Trapped as a Bird

Chapter 4

"Don't struggle!"

I held Vanessa's head under the water in the bathtub and didn't let her up until she was close to her limit.

Vanessa collapsed onto the tile floor, coughing hard. Her long, soaked hair clung to her face, and she looked like a complete mess.

She glared up at me with red-rimmed eyes. "Claire, are you messing with me?"

I crouched beside her and wiped the water from her face with a towel.

"What are you talking about?" I smiled. "Adrian has a kink. He doesn't like doing it in bed. He likes doing it in the water."

Vanessa froze.

"Next, we're going to the pool."

I loosely tied her wrists and ankles with a length of soft rope.

"What is this supposed to mean?" she asked, staring warily at the knots.

"Adrian likes restraints. They're a regular part of the routine. Get used to not being able to move your hands and feet now, so you won't panic later."

I pushed her into the shallow end and let her get used to the water lapping at her neck.

Then I pressed down on her shoulder, slowly forcing her deeper.

The water rose past her collarbones, then her chin, her lips, and finally her nose.

She stared at me from underwater. The eyes that now looked exactly like mine were wide with panic.

Bubbles streamed from the corner of her mouth as she began to struggle instinctively, the soft rope biting into her wrist and leaving a red mark.

I held her down for 15 seconds, then let go.

I repeated the exercise again and again, holding her under a little longer each time.

Eventually, I let her sink all the way to the bottom of the pool before pulling her back up.

This was only the beginning of my revenge for the life she'd taken from me.

After keeping this up for 2 weeks, I finally handed her the profile I'd put together.

"Starting today, memorize the profile of every person in these files."

For each test, I would show her a photograph. She had 5 seconds to identify the person and 1 minute to explain which topics or behaviors were off-limits around them.

Within 10 days, I told Vanessa everything I knew about those people and every past interaction I'd had with them.

The only thing I kept from her was how cold-blooded and violent Adrian really was beneath that gentle, wealthy facade, and just how dangerous he could be.

There was a charity gala the next day, and most of the wives in our social circle would be there.

That gala would tell me whether all that hellish training had paid off.

I removed the diamond ring from my ring finger and slipped it onto Vanessa's hand.

"How this turns out depends on you."

It had to work. There was no room for failure.

Then came the most important step. I handed over access to all my social media accounts, along with all my contact information.

Vanessa went to the gala. I returned to Hartley House and finally got my mother's ashes back.

By the time the gala was halfway over, I knew the transformation was complete. To everyone else, Vanessa was Claire.

Now that I had a brand-new identity of my own, I could finally leave.

It had taken me two lifetimes, but I was finally about to be free.

It felt like a dream, and I was terrified I'd wake up and find out it really was one.

It didn't begin to feel real until I reached the airport.

But just as I was about to board, I heard a familiar voice behind me.

"Claire!"

I went rigid.