Chapter 9 – Ellie
Something felt off about how we left the party three nights ago. One minute he was opening eyes to the faces beneath the masks—the wolves in sheep’s clothing—and the next he was rushing to get the hell out of there.
Beneath his usual composure was a hint of unease, as though he had seen something dangerous I hadn’t and was trying to get away. Although he gave me no explanation for why we had to leave in such a hurry, I knew something wasn’t right.
However, that was the least of my problems at the moment. These past three days had been a period of deep reflection on everything I was taught and everything I thought I knew. The conversation we had about how the world worked had hit me harder than I cared to admit.
I began questioning things: the concept of morality, the idea of justice, and the meaning of life itself. I couldn’t understand why the world was so messed up.
My brain was still struggling to understand why the systems meant to protect the weak were run by those who sought to exploit them. The oppressors. Nothing was making much sense to me anymore.
The idea that the city’s most adored saints were in bed with these dangerous men hadn’t fully sunk in. Each time I remembered how Reverend Osman mingled with those monsters, smiling and shaking their hands, I felt queasy.
Dr. Bradford’s involvement in illegal activities wasn’t as shocking as Erika Croft’s human trafficking operation. My eyes were opened to the harsh reality of life, and now I couldn’t unsee what I had seen.
Dr. Bradford had long taken a side against the very justice he swore to uphold. That said, I couldn’t help wondering how many more panelists and judges had also been compromised. What were the chances of proving Daniel Vetrov’s innocence if the likes of Dr. Bradford were against the truth?
But wait a minute. If the case was so hopeless and I didn’t stand a chance of winning, why did Karik warn me to drop it? Why did he kidnap me after I refused?
He could’ve easily let me make a fool of myself in court since he already had people on the inside. Dr. Bradford alone had the power to sabotage the case without even trying so hard. The case would be dissolved before it even began.
Yet he chose to intimidate and scare me instead. Why? Also, why didn’t those compromised panelists prevent the case from being reopened?
They could’ve voted to deny my request, but they didn’t. The request was approved. At this point, all I had were unanswered questions. Lots of them. The more I thought about them, the more confused I became.
However, despite all he had opened my eyes to, I still believed that good people existed, even in rooms that mattered. Not everyone was as corrupt as Karik or those wolves in sheep’s clothing.
He called me naive. But I’d rather be naive than see the world through his lens.
Aside from trying to make sense of what I learned at the party, I’d been secretly planning my escape for the past few days. I was allowed to leave my room and even freely explore the mansion.
It wasn’t real freedom, but at least it beat being stuck in a room for days. I wandered the halls every day, sometimes at night, too. Not because I loved stretching my legs, but because I was mapping the whole building.
I studied the camera locations, the guards’ movements, and their shift change, hoping to find a pattern, a loophole. And I did. I knew where all the building's blind spots were.
The guard rotation changed every four hours. The morning shift handed off at six, ten, two, and then six again. I’d studied the pattern, knowing which time was safest to attempt my escape.
According to Agata, there was a tunnel in the basement that supposedly led out into the woods. She had no idea what I was planning. The poor girl simply answered my many questions about the building.
I tried as much as I could not to make it super obvious that I was onto something. So I hid my questions behind jokes, quietly gathering the information needed to execute my plans.
Attempting to escape was a risk I was willing to take because Karik had no clear plan for me. I had no idea what he’d do with me if he woke up one morning and decided I was no longer useful.
I must leave this place at all costs.
At two in the morning, I sat on the edge of the bed, my heart racing in my chest. Fully dressed in a black outfit with my hair tied back, I went over the plan one more time in my head.
“You can do this, Ellie,” I whispered to myself, my hands trembling on my lap.
Then came the negative thoughts.
What if I fail? What if I get caught? Is this even worth it?
I shook my head, my fingers curling into fists as I braced myself. With my eyes closed, I envisioned my next moves.
From the room to the corridor. From the corridor to the east passage. Avoid the cameras. Sprint down the hall. Turn left. Avoid the guards. Find the door to the basement. Pick the lock with my hair clip. Descend eighteen steps. Find the hidden passage and run like hell.
Sounds easy enough.
I drew a deep breath: in through my nose, out through my mouth. By the time it was five minutes past two, I summoned the courage to rise to my feet.
The plan was to make it to the basement in under three minutes, meaning I had to move very fast. I took off, sneaking out of my room in the dead of night, my flats soundless against the floor.
As expected, the corridor was quiet, and I had just a few minutes before the guards returned. I sprinted down the hall, avoiding the camera as I moved. After turning a few corners and almost getting spotted a couple of times, I finally found the door leading to the basement.
I threw my hands into my hair and pulled the clip, letting it fall loosely over my back. Because I hadn’t done this in years, it took a little longer, but eventually the door clicked open.
“Still got it,” I murmured under my breath, a faint grin tugging at my lips.
