CHAPTER 6

Angelina's POV

"Yes, now you belong to me, my angel."

His dark words kept ringing in my ears like a death sentence. Tears pricked my eyes as I stared blankly at the custom bookshelf behind him. My gaze darted around the luxurious room, and then I gasped softly in shock. The bedroom, the expansive closet...

"How is this room planned exactly the way I wanted it to be?" I demanded, my voice trembling. "How is that even possible?"

"I have my ways," he replied, casually shrugging it off.

His ways? What ways? It was completely impossible for a stranger to know everything I liked unless... my eyes widened in horror as all the missing pieces finally fell into place.

"It was you, wasn't it? You were the one stalking me this whole time!" I accused him, my heart palpitating violently against my ribcage.

He didn't bother to answer; instead, a slow, arrogant smirk spread across his lips in response.

My anger flared, momentarily overriding my fear. "You are a sick man, you know that?" I spat harshly. "How dare you do this to me! You are a pathetic, obsessive, and ruthless monster."

Hearing my venomous words, his blue eyes instantly darkened. "Shut up!" he roared, punching the solid wall in a sudden fit of rage.

A terrified whimper left my lips at the booming sound of his voice. My blood ran completely cold. He was the one who had been following me all this time, which meant he knew me intimately. He had detailed knowledge of what I did, where I went, who I sat with, and who I spoke to. He knew my home address and had actively watched me. The mysterious black car that had been trailing my every move—it was his. He had kept watch over me from a distance for months, and I had been entirely ignorant of the fact that someone this dangerous was fixated on me.

My mind clouded with terrifying thoughts of all the brutal things a man like him likely did every day. He carried a dark, lethal aura around him. Just by the sinister, empty look in his eyes, I could tell he enjoyed killing people and loved seeing them cower in terror. I sobbed continuously, unable to process what he had just declared and what my doomed fate had become.

He was probably going to use me for as long as he wanted, and once he inevitably got bored, he would kill me. That horrifying thought made me cry even harder. My eyes were bloodshot, and my face was stained with hot tears. He didn't say anything else, choosing to stand by the large window with his eyes trained on the dark grounds outside. Neither of us spoke; only the pathetic sounds of my low sniffles and whimpers filled the suffocating silence.

After a few agonizing minutes, a soft knock sounded at the door.

"Come in!" he barked.

I flinched violently at his harsh tone. The same servant from earlier walked in, carefully pushing a silver trolley loaded with plates of warm food.

"Mr. Parker, your dinner, sir."

"Leave it there and get out," Danzel ordered, not even bothering to look away from the window.

When the heavy door clicked shut behind the servant and we were left entirely alone, Danzel finally shifted his intense gaze to my weeping form. He walked over to the trolley, picked up a porcelain plate, and held it out to me.

"Eat."

"I'm not hungry," I sniffled, stubbornly wiping my tears and refusing to meet his eyes.

"I wasn't asking you," he warned harshly, his voice rising in volume. "I said, eat!"

The absolute nerve of this man, kidnapping me and then having the audacity to order me around...

"And I am not your slave to listen to everything you say!" I yelled back, a sudden burst of adrenaline fueling my defiance. "I am not hungry, and I don't want to eat."

The muscles in his square jaw tightened dangerously, and I watched his knuckles turn white as his grip on the plate tightened. I scrambled backward on the mattress in fear, but he stormed toward me, grabbed a fistful of my hair, and yanked me upward, shoving my back hard against the wall.

"What did I say earlier? Doesn't anything get through that thick little skull of yours, huh?" he snapped, his face inches from mine. "Why do you insist on pissing me off? The next time you disrespect me, I'll make sure to punish your family for your words. They will pay the price for your pathetic little acts of rebellion," he threatened through gritted teeth.

My eyes widened in sheer terror.

My family. I can't let them suffer because of me.

Fresh tears spilled down my flushed cheeks.

"Don't let my anger get the best of you, Angelina. You really won't like the other side of me. The more you try to defy me, the more trouble your beloved family gets into. So be a good girl and keep your smart mouth tightly shut," he warned slowly, his voice dripping with lethal intent.

"Now, eat!" he commanded, roughly shoving me onto the plush couch.

I was far too terrified of him to argue anymore. Trembling, I simply took the plate and began forcing the food down without daring to look at him. He walked over to the opposite couch, sat down gracefully, and silently watched me eat.

Doesn't he want to eat? Who cares. Let the bloody bastard starve to death.

After I finally cleared the plate, I cautiously lifted my eyes and found him still staring intensely at me.

After a few tense moments, he stood up, reached into his tailored slacks, and extended an open palm toward me. A few small white pills rested in his hand. My eyes widened in panic. Are those drugs?

