Chapter 15

  Oh No!

  Kai’s face haunted my dreams, his sneer twisting in the dark corners of my mind every time I closed my eyes. The castle loomed in the background of my nightmares—its cold stone walls both a prison and a sanctuary. Sometimes Kai was there, his presence suffocating and vile. Other times, I wandered the endless halls alone, each step echoing like a warning. My face and lips ached from the earlier blows, but I knew this was only the beginning. His cruelty was methodical, and the pain was only a small price to pay.

  The worst part? I knew Kai wouldn’t hesitate to end my life if I ever found the courage to escape. He thrived on my suffering. It was the only thing that gave him power.

  When I finally woke, the sun had long disappeared, and the world outside had fallen into shadow. A chilling breeze filtered through the cracked window, making my skin crawl as it swept across my half-naked body. The thin sheet covering me did little to ward off the cold, and the familiar disgust twisted in my stomach at the thought of Kai undressing me while I was unconscious—dressing and undressing me like some helpless doll. I swallowed hard, trying to push the thought away.

  My wrists burned where the ropes had once been. The flesh was raw, now marked with angry rings of red that seemed to throb in rhythm with my pulse. Tentatively, I raised my hands, but as soon as my fingers brushed against the sensitive skin, a sharp sting of pain sent waves of discomfort through my arms. I clenched my teeth, refusing to let out a sound.

  I had to get out of here. But where could I go?

  Wrapping the sheet tightly around my trembling body, I crawled to the barred window. This was just one of the many houses Kai owned. We used this one when Kai had no choice but to drag me along on one of his business trips. At first, he hadn’t trusted me. When we first got married, I spent more time locked in this house than I care to remember. The violence back then was nothing compared to what I faced now, but the isolation… that was the hardest part.

  I tiptoed to the door, my heart pounding as I tested the handle. To my surprise, it wasn’t locked. My breath caught in my throat as I slowly inched it open, careful not to make a sound. I crept downstairs, my bare feet brushing against the cool floorboards. But as I moved, the reality of my situation hit me. Guards were scattered throughout the house—one at every window, one by every door. Their presence felt suffocating, as though they were watching my every move, even when their eyes were elsewhere. There was no way I could slip past them without being caught.

  A sense of helplessness gnawed at me. Maybe I shouldn’t have come back here at all. Maybe I should’ve run farther, left everything behind—moved overseas, to a place where Kai had no power. But even then, I knew it wouldn’t matter. No matter where I went, no matter how far I ran, he would follow me. Because to him, I wasn’t a person. I was a possession, a thing he could control, and he would stop at nothing to keep me in his grasp.

  But still, something didn’t sit right with me. Why had it taken him six years to find me? I had worked so hard to disappear. For a while, I thought I had actually escaped him, but now it was clear that I had been foolish to think I could ever truly be free. Kai had been keeping an eye on me all along. Everything I’d built, everything I’d fought for—it could all be torn down in a matter of days if Kai got his hands on it.

  I had to keep reminding myself: think positive. I couldn’t let him win. Saxon would come for me. He would. I had to believe that. Saxon would never stop searching until he found me, and when he did, everything would change.

  He knew I would never leave him or Crystal—not when I had finally started to find my happy ending. Saxon would come for me, I told myself, over and over again. If I just kept repeating that, I could endure whatever punishment Kai had in store.

  Then, a voice broke the silence.

  “You shouldn’t be down here.”

  I jumped, my heart leaping into my throat as I instinctively clutched the sheet tighter around my body. My eyes locked on the towering figure behind me—one of Kai’s bodyguards. His bulk seemed to fill the narrow space, and a wave of terror washed over me. The thought of the punishment I’d face for daring to leave my room made my breath catch.

  I shrank back, every muscle tense, expecting him to grab me and drag me back up the stairs.

  “The door was unlocked,” I whispered, my voice trembling with the sudden rush of fear.

  The bodyguard tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable. “Oh, well then. I’ll make sure Mr. Portsmith doesn’t know about this little trip of yours,” he said, his tone cold but not unkind.

  I swallowed hard, my pulse pounding in my ears. “Why help me?” I asked, unable to keep the desperation from creeping into my voice.

  His eyes softened for just a moment, a flicker of something I couldn’t quite place. “You don’t remember me, do you?”

  I furrowed my brow, trying to recall if I had seen him before, but nothing came to mind. “Should I?”

