The revelation sat heavy in my chest like a lead weight. Elise. The one person I thought I could trust,the only sliver of light in this dark, suffocating world,was working with Kendrick. Every tender look, every soft word, every secret favour..all of it a carefully orchestrated lie.
I had crouched behind the thick curtains near the grand staircase, my heart hammering as I listened to Kendrick and Elise speak in hushed, conspiratorial tones just outside my door.
"She suspects nothing," Elise said smoothly, her voice too calm, too familiar. "She's completely broken."
Kendrick let out a low chuckle, one that made my blood run cold. "Good. Keep it that way. I need her compliant. We'll move forward soon."
My nails dug into the fabric of the curtain as I fought the urge to scream. I had to stay hidden. I had to survive.
They moved down the hall, and I, driven by a wild, desperate instinct, slipped from my hiding place and followed. The sprawling mansion was a labyrinth of shadowed corridors and locked rooms, but I knew enough now to navigate without being seen.
They headed toward the east wing..an area Kendrick had forbidden me to enter.
I stayed back, hiding behind pillars and half-open doors, careful not to let my presence be known. I crept along the walls, my breathing shallow, my bare feet silent against the cold marble.
At the end of the corridor, a door—thicker and heavier than the others,stood ajar. Voices filtered through.
"You promised me results, Kendrick," came a rough, unfamiliar voice. "If you can't deliver, our agreement is off."
"You'll get what you were promised," Kendrick snapped, his voice a dangerous growl. "She's just...resisting more than I anticipated."
"Then break her," the man said coldly. "You have a deadline. Don't forget it."
I pressed myself closer to the wall, my mind spinning. Deadline? Agreement? What was Kendrick planning? What was I supposed to be "delivered" for?
I peeked through the small gap in the door. Kendrick stood rigid, his fists clenched at his sides. The man opposite him was older, with a cruel smile and sharp eyes that missed nothing.
"And if you fail," the man added with a smirk, "there are plenty of others who would be happy to take her off your hands."
My stomach twisted violently. I was a pawn. A prize. A commodity to be traded.
Kendrick's jaw tightened. "No one else will touch her."
The possessiveness in his voice was unmistakable, and bile rose in my throat.
The meeting ended quickly. The man gave a cold laugh and disappeared into the shadows of the mansion, leaving Kendrick and Elise alone.
"Keep her compliant," Kendrick ordered Elise. "No more screw-ups."
"Of course, sir," she said, her voice dripping with sickening loyalty.
They moved away from the door, and I slipped back the way I came, my heart racing, my mind spinning with possibilities.
I made it back to my room without being seen. I sat on the edge of the bed, trembling, feeling more trapped than ever before. Kendrick wasn't invincible,he was vulnerable. He had enemies. He had deals he was desperate to protect.
Maybe I could use that.
But I had to be careful. One wrong move and I'd end up even deeper in this nightmare.
A soft knock at the door jolted me from my thoughts. Before I could answer, the door creaked open and Kendrick stepped inside.
"Awake, little dove?" he drawled, his voice laced with false sweetness.
I quickly masked my emotions, lowering my gaze in feigned submission. "Yes, sir."
His eyes gleamed with dark satisfaction. He crossed the room in two strides and cupped my chin, tilting my face up to meet his.
"Good girl," he murmured.....