CHAPTER 8

I stood by the tall window in Lysandra’s room, watching the pale moonlight streak across her sharp features. She looked so calm, so composed, as if she hadn’t just offered me the riskiest lifeline of my life. Meanwhile, my hands were trembling at my sides, my stomach twisting into knots.

"Elara," she said, her voice soft but firm, "if you want out, you’ll have to trust me completely. No hesitation. No second-guessing. Understand?"

I nodded, but the lump in my throat made it impossible to respond. Trust wasn’t something that came naturally to me, especially in this house, but Lysandra wasn’t like the others. She was the only one who had ever shown me kindness, the only one who made me feel like I wasn’t entirely alone.

She stepped closer, her expression serious. “The guards rotate shifts at midnight. That’s your window. You’ll have exactly fifteen minutes to get past the courtyard. I’ll distract the ones by the west gate.”

"Fifteen minutes?" I croaked, my voice cracking under the pressure. "That’s not enough time."

"It’s all you’ve got," she replied sharply, but her gaze softened a little. “You’ve made it this far, Elara. Don’t let fear stop you now.”

I exhaled shakily, pressing my fingers against my temple. “Okay... okay. But what about Razor? If he finds out—”

"Don’t think about that," Lysandra interrupted, her voice cutting through my panic. "Just run. And whatever you do, don’t look back."

Her words echoed in my head hours later as I crept out of my room, my pulse pounding so loudly I was convinced someone would hear it. The mansion was cloaked in darkness, the kind of silence that made every creak of the floorboards sound like a scream.

The plan repeated in my head like a mantra: west gate, fifteen minutes, don’t stop.

I moved as quietly as I could, my bare feet skimming over the cold marble floors. My heart leapt into my throat when I saw a shadow move in the hallway, but it was just one of the maids, half-asleep and unaware of my presence. I pressed on, my breaths coming faster the closer I got to the courtyard.

The sharp scent of rain hit me as I stepped outside. The sky had opened up, the downpour soaking my clothes within seconds. The rain was both a curse and a blessing—good for hiding my tracks, but terrible for visibility. I could barely see a few feet in front of me.

But I didn’t let that stop me. I ran, the wet grass slick beneath my feet, the cold air stinging my skin. The gate was in sight, its rusted metal bars a beacon in the darkness. Just a few more steps, I thought. Just a little farther.

Then, out of nowhere, a shadow moved in front of me.

"Going somewhere?" a deep voice growled.

I barely had time to react before a massive hand clamped down on my arm, yanking me back with so much force I nearly fell. I screamed, but the sound was quickly muffled as a thick towel was shoved over my face.

The damp fabric reeked of chemicals, and I thrashed against the grip, my lungs burning as I fought for air. My movements grew sluggish, my head spinning.

"No!" I tried to shout, but the word came out as a weak whimper. My legs gave out beneath me, and the world around me dissolved into darkness.

---

When I woke up, my head felt like it had been split open. The faint, musty smell of mildew filled my nose, and my body ached from lying on the cold, hard floor. I blinked a few times, my vision swimming as I tried to make sense of my surroundings.

I was in an empty, unfinished room. The concrete walls were bare, the floor littered with dust and bits of debris. The faint light filtering through cracks in the walls wasn’t enough to chase away the suffocating darkness.

It didn’t take long to realize my hands were bound tightly behind my back. I struggled against the restraints, the rough rope biting into my skin, but it was no use.

Voices drifted in from somewhere nearby, low and menacing.

"She thought she could just run off, huh? Stupid girl."

"Razor’s not gonna go easy on her. You know how he is."

My stomach churned at the mention of Razor’s name. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stay calm.

Before I could come up with a plan, the door creaked open, and Razor stepped inside.

He moved with the same calculated confidence he always had, his dark eyes scanning the room before they landed on me. A smirk tugged at his lips, but there was no warmth in it—only mockery.

"Elara," he drawled, dragging out my name like it was a joke only he understood. "You’ve got some nerve."

I glared at him, willing myself not to show the fear bubbling inside me. “Let me go,” I said, my voice hoarse but steady.

He chuckled, a deep, menacing sound that sent chills down my spine. “Let you go? After that little stunt you pulled? Oh, sweetheart, you’re not going anywhere.”

I clenched my fists behind my back, the rope digging deeper into my wrists. “You can’t keep me here forever. Someone will find out. Someone will—”

"Someone will what?" Razor cut me off, his voice sharp as a blade. He stepped closer, towering over me. "No one’s coming for you, Elara. You’re mine, and you’d do well to remember that."

The word *mine* sent a wave of nausea rolling through me, but I refused to let him see how much he was getting to me. I lifted my chin, my eyes locking with his.

“You don’t own me,” I spat.

His smirk vanished, replaced by a cold, hard expression. He crouched down, his face inches from mine. “You think you can just walk away? Disappear like none of this ever happened?”

I stayed silent, my breath coming in shallow gasps.

"Here’s what’s going to happen," Razor said, his voice low and threatening. "You’re going to stay here. No food, no water. Nothing. You’ll sit here and think about what you’ve done until it’s time for the wedding."

The word *wedding* hit me like a slap in the face. “You can’t—”

"I can," Razor snapped, his voice cutting through my protest. "And I will. You don’t make the rules, Elara. I do."

He stood up, looking down at me like I was nothing more than an inconvenience. “Consider this your punishment. Maybe next time, you’ll think twice before trying something so... stupid.”

He turned and walked out, slamming the door behind him. The sound echoed through the empty space, leaving me alone in the suffocating silence.

I sat there, the cold concrete leeching the warmth from my body, the weight of Razor’s words pressing down on me like a heavy chain. I had failed. And now, I was trapped.