ANMELDENOdut of the CageAVA'S POV The hallway was empty.Too empty.Ava stepped out of her room, closing the door softly behind her. Her heartbeat was loud in her ears, but her movements were controlled—careful.Deliberate.She paused for a second, listening.Nothing.No voices.No footsteps.Good.Dominic was gone.That made this easier.Or maybe… more dangerous.Either wayShe wasn’t stopping.Ava walked down the hallway, her steps light against the polished floor. The mansion that once felt overwhelming now felt like something else entirely.A fortress.One she had just learned how to escape.As she reached the staircase, voices drifted faintly from the far end of the corridor.Guards.Talking.Distracted.Perfect.Ava didn’t hesitate.She turned in the opposite direction, taking the back stairs instead the ones the staff used.She had noticed them before.Back when she was still observing.Still trying to understand this place.Now?She was using it.Each step down felt like a decision.
The First MoveAVA'S POV The mansion was too quiet.Not peaceful.Not calm.Just… waiting.Ava stepped out of the bathroom slowly, water still clinging to her clothes and skin. Her reflection in the mirror caught her attention again.This time,She didn’t look away.Her eyes were different.Still tired.Still red from crying.But steady.No confusion.No hesitation.Just clarity.Painful, sharp clarity.She walked into the room, each step more certain than the last.Everything Dominic said replayed in her mind.They made a deal.You were the price.Her fingers curled slightly.“Then I’ll decide what I’m worth.”The words were quiet.But they carried weight.Ava moved quickly now.She changed into dry clothes, tied her hair back, and grabbed her phone.Her hand hovered over the screen for a moment.One name.Vanessa.Her sister.Ava stared at it.Her chest tightened but this time, she didn’t let it break her.InsteadShe pressed call.It rang.Once.Twice.Three times.“Hello?”Vaness
Cracks in the WallsAVA'S POV The ride back was silent.Too silent.The kind of silence that pressed against your chest and made it hard to breathe.Ava sat by the window, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. Her reflection stared back at her in the glass; pale, shaken, unfamiliar.Everything felt… off.Like her life had tilted and refused to settle back into place.Beside her, Dominic said nothing.Did nothing.But she could feel him.His presence filled the car.Heavy.Watchful.Unyielding.Victor, for once, didn’t try to lighten the mood.Even he knew that this wasn’t something you joked your way through.The car pulled into the mansion gates.The guards were already waiting.Tense.Alert.One of them rushed forward as the car stopped.“Sir...”Dominic stepped out before he could finish.“Double the security.”His voice was sharp.Controlled.“No one gets in or out without my approval.”“Yes, sir.”Another guard hesitated.“The cameras...”“Fix them.”Dominic didn’t even look
FracturesAVA'S POV The silence didn’t break.It stretched.Heavy.Unforgiving.Ava stared at Dominic like she didn’t recognize him anymore.And maybe she didn’t.Because the man standing in front of her now,Wasn’t just her husband.Wasn’t just the man who protected her.He was part of it.Part of something dark.Something that had been circling her long before she even knew.Her voice came out low.Unsteady.“You kept this from me.”Dominic didn’t deny it.“Yes.”No excuse.No justification.Just truth.Ava let out a shaky breath.A hollow laugh followed.“So while I was trying to understand why my life suddenly stopped making sense…”Her eyes burned.“You already knew.”Dominic stepped closer.“Ava...”She moved back immediately.“Don’t.”The word hit harder than a slap.Victor glanced between them again.“…yeah, I’m definitely not interrupting this one.”He quietly walked toward the fallen attackers, giving them space.Ava’s chest rose and fell rapidly.“You watched me question
The Moment He BreaksAVA'S POV The gunshot split the night.Ava froze.For a second-just one second-everything slowed.Dominic moved.Too fast.Too late-No.Not too late.He reached her just as the trigger was pulled.His arm wrapped around her waist, yanking her out of the line of fire.The bullet tore past them,close enough that Ava felt it.The force.The heat.A broken gasp escaped her lips.Dominic didn’t let go.He turned with her, shielding her body completely with his own as they hit the ground.Another shot rang out.Victor roared,“GET DOWN!”More gunfire erupted.Chaos swallowed the road again.Dominic’s hand tightened around Ava’s head, pressing her against his chest.“Don’t move.”His voice was low.Deadly calm.Ava clutched his shirt instinctively, her entire body shaking.“I...”“Quiet.”Not harsh.Not cold.Controlled.Protective.Something shifted in his tone.Something she hadn’t heard before.Above them, footsteps rushed closer.Dominic’s eyes flicked up;And wen
The Trap ClosesAVA'S POV The highway roared beneath the tires.Dominic kept the accelerator down.The van ahead swerved violently across the road, trying to shake them, but it was obvious now—They weren’t trying very hard to escape.Victor noticed it too.“They’re not panicking.”Dominic’s eyes narrowed.“No.”Another sharp turn from the van.Victor leaned halfway out of the window again, gripping the door frame.“Most kidnappers would be terrified right now.”Dominic said nothing.But the thought had already formed in his mind.Too easy.The van slowed suddenly.Victor frowned.“That’s new.”Dominic’s instincts screamed.“Something’s wrong.”Before Victor could respond-Two black SUVs burst onto the highway from a side road.They slammed into a position beside Dominic’s car.Victor blinked.“Oh.”Another SUV appeared behind them.“…that’s bad.”The trap snapped shut instantly.Dominic’s car was now boxed in.Front.Sides.Rear.Victor whistled quietly.“Well played.”Dominic’s exp