  He sighed, his lips curling into something that could almost be mistaken for a smile. “I guess what they say about you is true, then. Don’t worry, miss. I’ll make sure he won’t slit your throat if you do manage to escape.”

  My stomach twisted with dread. “Do you know what he wants with me?”

  The bodyguard’s gaze darkened, his grip on my shoulder tightening just enough to make me flinch. “He wants you to submit. And you do, every time. It makes your life a lot easier, you know. Before you manage to escape, that is.”

  Before I could ask him what he meant, the bodyguard’s large hands landed on my shoulders, gripping them with an iron-like force. He pushed me gently but firmly back up the stairs, his touch like a cold reminder of my place in this house. His departure was almost casual—he left with a small, knowing smile and locked the door behind him.

  I paused, staring at the door. The unlocked handle felt wrong. Kai never left things unlocked when I was around. Not a single door, not a single window, unless he wanted me to try and escape. He was sick—he enjoyed my attempts, relishing the punishment that would follow. He was a sadist, through and through.

  At least, for now, I was safe. I hoped that my little adventure downstairs wouldn’t be reported. Well, I hope it won’t be, I corrected myself. Hope... that’s all I had left. But was that even enough?

  Would this always be my life? Always hoping I wouldn’t run into Kai? Always hoping he would never find me again? I thought I’d put all of this behind me. I had dreamed of a future, a chance to finally escape—to start fresh with Saxon and Crystal. I was ready to be the mother Crystal needed, to love her the way she deserved. I missed her so much that it physically hurt.

  The hours passed slowly as I stared at the door, imagining the worst. My mind wandered, each thought of a new version of my nightmare. Eventually, the waiting grew too much, and I drifted back into sleep—exhausted, broken, still hoping.

  When I woke up a few hours later, my heart skipped in my chest. Kai was sitting on the edge of the bed, his dark eyes gleaming as he smiled down at me.

  “Ah, she finally awakens. It’s time to fun some fun”

  Kai flicked the sheet off me and started to run his up my naked thigh. I tried not to spit in disgust as his hand moved closer and closer to my inner thigh. I shivered when his other hand closed around my breast. Kai laughed, as he moved his hand from my breast to my neck, squeezing slightly. I gasped for air, which made him laugh even more. Kai straddled me, keeping his hand tightly around my neck. This is how I die for sure. Fight it, Lisa, fight him. I was starting to lose air, making my face turn a noticeable purple. Kai seemed to notice, loosening his grip on my neck. I breathed in a deep breath and without warning Kai slapped me again. I could feel the tears run down my cheek, as he pushed his lips against mine. I tried to keep my mouth shut, as Kai pushed his tongue against my lips.

  Almost like a god heard my silent cries for help, Kai’s phone rang and he pushed himself off me. Sighing I watched him leave the room, leaving the door wide open. Now was my chance. I had to risk the off chance that Kai would actually slit my throat and I made a dash for the bedroom door. The hallway was empty as I crept along, heading for the stairs. When I silently reached the bottom, the guard from before narrowed his eyes at me. I made a dash for the door but my efforts were effortless, as I was yanked back. I screamed out as I hit the floor.

  “You were warned about escaping Miss Paul”

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  He tossed me over his shoulder with effortless ease, his grip like iron, unyielding and relentless as he began to ascend the stairs. My body felt weightless in his arms, but the sharp, heavy pulse of panic echoed through me with every step he took. The cold, sterile air of the hallway seemed to grow thicker, suffocating, as the reality of what was happening sank in. A sick, bitter feeling coiled in my stomach, twisting tighter with every inch we moved.

  I had known this would happen. Deep down, I had always known. I should have known better than to think I could escape, that one desperate, half-hearted attempt would be enough to break free. It wasn’t a game anymore. It never had been. I could feel the finality of it in the way he moved, the cold determination in his grip. My failed escape had sealed my fate.

  The stairs creaked beneath us, and my pulse quickened in rhythm with the sound, each step a reminder of how little control I had left. The world outside, the one I thought I might still belong to, felt like it was slipping further and further away with every upward motion. And with each step, a crushing realization settled over me—there was no going back now.

  The first attempt had been so innocent—so naive. I’d truly believed there was hope, that maybe, just maybe, I could find a way out. I thought I had a chance. But now? Now, I had risked everything for nothing. My throat burned with the bitter taste of defeat, and I realized with a cold, hollow clarity that my very life was forfeit. Kai would know—he always knew. The bodyguard would make sure of that.

