Chapter 17: The Price of Freedom

I didn’t look back.

My footsteps echoed in the cold, sterile hall as I bolted through the building, my pulse hammering in my ears, drowning out everything except the fear coursing through me. My mind was a whirlwind, the sudden betrayal by Dominic and Richard too much to process. I couldn’t think straight. I couldn’t breathe.

I ran.

The sound of my shoes slapping against the marble floors felt like a countdown—one that was running out of time. Behind me, the heavy footsteps of someone—Dominic, Richard—were closing in. I could hear the urgency, the almost predatory nature in their chase.

A sudden, sharp click cut through the chaos. The sound of a door opening.

I threw myself down a narrow corridor, my hands grazing the walls as I tried to push myself faster. I needed to get out. I needed to breathe.

“Elena!” Dominic’s voice rang out, filled with desperation. The sound made my blood run cold.

I ignored him. There was no way I was going to let him catch me. No way.

I reached the elevator, my fingers trembling as I pressed the button. The wait seemed endless, each second a lifetime. The doors finally opened, but as I stepped inside, I realized—too late—that the figure blocking my escape wasn’t Dominic.

It was Richard.

I froze.

His face twisted into a smile that sent a chill down my spine. “You think you can escape me? You think this is over?” His voice was a soft, almost mocking drawl.

“Get out of my way,” I snapped, trying to push past him.

Richard didn’t move. Instead, he stepped forward, leaning against the doorframe, his eyes dark and calculating. “Oh, I’m afraid I can’t let you do that, Elena.”

I took a step back, panic flooding me. My chest constricted. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could hold it together. “Let me go. I know what you’re doing, Richard. You’ve been behind all of this, haven’t you?”

He nodded, his gaze glinting with amusement. “I’ve been orchestrating this whole game, Elena. Dominic was just a piece on the board. You—” He paused, his lips curling into a twisted grin. “You’ve been a pawn. A very important pawn.”

I lunged at him, fury giving me strength, but he grabbed my wrist with surprising force. “You’ve been a very useful pawn,” he added, his grip tightening. “But now, it’s time for you to understand your true place in all of this.”

The elevator doors slammed shut, trapping us inside. The soft ding of the floors passing was the only sound between us. The walls of the small space seemed to close in on me.

“I’m not your pawn,” I spat, pulling against his grip. “And I will never be your pawn.”

His eyes narrowed, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of something darker in them. “You will be. You have no choice.”

The elevator jolted to a stop, and the lights flickered. My heart leapt into my throat, a fresh wave of panic hitting me like a hammer.

“What have you done?” I gasped, my pulse spiking.

“Don’t worry,” Richard purred. “We’re just taking a little detour.”

I felt the car begin to descend, deeper into the building. I knew where we were headed—into the depths of Caldwell Enterprises’ underground facilities. It was a place only a few trusted people ever saw, and it was a place that had become synonymous with secrets and danger.

I tugged on my arm again, trying to break free, but Richard’s grip was unyielding. I could feel his strength, his power pressing down on me, a reminder that I was still at his mercy.

And then I heard it—the soft ping of the elevator as it reached its destination. The doors slid open with a muted groan, revealing a hallway dimly lit by harsh fluorescent lights.

I braced myself, trying to steady my breath, but the darkness that lay ahead made my skin crawl.

Richard led the way, dragging me along with him, his hand still locked around my wrist. The corridor stretched on, cold and uninviting, like the belly of some monstrous machine. My mind raced. What the hell was he planning? What had Dominic gotten himself into by trusting this man?

“Don’t try to escape,” Richard warned, his voice dark, carrying a cold finality that sent chills down my spine. “I’m not in the mood for games, Elena. This is bigger than you. Bigger than your petty little vendetta.”

The coldness in his voice made my blood run cold. I had to find a way out of this—fast. But I knew that getting out of here wasn’t going to be easy. Richard had planned for everything.

We reached a large steel door at the end of the hallway. Richard punched in a code, the locks clicking open one by one. He pushed the door wide, revealing a room that could have been pulled straight out of a nightmare.

Inside, large monitors lined the walls, displaying data, charts, and security footage. But it wasn’t the screens that grabbed my attention. It was the row of chairs in the center of the room—chairs that were connected to a network of wires and machinery.

“What is this?” I whispered, dread creeping up my spine.

Richard’s smile widened. “This, Elena, is the future of control.”

Before I could process what he meant, he shoved me toward one of the chairs. I stumbled but managed to catch myself before I fell.

“You’re not doing this,” I said, a note of desperation creeping into my voice.

“Oh, but I am,” Richard replied smoothly, turning a dial on the machine beside the chair. “This is where it all comes together. Your father’s fall, Dominic’s rise—it was all part of a bigger plan.”

I shook my head, my heart pounding in my chest. “No, you can’t—”

But Richard wasn’t listening. He stepped back and turned a lever, and the chair suddenly moved forward, the cold steel straps locking into place around my wrists and ankles.

I struggled against the restraints, my breath coming in sharp, panicked gasps. “Richard, stop!” I shouted. “You can’t do this!”

Richard simply stood there, his expression calm. “You’re going to be a part of something much bigger than you, Elena. Whether you like it or not.”

The last thing I saw before the machines powered up was Richard’s cold, calculating gaze.

And then everything went dark.