CHAPTER 6

First Person's Perspective

Elena

After Salvatore punished the maids because of me, everything changed.

Before, they were quiet, careful, doing their jobs without looking at me too much. Now, their eyes were filled with hate. They didn’t say anything, but I could feel it. Every time they walked past me, I felt their stares burn into my skin. Every time they handed me food, their fingers would brush mine a little too roughly. Every time they cleaned the room, they would “accidentally” knock something over, making me clean it up myself.

They couldn’t hit me. They couldn’t yell at me. But they found other ways to make me suffer.

Small ways.

Ways that looked like mistakes.

The first time it happened, I was exhausted. My body ached from days without sleep, and all I wanted was a warm bath to wash away the sweat and fear. My muscles felt sore, my head heavy, and my thoughts slow. I just wanted a moment of peace.

Lina, one of the maids, came in and ran the bath without saying a word. I didn’t pay much attention, just waiting for her to leave so I could sink into the water. When she was done, she turned to me, her face as blank as always.

“It’s ready,” she said, then stepped aside.

I stepped forward, lifting one foot over the tub, then dipped my toes into the water. A sharp, unbearable pain shot up my leg. I gasped and jerked my foot back, stumbling slightly. The water wasn’t just hot. It was boiling.

I looked down at my foot. My skin had turned bright red, pulsing with heat. My eyes snapped to Lina, who was standing there, watching me with that same blank expression.

“Is something wrong?” she asked, tilting her head slightly.

I clenched my jaw, forcing my voice to stay calm. “The water is too hot.”

She blinked, pretending to be surprised. “Oh? I didn’t notice. Should I add cold water?”

I nodded, not taking my eyes off her. She walked over to the tub and picked up the bucket of cold water. But when she poured it in, she didn’t measure it. She didn’t check the temperature. She just dumped it all at once.

I dipped my fingers in and flinched. Now, the water was ice cold.

I glanced at Lina, and for the first time, I saw it. A tiny smirk, there for just a second before she wiped it away.

She knew exactly what she was doing.

I didn’t complain again. I just climbed into the freezing water, my teeth chattering as the cold wrapped around me.

The next morning, I was too tired to think clearly. My body felt heavy, my head pounding, and my eyelids barely staying open. I needed something to wake me up.

A maid named Talia came in, carrying a cup of coffee on a small tray. “Here,” she said, her voice neutral.

I took it without a second thought and lifted it to my lips. The moment the liquid touched my tongue, pain shot through my mouth. It was burning hot. I gasped and pulled the cup away, my tongue throbbing. My eyes filled with tears as I swallowed back a whimper.

Talia didn’t move, but I saw it. A twitch of her lips. A small flicker of amusement in her eyes.

“Oh no,” she said, her voice flat. “Was it too hot? My mistake.”

I looked at her, my chest tightening. She wasn’t sorry. She wasn’t even trying to pretend she was.

I set the cup down carefully, ignoring the pain still lingering in my mouth. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of seeing me react.

But the worst was yet to come.

It started in the afternoon. I was sitting in my room when I realized the air had stopped moving. The air conditioner had shut off, and within minutes, the room started heating up.

At first, I ignored it. Maybe it was just broken. I pressed the button to call a maid, but no one came.

I sighed and got up, walking to the door. I turned the handle.

It didn’t move.

I frowned and tried again. The knob refused to turn. I pushed against the door, but it wouldn’t budge.

Panic crept up my spine. I banged on the wood. “Hello? Someone? The door’s stuck!”

Silence.

I banged harder. “Lina? Talia? Anyone?”

Still nothing.

My heart started racing. My clothes were already sticking to my skin. The heat in the room was unbearable, making it hard to breathe. Sweat dripped down my back, my hair damp and clinging to my face. The walls seemed to close in, the air growing thicker.

I pounded on the door until my hands ached, screaming for help, but no one answered.

I sank to the floor, my head spinning. My throat burned, dry from the heat and shouting. Every breath felt heavier than the last.

They did this.

They locked me in here on purpose.

Minutes passed. Then an hour. Then more. My body felt weak, my limbs heavy. My mind was slowing down, thoughts jumbling together.

Then, finally, I heard voices outside.

“Oh no!” one of the maids said, her voice filled with fake shock. “The door is stuck! How did that happen?”

Another voice, Lina’s, responded. “We should call the guards!”

They didn’t rush. They whispered to each other, giggling softly, dragging out the moment.

I was too exhausted to react. My body slumped against the wall, my skin slick with sweat. My breathing was shallow, and my vision was blurry.

When the guards finally broke the door open, I barely had the strength to lift my head.

Lina rushed inside, her face a picture of concern. “Oh, Elena! Are you okay? We had no idea you were trapped!”

I looked into her eyes.

And I saw the truth.

She knew.

They all knew.

And they enjoyed it.