Chapter ElevenMikaela:The manâs shadow loomed closer. My heart was in my throat, every beat echoing in my ears louder than footsteps. He smirked, tilting his head like a cat watching a rat.And thenââSir!â a sharp voice boomed from the hall.He cursed under his breath, his eyes slicing through me one last time before jerking toward the door. âDonât move,â he hissed.I didnât even blink until he disappeared. The silence took over again, but now was my chance.I crawled forward, the rope still half-wrapped around one wrist, slipping out of the corner. I forced myself to focus, to listen. A sound.Faint, weak, like a kitten mewling. Nope, not a kitten this time. A child!!I froze in place, my pulse hammering. My legs carried me toward it before my brain even caught up. The cries were muffled, coming from behind an oak door in a dim corridor. I shoved it open.âNatasha.âŚâ I mouthed.Her little body was curled on the floor, eyes swollen, cheeks streaked with tears. My heart dropped. I d
Chapter TenMikaela:âNo, it's a leverage, Mikaela. Your inability to tell the difference is the reason why you keep running, thinking everything is a threat, but you can never run from leverage.ââJust go straight to the fucking point already!â I scoffed, looking him in the eye. âGive in to us, Mikaela. Your life and your daughterâs depend on it.â He pushed further as he walked around the table slowly, heading towards me.I was already sick of all this stupid drama. It was unnecessary. But at this point, I didn't care if they would believe me or not, I just had to tell the truth.âYouâre wasting your time here. You've been wasting your time on the wrong person!â I raised my voice.He paused in his tracks, lifting a brow. âWhat does that mean?ââI'm not with the money. I'm nothing but a bait, meanwhile the person with the actual wealth is somewhere, living his dream life out there without any suspicion on himâ I crossed my arms, walking to him.If he wouldn't come to me, I would go t
Chapter NineMikaela:âCome to the Black Estate.âThe voice was low. Cold. The kind that slides into my bone and stays there.I froze, my grip tightening on the phone. âWho is this?ââYou already know,â the voice answered. So Calm, and confident.My stomach twisted as I swallowed.âWeâve been watching you. Ambrosia shouldn't be in your hands, at least not yet, but since you have it, use it. Tonight. Come alone, there's a car waiting.âThen the line went dead.I stayed there in the hotel room, the dagger still in my other hand, and the silence choking me. I stared back at myself from the phone screen, drained, terrified.Ambrosia. Black Estate.Every part of me wanted to ignore that call, remain silent, pretend I didnât know. But I couldn't just ignoreâŚ.. I wanted to end it all at once, even if it would mean ending my own life.I slid the dagger into my pocket, and walked out.The night air hit hard when I stepped outside. The road was empty, but there was one thing right in front of m
Chapter EightMikaela:I didnât sleep, I couldnât, at least not with everything spinning in my head like a storm I couldnât shut down.Samantha was in the bed, beside me, finally breathing peacefullyBut me, on the other hand, my body was exhausted.I went to sit by the window, with a dagger in hand, my eyes on the street below, just in case.A soft knock came. I went stiff, and silent but confident. I walked to the door slowly, and peeked through the peephole.Samuel was there, Ethanâs driver.I opened the door halfway. âWhat?ââItâs time to go,â he informed me. âThis place isnât safe anymore.âI didnât move. âWhatâs going on?ââTwo men came here pretending to be staff. They asked about a woman with a scar and a child. Your husband said it's themâI turned back towards the room. Samantha was still asleep.I swallowed hard. âWhere are we going then?ââThereâs another hotel outside the city with no cameras. Paid in cash. Ethan made sure.âI hesitated. âSamantha stays with me, right?âS
Chapter SevenMikaela:I heard a soft knock, then checked through the peephole. It was Samuel, Ethanâs personal driver for years. Trusted. Quiet.I opened the door just slightly.He held a first-aid box, a food pack, and a black bag. âBoss said to bring this and wait.ââWait?â I raised a brow.âIn case you need to leave,â he continued. âHe booked a safer hotel on the outskirts. No cameras. Third floor. Cash paid. Clean.âI nodded and opened the door fully.He walked in quietly, set the bags on the table, and walked back outside.I cleaned the wound on my shoulder, biting into a towel to stop from screaming. Samantha didnât wake up. She was exhausted.I changed into fresh clothes I found at the motel closet. A black long-sleeve and jeans. Light, easy to move in. Then I opened the food pack and ate. Slowly. Every bite felt like I was chewing stone, but I needed strength.Ethan called again. âYouâre moving to the new hotel. Samuel knows the way.ââI canât risk switching rooms yet. I need
Chapter SixMikaela:The womanâs voice was low, but commanding. She wasnât yelling, which meant she had done this before. She wasnât afraid. She was cold. Calculated. And just below.My hands gripped the edges of the vent but I fell back down inside. I fucking failed. I pulled myself together quickly, my back pressed against the wall just under the vent. I could hear the footsteps fading, orders being given. Keys. Samatnthaâs little footsteps above.If I didnât get out of here now, theyâd pin me in like a lab rat. I was either going to die or crawl through that damn vent with one arm and just rage.I reached up again. My arm trembled, but I didnât stop. I got one elbow into the frame, then the next. This time, I didnât slip. This time, I did ot give the woman a chance to pull me down. I folded my knees up tightly. By the time I got through, my shirt was shredded, but I was out. Out into the night.Samantha rushed over, trying to pull me further away from the vent.âCome on, come on,