Chapter Three: The First Escape Attempt

Sienna had spent the past two days trapped inside Luca Moretti’s mansion, studying every detail, every movement, every possible way out.

She had learned that the guards rotated shifts every few hours, their numbers decreasing slightly at night. She had counted at least six armed men patrolling the halls outside her room. The windows were barred, and the only doors leading out of the mansion were heavily secured.

But she also noticed something important.

The guards were human. They got distracted. They had routines. And routines could be exploited.

Sienna refused to be his captive. She would escape—even if it was the last thing she did.

The plan was simple.

If she couldn’t break out, she would lure someone in.

By late afternoon, she sat curled up in the corner of her room, clutching her stomach, letting out soft, pained groans. She had skipped every meal since her capture, so when she refused the tray of food again, the guards outside exchanged glances.

“She hasn’t eaten in two days,” one of them muttered.

“She’s being stubborn. She’ll eat when she’s hungry enough.”

“What if she passes out? He won’t like that.”

Silence.

Then footsteps.

The lock clicked, and the door creaked open.

Sienna didn’t move. She curled tighter into herself, her breathing shallow.

A guard stepped inside, cautious but concerned. He was younger than the others, maybe in his late twenties, and not as hardened.

“Miss Carter?” he called.

She didn’t answer.

He took another step forward. “We can call the doctor if—”

She moved fast.

Using every ounce of strength, she grabbed the glass of water from the nightstand and smashed it against the side of his head. He staggered back, cursing in pain, and she lunged at him, snatching the gun from his holster before he could recover.

He reached for her, but she drove her knee into his stomach, sending him crashing to the floor.

Her hands trembled as she gripped the weapon.

Move, Sienna. Move.

She bolted.

Racing down the hallway, she darted around the corner before the other guards realized what was happening. Shouts erupted behind her, heavy boots pounding against the floor as they chased after her.

Sienna didn’t stop. She had studied the layout of the house in her limited time—there was a back entrance near the kitchen. If she could make it there—

She turned sharply, nearly slipping on the marble floors as she sprinted through a dimly lit corridor. A door at the end of the hall.

Freedom.

She shoved it open and stumbled outside into the cold night air. The scent of rain and pine hit her as she ran across the stone pathway leading to the garden. The towering iron gates loomed ahead, her only barrier between captivity and freedom.

She could hear the guards closing in, their shouts growing louder.

Panic clawed at her chest, but she didn’t slow.

Her fingers grazed the cold metal of the gate as she reached for the latch—

An iron grip closed around her wrist.

She barely had time to gasp before she was yanked back, her body colliding against something solid and unyielding.

Luca.

His hold was like steel, his fingers digging into her skin as he spun her around.

His face was unreadable, but his eyes—those dark, unforgiving eyes—burned with something cold and lethal.

Sienna struggled against him, desperation twisting inside her. “Let me go!” she screamed, thrashing wildly. “I won’t stay here!”

Luca didn’t flinch. He barely reacted.

And that terrified her more than if he had exploded in rage.

With terrifying ease, he lifted her off her feet and threw her over his shoulder.

“No—NO!” She pounded her fists against his back, kicking her legs, but he didn’t even stumble.

The guards stood in silent tension as Luca carried her back into the house, through the halls, past the very room she had tried to escape from.

He didn’t stop until they reached his study.

The door shut behind them with a soft click.

Sienna was breathing hard, her heart slamming against her ribs as he set her down. She backed away instantly, but there was nowhere to go.

Luca leaned against his desk, arms crossed, watching her with that same calm, unwavering expression.

“You’re lucky,” he said quietly.

She blinked. “Lucky?”

His voice remained steady, devoid of emotion. “If someone else had caught you, you wouldn’t be standing right now.”

A shiver ran down her spine.

She knew he wasn’t lying.

Sienna clenched her fists. “You can’t keep me here. You can’t do this.”

Luca tilted his head, his gaze never leaving hers. “But I already have.”

Her stomach twisted violently.

He took a step forward, and she pressed her back against the wall. He didn’t touch her—he didn’t have to. His mere presence swallowed the air in the room, making it impossible to breathe.

“You’ll never succeed,” he murmured, his voice softer now, almost gentle. “Run as many times as you want. I will always bring you back.”

Something about the certainty in his voice sent ice through her veins.

She hated him.

She hated the way he spoke, as if her fate was already sealed.

She hated the way he looked at her, as if she belonged to him.

She hated the part of her that believed him.

Luca exhaled slowly before turning away, his movements controlled, deliberate. “Rest,” he ordered, heading toward the door.

Sienna swallowed hard. “And if I don’t?”

He paused, glancing over his shoulder.

“I don’t think you want to test that.”

With that, he left.

This time, he locked the door.