Chapter4
1035 Words
THE ESCAPE PLAN
The moment Mason left her alone in the dining room, Valerie's mind raced.
She needed to escape. Now.
Her first attempt had been reckless, fueled by desperation. But this time, she would be smart.
No mistakes. No miscalculations.
She followed the maid who escorted her back to her room, careful to observe every detail. The way the doors were locked, the shifts of the guards outside, the quiet moments when the house grew still.
If she was going to get out, she needed to know this place like the back of her hand.
The next morning, she was woken by a sharp knock.
"Get dressed," a voice commanded from behind the door.
Not a maid.
Not a guard.
Him.
Valerie's pulse spiked, but she schooled her expression as she slid out of bed.
She took her time dressing—choosing the simplest black dress from the closet.
Something practical. Something she could move in.
By the time she opened the door, Mason stood waiting, impeccably dressed in another black suit.
His gaze swept over her, slow and deliberate.
"You're learning," he murmured.
She crossed her arms. "What do you want?"
His lips curved, like a predator amused by its prey.
"Breakfast."
She frowned. "I already ate last night."
"That wasn’t a request darling”.
Before she could protest, he turned and walked away, expecting her to follow.
And that infuriated her more than anything. The energy he gave off was too much.
Glancing forward, she immediately followed him.
The breakfast table was set in the same grand dining hall.
Only this time, she noticed that they weren’t alone.
Several men sat around the table—Mason’s men.
Dangerous, powerful figures in the underworld.
Valerie instantly recognized Luca Chain, Adrian’s right hand—sharp eyes, wicked smirk, and a reputation for being ruthless.
Next to him sat Nicolas Grant, a man with scars that held quite a thousand stories.
All of them watched her as Mason pulled out a chair at the head of the table.
And motioned for her to sit beside him.
Valerie hesitated.
One heartbeat.
Two.
Then she moved, refusing to let them see her fear.
As soon as she sat, Luca leaned forward with a grin. "I have to admit, boss, I never thought I’d see the day you took a bride."
Bride.
Valerie stiffened.
She turned to Mason, her voice sharp. "That is not what this is."
Luca smirked. "Then what exactly would you call it, princess?"
She clenched her jaw.
Mason n didn’t correct him. He didn’t even try to deny it.
Instead, he simply watched her, his full attention on her.
Waiting to see how she would react.
It was a game.
A game of control.
And she refused to let him win.
So she met Luca’s gaze, lifted her chin, and said, "I would call it temporary."
The silence that followed was sharp. Everyone paused, looking at Mason, then back at their food.
Luca whistled under his breath, leaning back. "I like her."
Mason, however?
He didn’t move.Didn’t blink.
But when he finally spoke, his voice was low, cold, and final.
"You’re not temporary, Valerie."
Her stomach twisted.Because the way he said it?
It wasn’t a threat.It was a promise. And she definitely did not like the sound of that.
That night, Valerie lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling.
Her hands curled into fists. Thinking and thinking.
She had to get out.
Her gaze flickered to the window—her only possible escape route.
She had spent the last day memorizing the guards' movements, their patrols, their blind spots.
And she had noticed something.
A weakness.
Every night, there was a five-minute gap between the guard shift changes.
Five minutes where no one was watching.Five minutes to disappear.
It wasn’t much.
But it was enough.
Her heart pounded as she slid out of bed, moving carefully toward the window.
She pressed her palms against the glass.Locked.
But not unbreakable.
She grabbed one of the metal candle holders from the nightstand, took a deep breath—
And swung.
The glass shattered.
The sound was deafening in the silence of the night.
For a split second, she froze.
Then—she climbed onto the ledge.
The wind howled around her as she looked down.
It wasn’t a long drop.
She could make it.
Freedom was right there.
She took a deep breath—and jumped.
The impact stung, but she didn’t stop moving.
Barefoot, heart racing, she sprinted toward the treeline, her breath ragged.
Her pulse thundered.
The estate was massive, surrounded by high walls and thick woods, but if she could just make it past the perimeter—
A single gunshot rang through the night.
Valerie froze.
A heartbeat later, a shadow emerged from the darkness.
Cold fear clawed at her chest.
Mason.
His gun was pointed at the ground, but his expression was lethal.
And behind him?
His men.
They had been waiting.
Her breath hitched.
"You—" she whispered. "You knew I would run."
Mason exhaled a slow chuckle. "Of course I did darling”.
Her stomach twisted.
She had thought she was watching them.
But the truth was—they had been watching her.
Mason took a slow step forward, closing the distance between them.
"You’re so predictable darling" he murmured, with a soft voice. Dangerous. "Did you really think I wouldn’t prepare for this?"
Her hands shook.
She had played right into his hands.
Mason stopped just inches from her, his eyes burning.
Then, without warning—he grabbed her wrist tightly.
She gasped, struggling, but he was too strong.
"Let me go," she hissed in pain.
He exhaled slowly, as if bored by her resistance.
Then, his other hand slid under her jaw, tilting her face up to his.
"You don’t listen," he murmured, brushing his thumb over her bottom lip.
Her pulse spiked.
"And I don’t like repeating myself."
Then, before she could react—
He lifted her into his arms.
A breathless gasp escaped her lips.But Mason didn’t speak.
Didn’
t explain.He simply carried her back inside.
As if she had never even had a chance.
As if she had been his all along.
- Writer
