Chapter 161: Gunther

RenataI woke up panting, my chest heaving, disoriented until my eyes landed on Drent sitting across from me in a chair, a glass of whiskey resting in his hand. His eyes hadn't left me since the moment I opened mine.The room around me looked different from the one I remembered falling asleep in, unfamiliar shadows stretching across walls I didn't recognize, the faint hum of an air conditioner somewhere overhead. Wherever we were now, it was nothing like the estate I had spent the last few days trapped inside."Where am I?" I asked, my voice hoarse."You died and went to hell," he said flatly, without even the faintest hint of a smile."What?" My heart lurched painfully."And I'm here to torture you," he added, and this time the corner of his mouth finally curved upward, letting me know he was only teasing."I didn't die?" I asked, still trying to piece together what had happened. "How?""You're not dying on my watch," he said simply."No, I thought—" I started, but he cut me off, gri

Chapter 162: A New Suitor

RenataI sat at the dining table, waiting, until Drent finally walked in, his guards flanking him on either side.I had spent most of the morning rehearsing exactly how I wanted this conversation to go, keeping my tone soft, agreeable, nothing like the woman who had screamed at him through a locked door only days earlier. If I wanted any real shot at escaping, I needed him to believe I had finally accepted my place here, at least on the surface."You look happy today, Peach," he said, taking his seat across from me."I'm not," I said, straightening. "I've just given up trying to get out of here. So I figured I would ask for some adjustments, if I'm going to be staying."He studied me for a moment, leaning back in his chair. "What do you want?""I just have one request," I said. "If I'm going to be here, I want outdoor time. At least one hour every day. I can't stay locked in a room all day. Let me see the sky at least."He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "That's not a bad idea."Relief

Chapter 163: The Ranking General Oppressor

GuntherI sat close to Renata as she struggled with her straw at the dining table, unable to keep my eyes off her.There was something about the way she carried herself, even now, even trapped inside a house she never chose to be in, that set her apart from every other woman I had ever encountered in this line of work. Most people broke within days of losing their freedom. She still fought, still schemed, still looked for cracks in every wall around her. It only made me want her more."Are you sent to watch me eat dinner too now?" she asked, not bothering to look up.I didn't smile. "It's rare to find myself in the presence of a proper damsel. But with you, I find it nearly impossible to look away. Your energy is the kind most men would call... suppressive."She scoffed. "Do you always talk like you swallowed a literature textbook?""Only when I want to impress someone I actually like," I said. "Which, admittedly, doesn't happen often."She simply shook her head. "Well, this is weird,

Chapter 164: Fear and Hope

Renata"You've got to be kidding me."I sat up sharply, staring at Gunther standing in front of my door in the middle of the night. If this was actually real, if Drent had genuinely made him my personal night guard, he had unknowingly made everything about my situation infinitely worse, without even realizing what he had just handed over to this man.I had spent the last hour before falling asleep quietly plotting, trying to piece together some version of an escape plan I could actually execute. Every single idea had run straight into the same wall. Gunther. Now he wasn't just a threat wandering the halls somewhere. He was posted directly outside my door, hour after hour, watching, waiting."Did Drent really think it was a good idea to have you stalk me even at night?" I asked, my voice sharp with disbelief.Gunther smiled, but the expression never quite reached his eyes. "I told you," he said. "He trusts me completely. And with this kind of authority, it's practically impossible for

Chapter 165 : Lover boy blocked

BryanI sat crouched in the corner of the room while Renata rested on the bed, my phone already dialing Edwina's number.Every minute I spent inside these walls felt like borrowed time. I kept glancing toward the door, half expecting it to burst open at any moment, my nerves stretched so thin I could barely sit still long enough to finish a single call properly.She picked up almost immediately. "Hey, I'm in," I whispered. "Please tell me Renata is safe.""Yes, she is," I said. "But how do we get her out? What's the actual plan?""Okay, Bryan, hold on," Edwina said, her voice tight with urgency. "I have someone on the inside getting me information before the day ends. I'll call you back as soon as I hear something.""Please be fast," I said, glancing anxiously toward the door. "There's this creepy guard on her constantly. If he catches me here, it's over for both of us.""I know. I know. Just stay put. I'll call you. And hide, Bryan. They cannot know you're in there, or this entire pl

Chapter 166 : On his Bed

RenataI stepped back into the room and immediately caught sight of movement, knowing exactly what it meant. "Hey, you can come out now," I whispered. "It's just me."My heart was still pounding from dinner, from having to sit across from Drent and pretend everything was fine while Bryan hid crouched beneath my bed the entire time. I had barely touched my food, too consumed with worry that Gunther might decide to walk me back early, that he might catch even the faintest sound coming from my room. Every second at that table had felt like walking a tightrope over something I couldn't see the bottom of.Bryan emerged slowly, still catching his breath. "Phew. I thought Gunther came in with you.""No," I said, managing a small smile. "He normally just escorts me back to my room after dinner." I took a step closer to him. "So, what's up?"That was when I noticed it, the panic barely concealed behind his eyes. Something was wrong. Whatever it was, it had already stripped the earlier relief f