Chapter 5

Few ours has passed slowly my eyes,

adjusting to the dim light of the room. It was around 11:45 PM. 

I looked around, but the man who had rescued me was nowhere to be seen. A pang of disappointment hit me, mixed with gratitude for his timely intervention.

I gingerly got up, testing my ankle. It was sore, but I could walk. 

I made my way to the party room, expecting to find chaos or at least some signs of the earlier gathering. But the room was empty, silent, and spotless.

 It was as if the party had never happened. The clock on the wall read 12:05 AM.

I shrugged, deciding it was time to head home. The night had been strange and terrifying, and I just wanted to crawl into bed and forget it all. 

I made my way out of the venue, the cool midnight air a welcome relief after the drama I'd endured.

》》》》》》

I walked into the house, exhausted and shaken.

 But what I saw made my blood run cold. Daniel was sitting on the couch, with Laura perched on his lap.

 She was giggling and whispering in his ear, and he was smiling, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

But as soon as he saw me, his expression changed. His eyes narrowed, and he stood up, Laura still clinging to him. 

He strode towards me, his face twisted in anger.

"Where have you been?" he growled, his hands closing around my throat like a vice. 

"I've been looking all over for you. You're coming in here, late, without a word. What's going on?"

I tried to pry his fingers loose, gasping for air. "D-Daniel, you're choking me," I stammered.

"Answer me!" he snarled, his grip tightening. "Where were you? Who were you with?"

I was terrified. Who was this person, and what had happened to the man I thought I knew?

Claire and Laura exchanged a glance, both of their faces twisted in cruel smiles. They seemed to be savoring the moment, enjoying the sight of me in distress.

I struggled to break free, but his hold was relentless. I felt my vision blurring, my lungs burning.

"Daniel, stop!" I tried to scream, but my voice was barely a whisper.

Daniel's face twisted in anger, his eyes blazing with fury. I was trapped, helpless, and at his mercy.

" Do you want a divorce that fast?" Daniel snarled, his grip on my throat tightening.

 "You think you can just walk out on me and I'll let you go? You're mine, and you'll do as I say."

His words were like a slap in the face, and I felt tears pricking at the corners of my eyes.

 "D-Daniel, please..." I gasped, trying to plead with him.

But he just laughed, a cold, mirthless sound.

 "You think you're so innocent, don't you?" he spat. "But you're just a slut, a whore who doesn't know her place."

The words cut deep, and I felt myself shrinking away from him. 

"Stop, Daniel...please," I begged, but he just kept going, his voice rising in anger.

"You're nothing but a possession to me," he hissed. "And I'll do whatever it takes to keep you in line."

I felt myself being pulled down into darkness, my vision fading to black. 

As I lost consciousness, Daniel's grip on my throat relaxed, and I slumped to the floor. He stood over me, his chest heaving with anger.

"Take her away," he barked at one of his men, who stepped forward to scoop me up in his arms.

"Boss, where do you want her taken?" the man asked, his voice neutral.

"Lock her up in the safe room," Daniel replied, his voice cold and detached. "She needs to learn her place."

The man nodded and carried me away, leaving Claire and Laura watching with satisfied smiles. I was trapped, and I didn't know how I was going to escape.

I was pushed into the safe room, my body crashing against the cold iron wall. 

I struck my head hard, and a gash opened up, blood flowing freely down my face. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as pain seared through my skull.

I stumbled forward, trying to catch my breath, but before I could regain my footing, the door crashed open with a loud bang. 

I spun around, hope rising in my chest, thinking it might be someone coming to rescue me.

But before I could even lift my head to see who it was, a sharp knife pierced my stomach, slicing through my skin and muscle.

 Blood gushed out, hot and wet, and I felt my vision blurring.

I looked down, horror rising in my throat, as my hands instinctively went to the knife, trying to pull it out. But it was stuck deep, and every movement sent waves of agony coursing through my body. 

I felt myself weakening, my knees buckling beneath me.