In love with the billionaire

Finding a way out

CHAPTER 1

After six years of being his prisoner, caged in the house and being treated as his s*x dog and punching bag, she knew if she stopped running, she might never come out of the mansion alive. Thorns that were littered across the bush had pierced her bare sole, drawing out blood even from her toes, but she couldn't stop running. She just couldn't.

As she kept up with the speed, the moon wasn't bright enough to warn her of a log of wood that was just before her. She stepped on the wood, twisting her ankle, which made her fall to the ground.

“Ow!” she cried loudly, holding her ankle with both hands. She felt a burning sensation around her feet, but she bit her lip to stiffen her voice. She didn't want to be caught.

“Have you seen her, Marco?” a voice thundered not too far from where she was.

She gasped slowly and crawled to the back of a large tree.

“No– no, sir. I'm still… looking, but I think she has run out of the villa," Marco responded, fear making him stammer.

The tall man who’d spoken earlier walked over to Marco, overshadowing him. “If you don't find Sylvia before dawn, your mother's head will be the first gift I'll ever give you."

Marco widened his eyes and rushed to the ground. “Sir, please. I'll find her, I'll find her. No matter what it takes, don't kill my mother, please."

“Then begin already! You will find her alone, and bring her back before sunset. If you don't see her, don't bother coming back."he warned, with anger swirling in his eyes. He turned, walking into the darkness.

The rest of the men; most holding torches and two holding dogs, scowled at Marco before trailing behind their boss.

Marco was in charge of watching over his boss' wife this night, but because she’d never made an attempt to escape for the past six years, he slept off lazily, allowing her to find her escape route.

“Ah!” he raged in annoyance, running his fingers through his short brown hair. “Now where is that disgusting b***h?”

Sylvia held on desperately to the tree’s bark, and crawled to the opposite direction of where Marco was without making a sound. She bit her lower lip till the point she began to taste blood. She began to wonder how she will get to the train station with her sprained ankle; the villa was situated far from the town.

Stopping meant certain death. It was still dark, but she couldn't mind that now. She stood up and began walking.

An hour had passed, and not even the shuffling of the dead leaves had been a sign of Marco. He would have lost her trail and stopped searching. Her forehead had begun to burn. Her ankle only added to the pain and exhaustion every point in her body felt. She stopped heaving heavy breaths before she slumped on the floor, leaning on the back of a tree.

Marco had followed her through the blood stains on the dead leaves and found her, being the weak woman she has always been. He took careful steps, raising one leg after the other when he cracked a branch under his feet. Sylvia immediately jerked up, with her eyes filled with shock.

“You are not planning to make me chase after you again, are you?” he said pointing a gun at her.

She faltered at the sight of his aim, decidedly taking some steps back, “There's nothing you will do that will make me go back to that prison!” She spat.

Malice evidently rose in his eyes. “I'm taking you back, whether your p***y wants it or not!” He said, tightening his grip on the gun.

“And I said I'm not going back! Tell your boss I'm no longer his slave!” She grabbed a broken stick, walking steadily backward.

His eyes darted to the stick and he scoffed. “You have suddenly grown some wings. How come I never saw this side of you?” he questioned, taking one step closer to her.

She moved back instinctively. “Stay back,” she warned.

“Make me, princess.” he jeered, taking another step towards her.

“I said stay back!” screaming in anger.

He smirked, tucking his gun in his belt. “And if I don't, dear tigress, what will you do?”

“I will stab you, Marco. And I'm not joking.” Her eyes glistened with tears, and even though she was consumed by fear, she didn't let it show.

Marco saw her glassy eyes and took one more step towards her with a broad smile plastered on his round face. “Let me see you try.”

Marco tried to grab her right arm, which she readied herself for. Her left arm took the stick and stabbed his shoulder with a speed she didn't know she had.

“Ahhh!" He screamed, writhing in pain on the floor. "You b***h! You will regret this!” he raged after her, watching her break into a run.

This time, she didn't stop even though she had no ounce of strength left in her. It was as if her legs had a mind of their own. She kept running without looking back until she reached the road leading into the next town. Her gown had several holes in it, and her legs had plenty of scars drawn from her toes to underneath her feet. Her long black hair had the shape of a bird's nest, some plastered on her forehead due to dried sweat.

She took two more steps before she let out a loud sigh and slumped on the hard-tarred road, blackness covering her sight totally.

Some minutes later, a black jeep rode past her before halting just a few steps from her.

“Why are we stopping, Andrew?” a deep tenor voice asked from the back seat.

“Boss, there's a woman lying down on the–”

“I know. I saw her. Is that why we are stopping, Andrew?” he questioned, all emotions absent from his face.

Andrew gulped, “I think she needs help, boss. We can help her.”

He dropped his phone beside him. “Why do you think that? You don't know if it's all a ploy to get my attention.”

Andrew bit his lips to stiffen his laugh; his boss always thinks everything is about him. “Boss, let's just help her. I think she needs to go to the hospital quickly.”

He sighed inwardly. “If I didn't know you any better, I would have thought you were quite taken by that woman.”

Andrew took that as a yes and opened the door, walking briskly to help the woman. But his boss was faster. The Boss’ eyes immediately grew into concern as he saw the state of this woman. His eyes darted to her feet that had started to bleed.

Andrew was equally worried. “Is she still alive?”

“Yes, yes she is. She is a fighter.” he said, relieved as he carried her in his arms easily, as if she weighed nothing.

After the black jeep sped off, Marco appeared from behind a tree. He slid his hand inside his pocket and dialled a number.

“Boss…I'm sorry but someone hurriedly took her away before I could do anything.” Marco whimpered, wiping sweat from his forehead.

“What?” his boss thundered over the phone. “Did you see the i***t that took her?”

Marco gulped and said, “Boss, It was… it was Leonardo Duncan”.

And his boss remained silent on the call.