MasukKAITLYN I stagger back, my chest tightening in horror.I press my hand against the wall as I stare wide-eyed at them.How did they know that I had escaped?So, I wasn't wrong when I suspected that they were playing games with me.I lift my gaze in her direction, and with bitterness and anger rising in my heart, I watch her lips twitch up in a sinister smirk."Did you really think you could escape this place?” She mutters, chuckling loudly.I glare hatefully at her.The anger bubbling in me is so much that I can't even find the words to throw at her as a response.She clicks her tongue and points at the ceiling.I follow the direction of her stretched finger, and my throat knots when I find a CCTV camera on the ceiling.It is pointing down at me, capturing every move that I am making.I am sure she enjoyed seeing me run around and try to find a way out of here.“You must have enjoyed it,” I mutter, letting out a huff.She chuckles and shrugs with a large, satisfied smile on her face.
KAITLYN I slowly get down from the bed and begin to walk softly to the door.My heart is slamming hard in my chest, and my mind is screaming that I stay put, but I can't.I need to find a way to get out of here as soon as possible.I creep around to the door and stare out through the peephole.All I can find is a long, well-lit hallway.If I can find the key, then I'll be able to leave.As I stand there, thinking of what to do, a thought snaps into my head.I remember Nikolai using my hairpin to open a locked door once back in the house.I don't know if he lost the key to the room, but he used my hairpin to open it, and he made me watch him do it.Now that I think about it, it seems like he was teaching me how to survive in such situations.I walk to the table and begin to search for any hairpins. I know damn well that I was wearing two when I went to that traitor's place.I finally find one of my hairpins lying almost hidden beside a make-up box.I pick it up, along with a perfume b
NIKOLAI My eyes are fixed on the grandfather clock, watching its pendulum swing from side to side.This is one of the things that always keeps me calm.The chilling silence and sudden thud that accompany each pass of the pendulum through the center never fail to calm my raging nerves.The door opens, and I hear Tom's footsteps shuffle in.“The gift has been sent to the pakhan,” Tom says when he walks closer to the table.My lips twitch up at the news, and I let out a chuckle.I wonder what he will look like when he opens that box and finds the fresh head of Giovanni tucked in carefully.“Prepare the men we have for any attack,” I say.From the corner of my eye, I can see fear flash across Tom's face.“Yes, boss,” he replies after some hesitation.I cast a cold glance at him and chuckled.“Are you afraid of losing your mother?” I ask.His head jerks up, and his eyes widen in surprise.“No! No! Not at all!” He blurts out while shaking his head.I chuckle again and shake my head.“Get e
KAITLYNA cold splash on my face forces my head to jerk up.I let out a hoarse gasp, gripping my dress as my heart clenches.A shrill, low ring fills my head, and my throat is burning so bad that I can barely swallow my saliva down.“Wake up!” I hear a voice growl, and my eyes slowly pull open.My heart drops into the bottom of my belly when I see a tightened face of a woman hovering over me and eyes that can pierce anything with their blackness staring down at me.I draw back, my heart racing in fear and alarm.“Who… who are you?” I whisper in a voice that sounds like it isn't even above a whisper.Her lips twitch up as disgust darts across her dim eyes.She scoffs at me with disgust and turns away, staring at me like I had some contagious disease.My gaze lowers to my body, and my throat knots when I notice that I am not in the dress that I wore earlier.I am in nightwear. A black nightwear that stops at my thighs. My feet are covered with thick black socks, and a bracelet that does
NIKOLAI “Hello Giovanni,” I blurt out, my voice echoing across the woods.Giovanni stops dead, then slowly raises his head in my direction.My lips twitch in a smirk when I see a horrified look dart across his face.His eyes are wide in dread as he stares at me.I know damn well he doesn't believe who he is seeing. He must have been planning to throw a celebration over my death.“You bastard!” he spits out.I chuckle and begin to walk towards him with slow strides.“I told you I'll come for you, didn't I?” I mutter, my lips slanting to the side.Dismay flashes past his eyes, and he staggers back.His hair is damp and sticking to his forehead, and his white, transparent shirt glues to his body. His chest is rising and falling in fear, and the grave look on his face is almost making me laugh.“You will dare not disrespect the Patrón!” he grumbles, shaking his finger at me.His shaking voice is almost making me burst into laughter.“Patrón? Don Marco?” I huff loudly, shaking my head.I
NIKOLAI Just as I have predicted, gut-wrenching screams of despair have filled the large hallway. Blood is splattered all over the white walls, and even pools have formed on the ground. Ironically, Giovanni sent men to my base to eliminate me and everyone under me, but here I am, still standing with a loaded gun, a blade dripping in blood, and my men. “Ah!” My head jerks up as a scream pierces the hallway and a boy rushes towards me, swinging an axe in the air. I stand still. A smile is on my face as I watch his feet hit the puddle of blood around. He is closer to me now, the axe hanging in the air and his lips stretching out in rage. “I'm gonna kill you!” He growls and swings his hand to bring the axe down to my neck. I jerk my hand up at that moment and sink the blade into his throat, then draw it out effortlessly. His body stops moving, his eyes widen in dismay, and his skin slowly begins to turn pale as blood gushes out of the hole in his neck. I grab the axe still hang
KAITLYN "What do you want me to do? Do you want me to kill the bastard?" She asks and I twitch my lips, narrowing my eyes in amusement. "Call Jesse and tell him to meet up at our favorite spot," I mutter and she huffs. "Is that what you want? You can call him up and meet him, besides—""Ana, jus
KAITLYN My jaws fall open, and an unsettling feeling envelopes me. "What are you doing here, Jesse?" I ask, trying so hard to stop myself from going over and hugging him. He sighs and smiles, the sadness he has been bearing reflecting on his face. "I came to get you," he declares, and my th
I can't believe it. This is a contract marriage? This means that he will let me go after 365 days. "Does that mean that we will get a divorce after 365 days?" I ask and he nods, narrowing his eyes. "If you obey the rules of the contract," he mutters, and a smile creeps into my face. He twitches
KAITLYN "Why are you screaming, mi amor? Have you broken one of the rules?" He asks and my heart stills. It is real! He is standing right before me, smirking down at me. I part my lips again and scream, not because I am scared but because he has caught me. He groans and clasps his hand over







