Chapter Three

Cassandra’s POV

With my gown clutched in trembling fists, I bolted out of the building, the sharp intake of gasps from the crowd chasing after me like ghosts. The heavy fabric dragged against my legs, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.

I can’t do this.

I can’t marry a stranger.

The words pounded in my skull, drowning out the frantic echo of my heels against the pavement.

My chest burned, each breath coming in short, desperate gulps. The corset dug into my ribs, suffocating me further, but the panic wrapped around my throat was worse.

A few blocks away, I finally stopped, pressing a trembling hand against my chest as if I could steady the wild thumping of my heart. It was so loud, so frantic, I half-expected it to shatter right there in my ribcage.

A bench stood a few meters away, slightly worn, paint chipping at the edges. It looked as exhausted as I felt. Dragging my feet, I made my way toward it, my legs weak, my body swaying like a puppet with its strings frayed.

I reached down, yanking off my shoes with a sharp gasp. My soles stung from the impact of the cold pavement, but I welcomed the discomfort. It was nothing compared to the war raging inside me.

My hands trembled violently, my breaths coming in short, uneven gasps. My eyes burned, blurred with unshed tears, and every blink sent another drop trailing down my cheek, mixing with the smeared remnants of my makeup.

Through my hazy vision, I saw strangers watching me. Some with pity, others with curiosity, all of them staring. I must’ve looked insane. A girl in a long black dress, barefoot, gripping her heels like weapons, mascara streaking down her face. A runaway actress from a tragic film.

I dragged in a shuddering breath, trying to pull myself together, when a cold voice cut through the chaos.

“Ma’am, you have to come with us now.”

I snapped my head up. A man stood before me, dressed in all black, a Bluetooth device snug in his ear. The moment I saw him, my stomach plummeted. No doubt about that he was one of my father’s men.

I knew they would find me. I just didn’t expect it to be this fast. It hasn’t even been a minute. While I was breathing so fast, he was breathing just fine. He didn’t look like he had run to get to me.

My grip tightened around my heels. Instinct screamed at me to run, even though I knew it was useless. My father’s men were trained for this. Still, I refused to go down without a fight.

I turned on my heel and bolted.

I didn’t make it far. Another man, identical in his black suit, stepped into my path. I veered left and got blocked again. Right, another one.

I looked around, I was surrounded. Outnumbered.

“Ma’am, we have exclusive orders to bring you back by force or by choice.”

Before I could move, before I could even let out a breath, I felt hands on me. A fourth man, one I hadn’t even noticed, was suddenly there, his grip firm as he lifted me off my feet.

I screamed, or at least I tried to. The sound barely left my lips before a strip of tape was slapped over my mouth, sealing my fate in suffocating silence.

I thrashed against him, fists pounding, legs kicking, my body a whirlwind of desperation. But it didn’t matter. My blows landed uselessly against his solid frame, and the muffled screams beneath the suffocating tape were swallowed by the indifference around me.

My wild eyes darted to the onlookers, strangers standing frozen in silence. Their gazes locked onto me, but no one moved. No one helped. I searched their faces, silently begging, hoping, pleading for someone, anyone. But they only watched as I fought, as if I were nothing more than a scene in a show they had no intention of interrupting.

A black van screeched to a stop beside us, its door thrown open immediately.

Tossed like a discarded object, I landed hard inside, my body slamming against the cold, unforgiving floor. The door slammed shut, sealing my fate in darkness.

The ride was short, too short. I needed more time, needed a miracle. But before I could even gather my thoughts, the van stopped, the door was opened and I was hauled up again, my feet never once touching the ground. This time, I didn’t fight.

What was the point of fighting?

The man carrying me moved effortlessly, as if I weighed nothing. When he finally stopped, he dumped me without any care onto the dirt. My legs, weak and trembling, refused to hold me, and I collapsed, my knees sinking into the mud.

No one offered a hand.

I cradled my ankle, pain radiating up my leg, but before I could even gather myself, rough fingers yanked the tape from my mouth. A sharp sting spread across my raw lips, forcing a wince from me.

Then, a shadow fell over me.

I forced my head up, my breath catching as I met my father’s cold, unreadable gaze. I had expected fury, rage, an explosion of wrath for my defiance.

But he was calm. Too calm.

The silence stretched between us like a noose tightening around my throat.

Then, without a word, someone stepped forward and placed a phone in my hands. I looked up at him, my stomach twisting.

“Watch it.” His voice was laced with something far more terrifying than anger…control.

With shaky fingers, I pressed play.

And then my world shattered.

There she was. My sister.

Strapped to a table, wrists and ankles bound cruelly to each corner. Her dress was torn, her body vulnerable. A blindfold covered her eyes, and a strip of tape sealed her mouth, just like mine had moments ago.

The room was one I knew too well. A place that still haunted me in my nightmares.

My hand shot to my mouth as a strangled sob tore from my throat. Tears spilled, hot and endless, blurring my vision even more. Before I could process anything further, the phone was snatched from my grasp.

“You monster!” My voice cracked as I lifted my gaze to my father. “You said you wouldn’t touch her!”

Fury burned through me, hot and all-consuming. I surged to my feet, launching myself at him. But he sidestepped effortlessly, and I collapsed to the ground once more, my palms scraping against the rough earth.

“How could you? She’s your daughter!” My voice broke on the last word, disgust curling in my gut.

His smirk was cold, void of humanity. “So are you. And yet, here we are.”

He stepped forward, looming over me, his presence suffocating.

“You already know what will happen next.” His voice was smooth, almost mocking. “You’ve experienced it enough times to understand. And you have one last chance to stop it.”

The tears came harder, my body shaking with the weight of every past horror he had inflicted.

“We don’t have all day,” he added, voice laced with impatience.

I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. The image of my sister, helpless and afraid, burned into my mind.

“Okay,” I whispered, my voice barely there. “I’m sorry. I’ll do everything you say. Just… Please, get her out of there.”

The words tasted like poison.

But what is other choice did I have?

More tears fell, my body recoiling in silent agony. I clawed at my arms, the familiar feeling of filth crawling over my skin.

But no matter how much I scratched, I would never feel clean again.

I crawled to him and held his shoes tight, my body still itching me badly. “Please…i’ll do anything…don’t do this to her.”

A smile finally appeared on his monstrous face.

“We’ll do this my way.” He said and I nodded quickly.