Alicia's POV
The penthouse was quiet. Too quiet.
I sat curled at the edge of the bed, staring at the city lights bleeding through the glass walls. Liam's words still echoed in my ears like iron shackles: You'll stay here. And you'll learn, once and for all, that your world begins and ends with me.
A shiver ran down my spine.
I had cried until no more tears would come, until my body felt hollow. But hollow or not, my mother's voice still pulled at me, fragile and urgent from my brother's call. I couldn't abandon her. Not like this.
And if Liam wouldn't let me leave through the front door, then I would find another way.
My hand trembled as I reached for my phone on the nightstand. I hesitated, glancing toward the door, half-expecting it to swing open.
It didn't.
I pressed Chloe's contact.
One ring. Two.
Then her groggy voice answered, laced with surprise. "Alicia? God! It's late, are you okay?"
The sound of her steadiness cracked something in me. I pressed a hand against my mouth, swallowing down a sob. "Chloe… I'm not okay."
Immediately, her voice sharpened. "What happened? Where are you?"
I looked around the penthouse like it might betray me. "I'm at Liam's." My whisper was frantic, uneven. "And I don't know how to get out."
There was silence on the other end, then a low curse. "Out? Alicia, what the hell are you talking about? You've been… seeing him, right? What do you mean get out?"
The words tumbled out of me in a rush, like water breaking through a dam. "It's not what I thought, Chloe. He...he won't let me leave. He controls everything. And tonight….." My voice broke. "My brother called. Mom's sick. She needs me. But Liam… he refuses to let me go."
I could almost hear Chloe sit upright in bed. "Wait. Refuses? Alicia, that's insane! He can't...he can't just keep you there like a prisoner."
My throat tightened. "But he is."
"Alicia…" Her voice softened, breaking at the edges. "Tell me what he's done. How bad is it?"
I closed my eyes, images flashing: Liam's hand gripping my chin, his cold promise that I was his, the way his gaze stripped away every choice I thought I had.
"It's bad," I whispered. "He doesn't just want me, Chloe. He… owns me. At least, he thinks he does. And I don't know how to fight him. He's everywhere. His world is everywhere. I can't breathe."
Chloe's voice shook, but it carried steel underneath. "Then listen to me. We'll get you out. You don't belong to him. You're stronger than this, stronger than him. He doesn't know you like I do."
Hope flickered, fragile and small. "You think I can leave? Without him knowing?"
"Yes," she said firmly, even though I could hear the tremor she tried to hide. "But you'll have to be smart. Careful. Liam Knight isn't the type of man who forgives disobedience."
My chest tightened, fear curling around my ribs. "I know."
"Okay," Chloe continued, her words brisk now, purposeful. "Start simple. Do you know his schedule? When he leaves? Any gaps?"
I nodded even though she couldn't see me. "He's at the office during the day. But his security, his people, they're everywhere. And he has this way of knowing things. Like he can see through me."
"Then you can't try to walk out in the open," Chloe said. "You'll need a distraction. Something to pull his attention away while you slip out. I'll come to you. Text me the address. I'll figure out a way to get close."
Panic jolted through me. "No, don't. If he sees you..."
"I don't care," Chloe snapped. "I'm not letting him cage you like this. You hear me? You're not alone, Alicia."
Tears blurred my vision again. "I'm so scared, Chloe. What if he finds out? What if he….."
Her voice gentled again. "Then we'll make sure he doesn't. Just hold on. Trust me. We will make sure there is no 'what if'."
For the first time in days, my lungs filled fully. Chloe's voice was a lifeline, a thread of sanity in the madness Liam had woven around me.
I clutched the phone tighter. "Okay. I'll try."
"Good. Stay quiet. Act normal when he's around. And wait for my signal."
We stayed on the line for a few more seconds, breathing together, until I finally whispered, "Thank you."
When I hung up, the silence returned. But it wasn't quite as heavy. There was a sliver of light now, thin but real.
I lay back against the pillows, clutching the phone to my chest, and closed my eyes.
But when I opened them again, I froze.
The door to the bedroom was cracked open, just slightly.
Had it been that way before?
My pulse roared in my ears.
Was Liam listening?
Dread starting wearing me like a cloth.