Chapter 25 – Scarlett
“...I’m glad you finally see yourself for what you are.” His voice still echoed in my head, reminding me of how stupid I was to ever think he could be anything more than a monster.
I brought this upon myself. I should’ve kept my mouth shut and pretended not to have seen him with another woman. He didn’t owe anything, not even loyalty, and I should’ve known better.
He never regarded me as anything more than his prisoner—his sex toy. And although my hatred for him just tripled, I was glad that he finally spoke some sense into me. I used to make up excuses for him, used to feel some sort of sympathy because of his past.
Not anymore.
He wasn’t the only one with a dark past. Some of us also went through hell and still decided not to turn out as dicks. Being human was a decision we made, and he, too, was given that choice, yet he chose to be an asshole.
I let my guard down because I hoped that there was something good inside him. I thought that if I tugged at that thin thread long enough, his humanity would unravel. I was so wrong. There was nothing good about Roman Tarasov—no shred of humanity at all.
This whole time, I’d been blinded by my own lust and dark desires. But now, I saw him for what he truly was: a misogynistic, condescending jackass!
After I left him in his mother’s art gallery, I went straight to Mia’s room and pounded on her door. A moment later, she answered, and while the door was creaking open, I barged inside, fuming in silence.
She scanned the hallway to be sure no one saw me come in, then quietly closed the door behind her. “Ma’am, are you okay?” she asked, her voice laced with genuine concern.
I swiped my hands through my hair while pacing the length of her room, struggling to hold back my tears.
“Ma’am.” She drew closer and held my hands. “Breathe. Breathe.”
Her touch was somewhat comforting, like that of a close friend. “Look at me,” she added, trying to catch my eyes, and didn’t stop until she did.
I stared at her, tears streaming down my cheeks, my lips quivering. I didn’t want her to see me vulnerable, but I couldn’t hold it anymore. The pain was unbearable, and I felt it tightening in my chest, suffocating me.
When she pulled me into her warm embrace, I broke down, my body shaking violently as I cried. She smoothed my hair downward, whispering words of encouragement in my ear. At that point, I wasn’t even listening; I just wanted the knot in my chest to loosen so I could breathe.
After crying for some minutes, I let go of her and wiped my tears, feeling a bit lighter.
“I hope you don’t mind me asking,” she said, staring right at me. “What happened?”
“He happened,” I answered, my voice low and venomous. “I hate him, Mia. I hate him so much.”
“I know the feeling,” she said, a faint scowl settling on her face.
On any other day, I would’ve questioned her statement—tried to understand the sudden shift in her expression or even the bite in her tone. But I was too angry to think straight.
“You said you could help me escape this place?”
She nodded. “I can.”
“Good. Because I need to get the hell out of here as soon as possible.”
“Tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” I tilted my head to the side, a bit shocked.
That was quick.
“Yes,” she answered. “It has to be tomorrow. Roman has an important meeting that requires more bodyguards, leaving the mansion less guarded. It’s our window, and we have to take it.”
Roman?
That’s strange. She’d never called him by his name before. And how did she know all of this? However, before I could give it much thought, I concluded it wasn’t my business anymore. None of that mattered to me anyway; all I cared about was getting the hell out of here.
“Tomorrow is fine,” I said.
“Perfect,” she answered. “We’ll move at noon when the house is almost empty.”
Freedom. I could almost taste it.
I let out a soft sigh. “Thank you, Mia. You’re such a good friend.”
She wore that cute smile of hers. “Don’t thank me yet, ma’am, until you’re out of here.”
I hugged her again, tapped her shoulder, and then quietly strolled out of her room. My heart skipped a beat when I spotted the maid, Nikki, across the hallway, watching me. I straightened, closed the door behind me, and walked away, pretending not to see her.
Without looking back, I could still hear her footsteps behind me. When I quickened my pace, she did the same. I couldn’t understand why she was tailing me, but I intended to find out. Once I rounded a corner, I leaned flat against the wall, patiently waiting for her to appear. And she did.
A sharp gasp tore from her throat as I grabbed her hand and pulled her close, slamming her back against the wall. “Why are you following me, Nikki?” I growled.
She raised her hands in the air, a testament to her surrender. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to talk to you,” she said, her tone dripping with a Russian accent.
I glared at her for a moment, then took a step back. “So now you wanna talk?”
“Ma’am, I know you’re angry—”
“Angry?” I cut her off, my scowl deepening. “Why would I be angry, huh? Because a couple of peasant girls I once saw as friends abandoned me?”
I watched the color drain from her eyes as my words sliced her heart like a knife.
