Chapter 3

“Maya…” I sobbed, clinging to her.

In this cold, insane family, she was the only warmth I had left.

“Don’t be afraid, Nessa. The guards change shifts tonight. I’ll take you through the old dog run in the back fence. I have savings. We’ll go to another city and never come back.”

I nodded, choking back tears.

Night fell, and the mansion was deathly quiet.

I followed Maya, sticking to the shadows of the walls, moving step by step toward the backyard.

Freedom was just on the other side of that fence.

Just as we were about to reach the gap, blinding searchlights flashed on.

The white beams pinned us in place.

Victor stood before us with a dozen bodyguards, like a ghost in the night.

“Good evening, Maya, Nessa,” Victor said, his voice flat.

My mind went blank. I was too scared to even breathe.

It was over. It was all over.

But Victor wasn’t angry. He didn’t order anyone to hit me.

He just walked up to Maya and stared at her.

“You want to take her? Fine,” Victor said calmly. “All you have to do is step into my dark room. When you come out, the gates will be wide open. I won’t stop you.”

The dark room again!

“No! Absolutely not!” I screamed, grabbing Maya’s arm. “Maya, please, don’t go! It’s a trap! He’ll turn you into a monster!”

I didn’t want freedom anymore. I couldn’t lose the last person in the world who cared about me.

Maya turned and took my cold hands in hers.

Her eyes were gentle but filled with resolve.

“Nessa, listen to me.” She smoothed my messy hair. “I watched you grow up. I know who you are. I don’t care what secrets are in that room. I only care about you.”

“But they all…”

“Trust me,” Maya said, cutting me off. “I’ll come out, and I’ll take you away from here.”

She let go of my hand and followed Victor toward that door to hell without a second’s hesitation.

That night, I waited in my room until dawn.

The first ray of sunlight hit my eyes as the door opened.

But it wasn’t Maya. It was a cold-faced maid.

She threw an envelope at my feet and left.

My hands trembled as I opened it.

Inside was a single sheet of paper. Maya’s familiar handwriting scrawled two words that cut me deeper than any blade: Just die.

I stared at the paper, my tears gone.

I heard the sound of my own heart dying.

My hope had crumbled, leaving not even ash behind.

Two hours later, the door was kicked open again.

Victor strode in, looming over me where I was crumpled on the floor.

“This is the price for trying to run,” he said, his voice flat. His eyes were full of scorn.

Looking at him, so high and mighty, I started to laugh.

The laughter grew, wild and unhinged. I sounded like a lunatic.

I scrambled to my feet, my hair a mess, dried blood caked on my skin, and stared him dead in the eye.

“You satisfied now?!” I shrieked. “Seeing me like this?! I’m done running! But if I’m going to die, I’m damn well going to know why!”

“Let me in the dark room! I want to see it! Now!”

Victor looked at me, a strange emotion flickering in his eyes.

He lowered the crop and was silent for a long time.

“Fine,” he finally said.

Dusk fell, the setting sun the color of blood.

I followed Victor down the steps to the basement.

The air grew colder, the suffocating pressure closing in.

CLANG—

The heavy iron door slowly opened before me.

There were no torture devices, no demons. Just blinding, cold-white lights and a massive screen covering one entire wall.

I stared at it, my pupils dilating, the blood in my veins turning to ice.

All the confusion, all the betrayals, suddenly made the most absurd, yet logical, sense.

No wonder.

“No wonder no one would marry me. It’s because…”