(continued from last chapter)
Isabella's POV
As night fell, the final, most crucial piece remained: getting out of the mansion itself unseen. The main doors were guarded. The windows on the ground floor were all wired. I knew there had to be another way. A servant’s entrance. An old delivery route. There was only one person I could ask.
I found Elena in the kitchen, polishing silver. The room was warm and smelled of garlic and herbs, a painful contrast to the cold fear in my gut.
“I need to ask you for something,” I said, my voice low and urgent. “And you have to swear you will never, ever tell a soul.”
She looked up, her playful smile fading when she saw my face. “Isabella? What is it? You look pale.”
I grabbed her hand, pulling her into the pantry, away from any potential ears. “T