  I didn’t resist when he lowered me back onto the bed, my limbs heavy and unresponsive, as if the weight of this moment had sucked the very life out of me. My body, drained of both energy and will, felt like a foreign thing. It was as though I had no fight left to give, no strength to stand up again. What was the point? The truth was undeniable now, inescapable. Every small hope I had once clung to—every fleeting moment of defiance, every tiny spark of resistance—had been crushed beneath the cold, suffocating weight of this new reality.

  I lay there, motionless, staring at the ceiling with unseeing eyes, the room around me spinning in a blur. The soft rustle of the sheets against my skin was the only sound, a cruel reminder of my captivity. It felt as though the walls were closing in, the air growing thick and suffocating. I was trapped, and the worst part was that I knew it.

  I closed my eyes, pretending for a moment that I was anywhere but here, but the air felt thick with the weight of what was to come. There was no escape anymore. No way out. For a moment, I felt the cool, damp air of the castle brush against my skin, faint and fleeting, like a whisper of freedom just out of reach. But I didn’t dare open my eyes. To do so would be to face the truth I wasn’t ready to confront. The bodyguard’s presence loomed over me, a shadow that seemed to fill the entire room. I could feel him standing there, motionless, his eyes no doubt fixed on me, weighing every breath I took, every shift of my body. The silence between us was suffocating, a heavy, oppressive thing that seemed to press in from all sides.

  Even without seeing him, I knew he was there, a constant reminder that I was no longer in control, that I never truly had been. His presence was a cruel, silent sentinel, guarding me not just with his body, but with the unspoken promise of what would happen if I dared to resist again. When I finally opened my eyes, he gave me a small smile, not a nice smile, almost like the smile was a threat.

  “Just submit Lisa. You’ll be safer if you just submit”

  I didn’t acknowledge him as he left, my eyes fixed on the floor, too drained to even process his words. When the door clicked shut behind him, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this would be my life from now on. This is it. The end of any hope I had left.

  I had let it slip through my fingers—my one chance at freedom. Why didn’t I confront Saxon and Kira when I had the chance? Why didn’t I take Crystal and run, before it all got this far? The weight of those lost moments pressed down on me, suffocating. I had thought there would be more time, more chances. But I’d wasted it all.

  The sound of the door creaking open again jolted me back to the present. I didn’t need to look up to know he was there. The smugness in his step, the arrogance in his every movement—it was all too familiar. He was waiting for this. Waiting for the moment when he could remind me how powerless I was, how easily he could crush whatever was left of my dignity.

  I refused to look at him, my eyes staying fixed on the floor, my hands trembling at my sides. The sharp sting of tears at the back of my eyes only made it worse. I wasn’t allowed to feel—he wouldn’t let me. I slid off the bed, the cold floor against my knees, my posture bent in defeat.

  “I heard you tried to escape. Begging for your pathetic life won’t help you now, slut”

  “I submit master”

  For the first time, I managed to make him speechless. He placed a hand under my chin, making me look at him. He was smirking at me. He raised his other hand, slapping me across the face. My body moved a little, but I let out no noise. Making him angrier won’t help me. If this is how I was going to live then I should at least try to make it less painful.

  “This is a first. I have been trying to make you submit to me for ten years. I guess I should be a good master and leave you alone for now. I will be going away for a week and you will not leave this room. Robert will bring you food, once in the morning and once at night. If I hear of any escape attempts, you being on your knees won’t save you”

  He slapped me again, reopening the cut on my lip. I made noise as I watched him walk out of the room. The door slammed behind him and I heard the sound of a key locking the door, placing me back in my prison cell. I sucked on my lip and wiped the running tears off my face. The next few days passed with routine. The door would unlock and Robert would place a tray of breakfast on my bed, an hour later he returned to collect the still full tray. The same thing happened for dinner. I didn’t eat for four days but it wasn’t anything new for my body. The day before Kai returned, Robert came in with my tray of breakfast but didn’t move from the side of the bed. When I finally looked at him, his eyes were filled with sorrow. He probably hates seeing me like this but no one would dare threaten Kai.

  Silently, he handed me the burner phone, his eyes searching mine for some sign of compliance. But I didn’t take it from him immediately. I knew better than to trust anything he offered. This was a trap. This has to be a trap. The sharp twist in my gut warned me not to anger Kai any more than I already had. As much as I hated this, I couldn’t afford to push him any further. My life had been reduced to a cruel game, and I wasn’t ready to die—not yet.

