19. Chapter 19
Gerald”s cruelty only continues to ratchet up over the next couple of weeks. I”m constantly on guard, hovering over Yara at all times, hesitant to let her out of my sight even for a moment.
He moves me from our master bedroom into another area, some kind of makeshift dungeon-looking room with a rickety bed and thin blankets, although occasionally he allows me to sleep in Yara”s room.
As the sun rises one morning, a pale sliver of light creeps along the floor of the dingy basement, casting ugly shadows on the filthy walls.
It”s a far departure from the palatial, immaculate parts of the mansion that Gerald lured me to.
I force myself to open my swollen eyes, every muscle in my body screaming in protest.
Sheer willpower is the only thing that keeps me from curling back into the fetal position and succumbing to the darkness threatening to consume me.
Despite the pain, despite the humiliation, I have to survive this.
For Yara.
Using the wall for support, I stumble to my feet, blinking away the bleariness in my eyes.
Slowly, I begin to search the room, careful not to make any noise that would alert Gerald”s men to my escape attempt.
The door is locked, but the single window high up on the wall, covered in grime and cobwebs, offers a glimmer of hope.
Rushing over, I drag a rickety chair over to the window, and after several failed attempts, manage to wedge it against the wall.
The sunlight streaming through the cloudy glass is the most beautiful sight I”ve ever seen, even as it illuminates the grime coating the pane.
My aching muscles scream in protest, but I ignore them, knowing that every second counts.
With a deep breath, I wrench at the latch, wincing as it squeaks in protest.
Heart pounding, I glance over my shoulder, half-expecting to see Gerald”s men barging through the door. But for now, I am alone.
Wedging my slender frame through the narrow opening, I breathe a sigh of relief as my feet touch the ground outside.
My exhilaration is short-lived as I realize I”m on the second floor, surrounded by tall fences topped with barbed wire.
A familiar dread begins to creep up my spine.
What am I even thinking? I would jump off the roof and then what?
Even if I did manage to escape, where would I run to? Even if I did manage to contact the authorities, what would I say?
Gerald could simply claim that Yara was his biological child, and in the time it took to verify that this wasn”t true, goodness knows what fate may befall her at his hands.
I shudder at the thought of leaving Yara alone with him. With his men.
I”ve seen the way they look at her, and it”s not so different from the way they look at me.
To escape now would be selfish. Too risky.
But it also might be the only way I can get help for us before it”s too late.
In the distance, I hear the unmistakable sound of footsteps and voices.
Panicking, I scan my surroundings for any means of escape. My gaze falls on a rickety drainpipe, my only chance.
Ignoring my protesting body, I begin to climb.
Halfway up, I hear the shattering of glass, my captors hot on my trail.
Fueled by terror, I scramble upwards, the jagged edges of the rusty pipe tearing at my skin.
”No matter what it takes, I”ll find you!” I whisper to myself, hoping Yara will somehow hear my promise.
With a defiant scream, I swing my leg over the fence and leap into the unknown.
But the feeling of freedom doesn”t last long. I grunt as a heavy object smashes into my back and everything fades to black.
My heart races as I watch in horror as two of Gerald”s men drag Yara away, her terrified cries tearing through my soul. ”Yara! Be brave, my love! I will come for you as soon as I can.” But the look in Gerald”s cold eyes tell me my words might not be enough.
”She won”t, Yara. She”s lying,” he taunts, ”You”re about to start a new life. Not the one you dreamed of with your mother, but a new life nonetheless. I can”t wait to introduce you to my highest-paying clients. I think they”ll be quite satisfied with you.”
”G-Gerald,” I gasp.
A chill runs down my spine as I turn to face him, his perfect features twisted in anger. His eyes flash with rage. ”Oh, Alina, did you really think you could escape me?”
My stomach clenches as his words sank in.
I want to scream, but I know it would only scare Yara more. ”Don”t listen to him, Yara!” I plead, my voice shaking, ”I will come for you. This will all be over soon.”
I can”t bear to think of what they might do to my innocent child. And this is all my fault. How could I have put Yara in this position?
”Please,” I beg Gerald, desperately, ”Just... anything. But don”t touch Yara, I”m begging you.”
Gerald”s smile sends shivers down my spine. ”Oh yes, you”ll do anything if Yara isn”t touched? Is that right? Anything at all? I just want to make sure I heard that correctly... in which case it”s a bit of a shock, seeing how you just tried to escape.”
”Yes, absolutely,” I say quickly, without a second thought. My voice drops to a whisper. ”Anything. And I”m so sorry I climbed outside. I don”t know what came over me.”