Now wasn’t the time to celebrate small wins. There were a few more tasks ahead. I carefully pushed the door open and stared at the dark stairs for a moment.
Eighteen. That’s how many steps I had to climb down. After drawing in a deep breath, I took the first step toward freedom. The second I closed the door behind me, I was enveloped in complete darkness. My eyes were wide open, but I couldn’t see a damn thing.
I gripped the iron railing for balance as I began counting one step at a time. “…fourteen. Fifteen. Sixteen.” Almost there. “Seventeen….”
The moment my foot landed on the last step, something unexpected happened. The fluorescent bulb above flickered to life, illuminating the basement with a warm glow.
I stopped in my tracks, squinting against the harsh light that nearly blinded me. Seconds later, my eyes adjusted to the brightness, and I saw him seated on a wooden chair a few paces away.
His legs were crossed, his gaze unwavering, with an expression that was both flat and unsettling.
“Going somewhere?” he asked calmly, his voice low and even.
I swallowed hard, my heart pounding loudly in my chest. My palms were sweaty, my pulse was racing, and my throat went suddenly dry. I stood at the base of the stairs, shaking slightly, frozen in place.
It was clear from the way he was seated, staring at me, that he already knew about my plans to escape tonight. That’s why he was waiting for me.
But how did he know that I’d be down here at this exact time?
Had he been watching my every move?
I thought I was careful enough.
I thought I had closed every loophole.
How did he manage to catch me without even trying?
Maybe I overestimated myself.
What’s he going to do to me now?
“I asked you a question,” he said, slowly rising to his feet.
The man was stripped from the waist up, exposing his ripped body. Broad chest, chiseled abs, and the kind of torso that narrowed into a tight, cut abdomen without even trying. His skin was marred with scars, long and short alike, some fainter than others.
He wasn’t built like a man who lifted weights for vanity. His body was the kind that came from functional violence. The sight of this tall, godlike man left me speechless and almost mesmerized.
As he closed the distance between us, the intoxicating scent of his cologne filled the air around me. Those steel-blue eyes locked onto mine in a way that made my heart race. I struggled to keep my gaze on his face, but my eyes kept darting down to his torso.
His insane build had awakened something in me, something I wasn’t ready to name yet. A cold shiver ran down my spine as an invisible force pulled me in. That’s when I remembered the way he watched me from my doorway the other night.
I had the same look on my face right now, and it was embarrassing. Especially because I’d judged him for staring at me like a creep.
It wasn’t until he stopped in front of me that I remembered I was in trouble for trying to run away. He towered over me, his height making me look smaller than I was. I lifted my head to meet his gaze, distracted by the scars on his skin.
“Did you honestly think that you could escape from me?” he questioned.
His voice was deep. Husky. Sexy.
Damn it, Ellie, focus.
I swallowed hard and clenched my jaw. “It was worth the shot.”
His expression didn’t change.
“You’d do the same if you were in my shoes,” I added, feigning courage even though I was shaking on the inside. “I’m sick of being locked up in that gilded cage. If you’re gonna kill me, do it already. Don’t cage me like an animal.” The words spilled out in a quiet, controlled manner.
He leaned in, his warm, fresh breath brushing my ear. “Try this again, and you’ll spend the next month down here.” He pulled back just enough to meet my gaze. “In an actual cage.”
It wasn’t just the threat that made my pulse quicken; it was the way he said it and the cold look in his eyes. He meant every word.
I glanced around, imagining what a whole month down here would feel like. Only one word popped into my head: hell. A few empty cells sat toward the left side of the basement, with no visible windows.
The only source of light down here was this fluorescent bulb. Once it was turned off, the whole space would be plunged into absolute darkness.
The more I thought about the experience, the more humbled I became. Living like an animal in a cage and not seeing the sun for thirty days wasn’t something I wanted to try.
“Upstairs,” he growled. “Now.”
He didn’t have to yell to inflict fear; his words carried the kind of authority that would make you obey without question.
I hesitated for only a fraction of a second before ascending the stairs. I’d been busted. My plan was ruined, and I was back to square one.
My legs trembled beneath me as I made my way back to my room. By now, the guards had returned to their stations, patrolling the halls with watchful eyes. None of them stopped me or bothered to ask what I was doing out here at this time of night.
That was when I realized they all knew about my attempted escape. They’d just let me make a fool of myself. A wave of anger and embarrassment washed over me, with the latter especially strong.
How the hell did they even find out about my plans? Did Agata snitch on me? But she didn’t know because I didn’t tell her anything.
It didn’t matter how they found out. I’d been caught. And I’d been warned.
I walked into my room, slammed the door behind me, and collapsed onto the bed. Better a comfortable bed than a cold concrete floor. Better a gilded cage than a real one.
I threw my hands under my head as I stared blankly into space.
Gilded cage or not, the fact remained that there was no hope of leaving this place anytime soon.
How long was I going to be trapped here? What exactly was Karik’s plan for me?