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Shattered Silence

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Chapter 12 – The Illusion of Freedom

The key sat there, taunting me.

Small. Harmless. Just a sliver of metal.

But it felt heavier than anything I’d ever held before.

My heart pounded as I stared at it, my mind racing.

Alexander had left it there on purpose. He wanted me to take it. He wanted me to try.

But why?

It was a game.

It had to be a game.

I swallowed hard, my hands trembling as I reached for it. The cool metal sent a shiver through my fingertips, as if even it knew I didn’t belong here.

I closed my fist around it.

My entire body was shaking, but I forced myself to breathe.

This was it.

This was my chance.

I moved quietly, my bare feet making no sound against the cold floor. My heart slammed against my ribs with every step.

One wrong move and it was over.

I reached the door, pressing my ear against it. Silence.

I slipped the key into the lock, my breath catching as I twisted it.

Click.

The sound was deafening.

I waited.

One second.

Two.

Nothing.

He wasn’t there.

He wasn’t watching.

I could do this.

A surge of adrenaline shot through me as I turned the knob, slowly, carefully. The door creaked open, revealing a dimly lit hallway.

My pulse quickened.

I stepped out, my body tense, expecting to hear his voice at any moment.

Nothing.

I forced myself forward, one step at a time, my fingers gripping the key so tightly it pressed into my skin.

The hallway stretched ahead of me, lined with heavy doors, the walls painted in muted grays. The house was massive, eerily quiet.

Too quiet.

Something was wrong.

But I couldn’t stop now.

I needed to move.

I reached the end of the hallway, my breath coming in short, shallow gasps. A staircase curved downward, disappearing into darkness.

Freedom was down there.

I just had to get to it.

I gripped the railing, my feet moving faster now.

Step.

Step—

"Going somewhere?"

The voice was like ice down my spine.

I froze.

My breath caught, my hands gripping the railing so tightly I thought my fingers might snap.

Slowly, I turned.

Alexander stood at the top of the stairs.

Watching me.

Waiting.

A slow, knowing smirk curled on his lips.

My blood ran cold.

"You really thought I’d make it that easy for you?" His voice was calm, but there was something dark beneath it. Something dangerous.

My mouth went dry.

I couldn’t speak.

I couldn’t move.

He started down the stairs, each step deliberate. Slow. Like a predator cornering his prey.

I had to run.

I had to move.

I spun, taking the stairs two at a time, nearly tripping in my panic.

I had no plan.

No idea where to go.

Just away.

I reached the bottom, darting toward the only door I saw. My fingers fumbled with the handle—

Locked.

A choked sob escaped my lips.

No.

No, no, no.

I whirled around just as Alexander reached the bottom of the stairs, his dark eyes locked onto mine.

"You never learn," he murmured.

I pressed myself against the door, my chest heaving.

His gaze dropped to my hand.

The key.

He smirked. "Cute."

I felt sick.

"You left it there on purpose," I whispered.

His head tilted slightly, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Of course I did."

A bitter laugh bubbled in my throat. "You wanted me to try and escape."

Alexander took another step forward, closing the distance between us. "You needed a reminder, Evelyn."

I clenched my jaw, refusing to let him see how much I was shaking. "A reminder of what?"

His fingers brushed my cheek, deceptively gentle.

"That you belong to me."

I slapped his hand away, my breathing ragged. "I will never belong to you."

His smirk faded.

For the first time, something shifted in his expression.

His fingers curled around my chin, forcing me to look at him.

"You say that now," he murmured. "But we both know the truth."

I glared at him. "And what truth is that?"

His grip tightened.

"That no matter how hard you fight me," he said, his voice a whisper against my skin, "you’ll never escape me."

Tears burned my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

I refused to let him win.

But deep down, a horrifying thought crept into my mind.

What if he was right?

What if I was already too far gone?

What if there was no escape at all?

----

Silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating.

His fingers, still gripping my chin, burned against my skin. Not from heat—but from the sheer dominance of his touch. It was a silent message. A warning.

I tried to shake him off, but his hold only tightened.

“You can lie to yourself all you want, Evelyn,” Alexander said, voice low, almost amused. “But you and I both know how this ends.”

I hated that confidence in his voice. That unshakable certainty, as if he already knew I’d break.

I wouldn’t.

I couldn’t.

Gritting my teeth, I raised my hand and slapped him. Hard.

The sound echoed through the empty hallway.

For a second, he didn’t move. Didn’t speak.

His head was tilted slightly to the side, jaw tightening.

Then—he laughed.

Low. Dark.

I shuddered.

“Fiery as ever,” he murmured, turning back to me, his smirk slow and deliberate. “That’s what I like about you.”

I swallowed hard.

No.

No, no, no.

I refused to let him twist this into something he controlled.

"Let me go," I said, my voice shaking despite my best efforts to sound strong.

His eyes darkened. "Ask me again."

I clenched my jaw. "Let. Me. Go."

A long pause. Then, he leaned in, so close his breath fanned against my skin. "No."

I shoved him, but he didn’t budge. He was like a wall—cold, immovable, unyielding.

His fingers traced down my arm, slow, deliberate. A shiver ran through me, but I refused to show weakness.

“You keep fighting,” he murmured. “But deep down, you know there’s no way out.”

I did the only thing I could do.

I kicked him.

Hard.

He stumbled back, a curse slipping past his lips. His face twisted with something dangerous, something furious.

I ran.

I barely had time to think. My feet pounded against the marble floor, my pulse roaring in my ears. I didn’t care where I was going. I just needed to get away.

But I didn’t make it far.

A hand grabbed me, yanking me back so hard I nearly fell.

Before I could scream, before I could fight—

I was pinned against the wall.

Trapped.

Alexander’s body pressed against mine, his hand wrapping around my wrist, pinning it above my head. His other hand grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him.

His breathing was ragged. So was mine.

“You’re testing my patience, Evelyn.” His voice was sharp, but beneath it—something else. Something dangerous.

I struggled, but he didn’t budge.

His grip wasn’t painful. But it was unbreakable.

"You're a coward," I spat. "You know that? A pathetic, controlling bastard who enjoys playing these sick games—"

My words cut off as his hand slid up my throat—not squeezing, not hurting. Just there.

A reminder.

A warning.

I sucked in a breath, my heart slamming against my ribs.

“Careful,” he murmured, his thumb brushing against my pulse. “You might not like what happens when I lose control.”

Something flickered in his eyes.

Something new.