Gerald appears thoughtful, and he lifts his gaze to mine. ”Alright then. In that case, she”s safe... for now. But only if you do one thing without complaining.”
I nod, not sure how to respond.
”You”re in my world, now, Alina,” his cold voice purrs as he approaches me. I freeze, my heart pounding in my chest as his muscular arm wraps around my waist. My head swims with panic, my earlier defiance evaporating like mist in the sun.
He yanks me against him, his cold nose brushing against my ear. ”And now that I have you, I”m never letting you go. Not without a fight.”
My vision blurs with unshed tears. ”You”re insane. Haven”t you done enough?”
”Insane or brilliant?” his lips curve into a sardonic smile. ”I”ll let you decide that after you”ve met my latest acquisition.”
The door opens, and a man with steely gray eyes and a scarred face appears. A shudder ran down my spine as I immediately recognize him. Maxwell. The stories I”ve heard about him... people speak about him in whispers.
”Take her,” Gerald orders, gesturing towards me. ”Make sure she”s... prepared for tonight”s event.”
”No!” I struggle against Maxwell”s iron grip, but it”s no use. He half-drags, half-carries me into the adjoining bedroom, my stomach seesawing violently.
Tonight”s event?
Maxwell locks the door behind us, his expression impassive. ”Strip,” he commands, his voice a low growl.
My hands tremble as I fumble with my clothes, desperate to stall for time. ”W-Why?” I manage.
He doesn”t even spare me a glance as he lights a cigarette. ”You”re the entertainment,” he drawls, smoke curling around his head like a macabre halo. ”And your little Yara? She”ll be joining us later.”
The breath leaves my lungs in a rush.
”Now!” Maxwell barks, and the coldness in his eyes sends a shiver down my spine. He”s just like Gerald.
As the first tear trails down my cheek, I begin to undress. With shaking fingers, I unbutton my blouse, my breath coming out in ragged gasps.
I can”t let him see me crack.
As I lower my jeans, I glance around the room frantically for anything I could use as a weapon. There has to be something.
With my heart pounding in my chest, I slide off my underwear and ball them up, praying for a miracle.
Gerald knocks on the door in mock concern about my privacy, and he enters the room. ”Is she ready?” he asks as his lascivious gaze rakes over my naked body, sending a wave of revulsion through me.
I will not break in front of him.
”Now, get on the bed.” His voice is like ice, sending a shiver down my spine.
This is not the man who promised to take care of me, who promised me the world.
It”s not the same man who was attentive in bed, making me feel like a queen.
That was a all a lie.
Steeling myself, I climb onto the bed, naked and exposed, leaving my crumpled clothes on the floor.
My stomach lurches as he makes a call on his radio and four men enter the room, and I realize what he means by ”entertainment”. He wants me to submit to whatever his men do to me, and I have no choice but to comply if I ever want to see Yara again.
If I want to keep her safe and avoid the same thing happening to her.
He really is trying to break me.
The men all undo their belt buckles and unzip their pants, and my stomach roils as I realize what”s about to happen.
The next few hours are a blur of pain and humiliation.
I try my best to dissociate, thinking of Yara”s face and the promise I made to come for her.
I will find a way out of this. We will both get through this nightmare, together.
They might be able to ravage my body, but they will never take away the love that burns so brightly in my soul for my precious girl.
When it”s finally over, I lie on the ground, shaking uncontrollably. My body aches physically and emotionally, and I”ve never felt more alone in my life.
Gerald”s men drag me to a filthy corner of the room, where I curl up into a ball, trying to disappear from the world.
I know that Gerald is trying to dismantle me entirely by doing this, trying to shatter my spirit so he can fully claim me as his.
And, as I look down at the blood trickling down my legs and feel the stinging, bruised sensation caused by what took place today, I realize this may well be the closest I”ve ever been to letting that happen.
I lie there for a while, stained with the evidence of my violation. I feel filthier than I”ve ever felt in my life, inside and out.
I want to scrub myself for hours, but I also realize that”s not going to take away the damage that”s been done inside me. To my mind, to my soul.
In any case, I need to find a way out of this deceptively pretty hellhole and fast.
A while later, I hear the familiar clip of Gerald”s Oxfords approaching the room.
”You”ve done well,” Gerald said coldly, as he enters. ”Your girl will be untouched for now. But remember, little lamb, you”re both mine now. Even if you are a filthy whore.”
I force myself to meet Gerald”s cold eyes, my own blazing with defiance. ”You can”t break me, Gerald. No matter what you do.”
”Oh, we”ll see about that,” he smirks, his eyes cold as ice.
With that, he exits with his entourage, leaving me in the company of my demons from past and present.
I try to push myself up, but the dizziness overwhelms me and everything once again fades to black.