Dang it, Lettie, that was harsh, I thought to myself. But at this point, everything and everyone in this mansion irritated me.
She swallowed hard, fighting back the tears that welled in her eyes. “In this house, peasant girls aren’t allowed to be friends with the boss’s wife,” she explained. “That’s why we kept our distance.”
“Bullshit,” I declared. “Mia’s a maid like you and Natasha, but unlike you two, she chose to be my friend.”
Nikki shook her head. “She’s not your friend, ma’am. And you shouldn’t trust her.”
I raised my brows in disbelief, a soft scoff escaping my lips. “I shouldn’t trust her?”
“No, you shouldn’t.”
“But I can trust you?”
She stuttered, “I…I didn’t—I didn’t say that.”
I huffed, combing my fingers through my hair. “I see what’s happening here. You’re jealous.”
“What?”
“You’re jealous of Mia.”
She shook her head. “No, that’s not what this is about.”
“Oh, yeah? Then what is it about?” I cast a stern glare at her.
She stood there, frozen in place, unable to defend herself.
I thought as much.
“You had your chance, Nikki,” I said, “but you blew it. It’s too late to come back now.”
And with that, I left her and walked away, still fuming inside me.
The next day, Mia and I met at a secluded part of the mansion, and there, she dressed me up as a maid. She said it was the best disguise and that it wouldn’t attract unwanted attention from the others.
As she predicted, the house was almost deserted, and nearly all the guards weren’t at their stations. A part of me couldn’t help wondering what kind of meeting would require Roman to take this many bodyguards with him. But on second thought, I didn’t care.
As part of the disguise, I had to wear a black wig with a hat that covered my face.
Quietly, she led the way, avoiding the cameras in the hallway, and I followed her move.
I didn’t realize how massive this place was until she began taking me through rooms and hidden passages I never thought existed.
She held my hand and would, every now and then, remind me to trust her. I did. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have ventured on this journey with her. She led me down to the basement, withdrew a key from her pocket, and unlocked a barred gate.
Carefully, she opened it, and it wasn’t until after we’d taken about three steps forward that I realized this was a tunnel with a bright, natural light at the end.
“We’re almost there, ma’am,” she whispered, her low voice echoing off the walls.
Freedom.
A smile tugged at the corners of my lips as we quickened our pace, my heart racing with anticipation. We reached the end of the tunnel, and I drew a deep breath, inhaling the scent of freedom.
A lonely road stretched beyond the exit, flanked by tall trees that cast long, eerie shadows on the pavement.
“Wow, we did it.” I chuckled, eyes crinkling at the corners. “Mia, we actually did it.” I grabbed her shoulders with a smile on my face.
“Now, you can thank me.” She beamed.
I pulled her into my bosom and whispered in her ear. “I owe you one.”
Just then, a black SUV appeared out of the blue, recklessly pulling over by the sidewalk. Startled by the sudden sound of screeching tires, I jumped out of the way, confused.
The driver hopped out of the car and walked over to open the backseat door. Three hefty men stepped out of the vehicle, all looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger from The Terminator.
I took a step back, my heart racing in my chest. “Mia, what’s going on? Who are these men?” I asked her, wondering if they were part of the escape plan too.
The driver opened the backseat door, and a tall man stepped out in an impeccably tailored white suit. A Cuban cigar was stuck between his lips, his gold rings glinting around his fingers.
He needed no introduction; he was clearly the boss of these men. But why the hell did he look so familiar?
“Mia, what’s going on here?” I asked again, this time through gritted teeth.
“Hello, Scarlett,” he said, approaching me with slow, menacing steps. “Remember me?”
My eyes narrowed at him, and that’s when it clicked in my head.
Shit!
It was the same man from the gala a few weeks ago. He was the one who stirred up tension amongst the guests and almost declared war on Roman.
Now, things were getting spooky, and everything felt wrong.
Mia stepped forward and glanced back at me, except this time, I couldn’t find that innocence in her eyes. It was like looking at an entirely different person.
“Roman’s wife,” she said to the man, gesturing at me. “As promised.”
He let out a puff of smoke. “You’ve done well, Mia.”
It was now that it dawned on me that I’d been sold out by someone I trusted. The betrayal didn’t hurt as much as the one who did it—and in that moment, my heart shattered into a million pieces.
Nikki had warned me about Mia, but I didn’t listen—and I sincerely regretted it. Mia’s kindness was a mask, and I fell for her lies like an idiot. Blinded by rage and my eagerness to leave, I didn’t question the signs in front of me. Now I’d walked into a trap, and there was no going back.