  “Lisa, please take it,” he insisted, his tone softer now, but laced with an almost imperceptible edge. “Call for help, without calling for help. I’ll be outside.”

  I stared at the burner phone beside me, the weight of the decision pressing down on me. With a slow breath, I reached out and gingerly picked it up. This could be the one chance I had. One small thread of hope. But it could also be the very thing that would seal my fate. I hesitated, fingers trembling against the plastic as I typed in the only number that seemed to matter at that moment.

  My heart pounded in my chest as the call connected. My breath caught in my throat. The phone rang only twice before a voice came through, a familiar, reassuring sound in the chaos.

  “Hello? Who’s this?”

  "Sax," I croaked, my voice raw, barely audible.

  “Lisa, is that you?” His voice sounded distant, but it was unmistakably him. Saxon.

  I could feel the tears stinging at the back of my eyes, but I couldn’t break down now. Not now. Not when I needed him so desperately. "Sax, you have to help me," I whispered, the words barely escaping my lips.

  “What happened to you? You just vanished—” His voice faltered for a moment, a mixture of shock and concern cutting through the static.

  "Kai took me. I don't know where we are. Please, Sax, you have to help me." My voice cracked on the last word, fear and desperation clawing at me.

  The silence on the other end of the line stretched, then a string of curses erupted from Saxon’s mouth. "Shit. Hold on, Lisa. I'm gonna try and trace this call."

  I shook my head, the reality of it all setting in. "You can’t. I’m on a burner. I think we’re in one of his houses west of Byveiw. Please, Sax," I urged, my heart racing, every word laced with the fear of time slipping away. "I can’t... I can't do this anymore."

  I ended the call when I saw Robert before me again. He took the tray and the phone and left quietly. Hopefully Saxon was smart enough to figure out which one of the many houses Kai bought, that I was stuck in. Moments after Robert left, Kai returned, a smirk on his face. Did he find out about the call? Did Robert make things worse? I knew I shouldn’t have trusted him with that phone call.

  “We are leaving tomorrow night. I would say pack but you don’t own anything here. Robert will give you a bag full of clothes and make up. You need to make yourself look presentable. Just like you used to”

  He smirked at me again, that cold, infuriating smirk, before leaving in such a rush I barely had time to process it. What was going on? Why were we being moved to another location? Was it further away? More remote, more isolated? The questions spiraled in my mind, each one more urgent than the last. I had just given a word to Sax—how was I supposed to tell him where we were going now? How would anyone find me if they didn’t know where to look?

  I crept cautiously to the door, my heart hammering in my chest. To my surprise, it was unlocked. A flicker of hope surged within me, but I quickly squashed it. There was no room for hope now—just survival. I opened the door just a crack, peering through the gap. Robert was standing guard, but his attention was elsewhere for the moment. I poked my head through the tiny opening and caught his eye. He gave me a curious look, but I simply nodded tightly, keeping my movements as subtle as possible.

  “Do you know where we’re going?” I asked, keeping my voice low and steady, despite the rush of adrenaline in my veins.

  He raised an eyebrow, clearly weighing his response. “Should I tell you this information?” His tone was guarded, a little wary.

  “I called for help,” I said, my words coming faster now. “But it’s no use if they don’t know where I am.”

  There was a long, silent pause. Robert stood there, his gaze flicking between the hallway and me, clearly thinking it over. Finally, he moved closer, casting one last glance around to make sure no one would overhear us. His voice dropped to a near whisper, a rare crack in his usual stoic demeanor.

  “We’re going to South Beach.”

  “Thank you,” I murmured, barely able to keep the relief from my voice.

  He nodded curtly, his expression unreadable, then returned to his original position without another word. I quietly closed the door, ensuring no sound betrayed my movements. I couldn’t afford to give away my position—not yet.

  The room felt colder now, the walls closing in a little more as I scanned it for anything useful. My eyes landed on a small scrap of paper and a pen that was barely working, but I made it work. My hand trembled as I scribbled down the new location, my mind racing to figure out how to keep this information hidden. My memories were fragmented, slipping through my fingers like water, and all I had left were the disjointed images and feelings that belonged to someone else.

  Without thinking, I shoved the paper under the bed. It wasn’t much, but it was all I had. Now, all that remained was staying alive—long enough for someone to find me, long enough to make it out of this place before it was too late.