutes, and I had to move before someone noticed.
I pushed the window open.
The wind hit my face. Cold. Real. Free,
I placed one leg over the edge, then the other, balancing on the ledge with my duffel hanging across my back
Then-
A hand clamped around my wrist.
I gasped, jerking, but he was already pulling me back in.
The bag fell, landing with a dull thud on the floor. My body collided with his chest as he yanked me inside like I weighed nothing.
“No,” I whispered, struggling. “Let me go–Dominic-”
He slammed the window shut behind us, locked it, then turned back with eyes darker than nightfall. He didn’t speak. Didn’t shout. Just looked at me like I had personally set his house on fire.
He grabbed my arms, spun me around, and shoved me back against the nearest wall. Not hard enough to hurt–but hard enough to tell me I wasn’t going anywhere.
“Run again,” he whispered, voice low, hot against my ear, “and I’ll chain you to my side.”
A
Subscribed
1 Likes