"N-no, please. Don't drug me, please! I promise I'll listen to whatever you say," I pleaded desperately, shrinking back into the cushions.

"Drugs?" he frowned, looking genuinely confused. "These are painkillers. They'll lessen the ache in your ribs and help your wounds heal faster," he clarified. "Are you always this stupid?" he sighed, clearly irritated as he crouched down in front of me.

My breath hitched when he reached out and gently started caressing my bruised cheek. "Don't think so low of me, Angel. I would never purposely harm you. I am not that bad for you," he murmured in a low, husky voice. For a split second, his eyes flickered with a strange, soft emotion, but he quickly composed his cold demeanor.

He stood up and walked toward the door. Before leaving, he glanced over his shoulder. "You are not to leave this room. Whatever you need, you can just call for one of the servants. There is no need for you to go wandering about my house. And I hope I made myself perfectly clear this time, haven't I?" he asked, cocking a dark eyebrow at me.

I nodded mutely.

"Good girl." And with that, he finally left the room.

I kept staring at the heavy, closed door. I desperately needed to get out of here. But I was terrified that if I ran, he would track down and hurt my family, and I couldn't risk their lives. I was in too much physical pain right now for running to be a viable option anyway. Maybe after my wounds healed a bit more, I could think of a solid escape plan.

Yeah, that sounds like a smart plan. Exhausted by the emotional turmoil, I curled up on the mattress and eventually drifted off to a restless sleep.

---

It had been a full week since I was first locked in this luxurious prison.

Every single day, Danzel came into my room for breakfast and dinner. He would sit in the exact same spot on the couch and silently watch me eat. We hadn't spoken a single word to each other since that explosive first day. It was an exhausting routine: I ate in total silence, he stared at me like a predator watching its prey, and afterward, he handed me my painkillers before leaving.

Why does he even pretend to care about my healing?

I spent the long, agonizing days reading. I had to admit, he had curated a brilliant collection of books. But even though my days were spent escaping into fictional worlds, my nights were absolutely terrible. Every night, after the lock clicked on my door, I cried myself into an exhausted slumber.

I missed my family desperately. They had to be sick with worry. I pictured my mother wandering around town, frantically searching everywhere for me, and I prayed that Mr. Peterson hadn't fired me from my job yet. But that was all I could do—sit in a gilded cage and mourn the simple life I had lost. My entire existence now revolved around the four walls of this bedroom.

The servant, Robert, came in periodically to check on me. Sometimes he tried to lighten my mood with polite conversation, but whenever I begged him to help me escape, he immediately brushed the topic off in fear.

By the end of the week, I was finally able to walk around the room without cringing in pain. My wounds had healed significantly, leaving only fading bruises and a few pale scars behind. Every day had felt like an endless loop—until today. Because tonight, the minute Danzel left the room, I was going to find a way out of this house arrest.

I nervously watched the digital clock strike nine just as the door opened.

Danzel walked in without bothering to knock, with Robert trailing closely behind him. Danzel took his usual seat while Robert quietly set my dinner plate on the coffee table. Offering me a small, sympathetic smile, Robert bowed his head and walked out, leaving us completely alone once more.

Danzel rested his chin on his steepled fingers, his piercing eyes lost in deep thought as he watched me take my first bite. I shifted uncomfortably under the weight of his intense gaze.

Today is the day I finally leave him behind.

Stare all you want, Mr. Mafia, because this is the absolute last time you will ever see my face. A secret, triumphant grin crept onto my lips at the happy thought of freedom.

"You're really beautiful."

I almost choked on my food, completely stunned by the sudden break in the heavy silence. It was the first time he had spoken to me in an entire week. His deep, rough voice sent an involuntary shiver down my spine. I slowly looked up and found him staring at me with a startling intensity.

"U-uh... thanks," I stammered, unable to tear my eyes away from his impossibly handsome face.

He was undeniably the most attractive man I had ever met, but also the most lethal. He is my kidnapper, I harshly reminded myself. I needed to get away from him, and it had to happen tonight. We both fell back into a heavy silence after that, neither of us daring to speak another word.

After he was satisfied that I had cleared my plate, he stood up and handed me the usual white pills. I took them silently and gulped them down with a glass of orange juice. I fully expected him to turn and leave immediately, but to my utter surprise, he stepped into my space. He leaned down and pressed a remarkably soft kiss to my left cheek.

His warm lips lingered against my skin for a second as he whispered, "Stay safe, love."

He turned and strode out the door, leaving me completely frozen in my seat. What just happened? Why is he suddenly acting so weird and affectionate?

I quickly brushed the confusing thoughts away, forcing myself to focus. I kept my ears heavily trained on the hallway until I heard the distant thud of the mansion's heavy front door closing, followed by the roar of an engine driving off into the night. Once I was certain he had actually left the property, I immediately sprang into action.

