I bent down, picked up the beacon, and walked out. But in the hallway, I remembered what Veronica had told me: I don't believe a word he says, Ava. He's just looking for ways to control people.I knew a simple promise of silence wasn't enough. For a man like Alistair, the only safe person was a person who posed no threat at all.I went to the first-floor utility closet and found a bottle of industrial cleaning agent marked with a skull and crossbones. It was a heavy-duty corrosive used for clearing drains.I unscrewed the cap, the chemical fumes stinging my eyes. Then I tilted the bottle back and drank.A white-hot pain ripped through my throat, like a thousand knives slicing my vocal cords. My vision tunneled to black, and I collapsed.I woke up in a hospital three days later. The doctor told me my vocal cords were permanently destroyed. I would never speak again.But for the first time in a long time, I felt safe.This time, when I left the manor, no one stopped me. I took one last l
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