I jolted awake at the sound of the door clicking shut.
The silence that followed was eerie, almost too perfect. I must've drifted off in the middle of my spiraling thoughts—I couldn't even remember when sleep had taken me.
The bed felt too soft, the room too quiet. Something about the stillness felt off.
I dragged myself up, my limbs heavy with unease.
After brushing my teeth and taking a quick bath, I rummaged through the wardrobe for anything remotely wearable.
My fingers stopped on a black, body-hugging mini dress.
It wasn't ideal, but at this point, I didn't care. I slipped it on, tied my hair into a ponytail, and left a strand loose on each side of my face.
Not that appearances mattered when you were plotting an escape from god knows what.
I wasn't going to sit around waiting to be killed—or worse.
There were a few bobby pins on the dressing table.
I grabbed them and crouched by the door, trying to pick the lock. Nothing. I cursed under my breath. Plan B: the window.
I opened it slowly and peeked out. The ground was farther than I expected. I needed a real plan. Tight security. Unknown layout. Too many unknowns.
A knock on the door snapped me out of it.
A maid stepped in. Her voice was calm, rehearsed.
"Master Lucien requests your presence at the dining hall."
Lucien. So that's the name of the man pulling the strings. My captor.
But maybe… maybe this was my opening.
She just stood there, probably waiting to guide me like some obedient little pet.
I turned, trying not to let the adrenaline show on my face, and walked past her. The door creaked as I pushed it open and stepped into the hallway. She made the mistake of walking in front of me. Fool.
I followed her steps, silent and calculated.
Then—without hesitation—I took a sharp turn down another corridor.
I didn't know where I was going. The mansion was massive, a labyrinth of shadows and secrets.
Each hallway looked like the last, cold and dimly lit.
My pulse thundered in my ears as I searched for any possible exit. A door. A staircase. A crack in the wall. Anything.
Then—
A sharp, burning sting pierced the side of my neck.
My vision blurred. My legs gave out. Darkness swallowed me whole.
---
Hayden's POV
I was looking for Lucien. We had business to handle—serious shit, not the kind you put off. The man was a storm, and I had to catch him before he spiraled.
That's when I saw her.
The girl.
The one who had Lucien losing his damn mind. She was creeping through the corridor, glancing out the window like a caged animal ready to bolt. I didn't need to guess what was on her mind—escape.
If she got out? Lucien would burn this whole place to the ground.
I moved fast. Silent. Precise. One dose was all it took. The needle sank into her skin before she even knew I was there. Her body crumpled in seconds, a delicate puppet with severed strings.
Lucien was going to owe me for this.
Big time.