I rushed to the heavy wooden dresser and frantically yanked the drawers open. I pulled out several thick, high-quality bedsheets and quickly started tying them together. I tested every knot with my full body weight, making sure the makeshift rope was long enough to reach the dark grounds below, or at least close enough for me to survive the jump.

After securing the final knot to the heavy bedpost, I tossed the long trail of fabric out the open window. I peered down into the dizzying darkness and gathered every ounce of courage I had. I had learned how to climb down ropes in summer camp, but that was years ago. Inhaling a deep, shaky breath, I wiped my sweaty palms against my denim jeans to calm my nerves and awkwardly climbed over the window ledge.

As I gripped the twisted sheets and dangled in the crisp night air, I couldn't help but glance back into the luxurious room. My treacherous mind immediately drifted back to Danzel—the warmth of his lips on my cheek, his striking face, and those deep blue eyes.

Stop it! I mentally scolded myself. You do not need to be thinking about the psychotic man who abducted you, especially while you're in the middle of escaping! I reasoned that my confusing feelings were simply a trauma response; he had been the only human contact I had for an entire week, so a twisted attachment was normal. Nothing more, nothing less.

My mind was so completely consumed by my internal battle that I didn't hear the muffled voices echoing from the floor below until it was almost too late. My eyes widened in sheer horror.

Oh, my God! It's Danzel. How can he already be back?

"Robert, where is my bloody phone?" I could hear his booming voice yelling from the foyer.

My feet physically shook in the air as my eyes darted to the small table near the couch inside my room. Sitting right there on the glass surface was his expensive cell phone.

Crap!

He's coming upstairs right now. I had two terrible options: desperately try to climb back up into the room and pretend I was asleep, or slide down the sheets as fast as humanly possible. I instantly chose the latter, loosening my grip to slide down the fabric.

But my luck completely ran out. The heavy bedroom door swung open, and I could vividly sense his massive presence stepping inside.

"I just forgot my—" He stopped mid-sentence, instantly noticing the empty room. "What the hell? Angelina, where the fuck are you?" he roared.

Within seconds, his broad shoulders appeared in the window frame, his eyes wide with panic as he peered down at me dangling two stories above the ground.

"Guards, get out here now!" he shouted into the night. "What the hell do you think you're doing? You idiot!" he yelled down at me.

My heart rate skyrocketed in pure terror, and I felt my sweaty fingers beginning to slip against the smooth cotton. The overwhelming terror triggered a sudden physiological response; the extreme fear caused my blood vessels to dilate and my heart rate to abruptly slow down, plummeting my blood pressure.

"Please! Please don't hurt me, please just let me go!" I cried, looking up at his furious silhouette.

"Get the fuck back up here, Angelina," he warned dangerously. "Or else, I swear I will—"

"Please don't kill me, please!" I sobbed hysterically.

My grip on the sheets loosened further, and my knees violently shook in the air.

"Whoa, oh my God! I am going to fall!" I screamed in absolute terror as my cramping fingers burned, desperately trying to maintain their hold on the twisted fabric.

Danzel's anger instantly evaporated into sheer panic at my words. "Don't move, love! You won't fall. Where are the fucking guards?" he yelled frantically over his shoulder. "Get a ladder and get her down! Fucking hurry up!"

"N-no! I won't come down," I cried, shaking my head wildly.

"Why?" he yelled, his face twisting in genuine confusion.

"Because you'll kill me!" I sobbed.

"I won't kill you, Angelina," he pleaded, his voice dropping into a desperate sigh.

But his words sounded faint and distorted as a terrifying dizziness washed over me. The sudden drop in my blood pressure had left my brain completely starved of oxygen, forcing my body into an involuntary shutdown. The grip on the sheets slipped further from my slick palms, and the dark grounds below started spinning wildly.

"Fuck!" he cursed loudly. "Angelina, do not close your eyes. I am coming down there to get you, just don't lose your grip!" he panicked, throwing his long legs over the window railing and rapidly descending the makeshift rope toward me.

My vision began to darken at the edges, tunneling until all I could see was him.

"Angelina!" he called out in sheer terror. "Please, love, keep your eyes open. Come on, catch hold of my hand!" He stretched his muscular arm down, his fingers inches away from mine.

But my arms felt like dead weights, and I couldn't command my muscles to move. The sheer, overwhelming panic had essentially short-circuited my nervous system, causing me to lose consciousness as my body's ultimate protective mechanism against the terror.

I couldn't handle the strain for another second. My exhausted body finally gave up, and my numb fingers completely let go of the sheets.

"No!"

That agonizing scream was the last thing I heard from Danzel before gravity pulled me down, and the world faded to absolute black.