The alarm clock blared its usual shrill tone at 5:00 AM, slicing through the darkness of my room like a knife.
Usually, this sound triggered a panic response. It meant I had fifteen minutes to shower, dress, and run to the bakery to start the dough for the morning rush. It meant another day of servitude to Thomas Vale, working off a debt that he never intended to let me repay. It was a normal routine I had grown accustomed to.
But today, I didn't flinch.
I stared at the glowing red numbers in the dark.
Five hours.
That was all I had left. Five hours until the black limousine arrived at 10:00 AM. Five hours until I was free.
I reached over and slapped the off button, silencing the noise.
"Not today," I whispered into the pillow, a small, victorious smile touching my lips.
I rolled o
