Then, something unexpected happened.
One night, when I had given up hope of ever escaping, my door creaked open. I tensed, expecting another round of torment.
But it wasn’t James.
It was Kate.
She stepped inside quickly, closing the door behind her. Her expression was unreadable.
“Get up,” she whispered.
I blinked. “What?”
She pulled a knife from her boot and cut the rope binding my wrists. “I’m getting you out of here.”
I hesitated, confused. “Why are you helping me?”
“Don’t ask questions. Just move.”
Still weak, I followed her out, slipping through the shadows of the massive house I had been held in. Every corner, every hallway felt like a trap. But Kate knew the way. She led me to a back door, where a car was already waiting.
As I got in, I couldn’t help but look at her.
Was this some kind of trick?
She met my gaze, her expression unreadable. “Don’t thank me,” she said, her voice cold. “Just disappear.”
After escaping, I tracked down Damon, who had somehow survived the ambush that night. He was hiding in a province with his wife, who had miraculously recovered from her illness.
I expected relief when I saw him. Instead, I felt a deep, unsettling fear.