The Broken Sanctuary
788 Words
ALISA'S POV
I spent two days hiding in Mabel’s apartment, jumping at every little noise. Every floorboard creak felt like a footstep. Mabel was amazing; she took time off work just to sit with me. She didn’t push me for answers. She just kept me fed and made sure the scratches from my jump were healing.
But this morning, over breakfast, the silence finally broke.
"Tristan was offering me a ride again," I started, staring at my plate.
"Well, that’s not exactly news," Mabel said, taking a bite of her bagel. "He’s been chasing you forever."
"I know... but this time, I actually wanted to say yes."
Mabel stopped chewing, her mouth full. "Why? I thought you said he had a girlfriend."
"I don't even know what I was thinking," I sighed. "It didn't mean anything. It was just... a moment."
Mabel swallowed and looked at me seriously. "So, how did you find out it was Max who fired the shot?"
My heart squeezed. "I saw him. I held him with my own two hands, Mabel. He was wearing a mask, but I managed to pull it off. The sight of him... it physically shattered me."
"Do you know where he is now?" she asked softly.
"I have no idea. All I know is that I think he’s working for that psychopath who held me captive."
"That’s Caden, right?"
"Yes," I whispered. "That’s him."
Mabel leaned in, her eyes curious. "If I may ask... how did you guys end up locking lips? The news is calling you his secret lover."
"I don't know, Bels! He was trying to hide from people. There were other men there, and they were armed. I was shocked and speechless. He just told me we were both going to die if I messed up."
"Well, thank goodness you kissed the psychopath then," she muttered before taking another bite of her bagel.
"Honestly, I’m starting to think dying would have been better than all this chaos," I said, leaning my head in my hands.
"Don't say that, Lisa," Mabel snapped, reaching across the table to grab my hand. "Everything is going to be alright. We just need to be careful. We can't make any more decisions that put us in a bigger mess."
We spent the afternoon on her laptop, digging for information. Tristan wasn't just a rich playboy; he was the heir to the Geraldine Empire. And Caden? Caden was a titan. He owned half the city, and from the way he looked at me, he clearly felt like he owned me, too.
"He’s dangerous, Lisa," Mabel whispered, staring at Caden’s cold, handsome face on the screen. "You can't stay here forever. He'll find this place."
"I know," I said, a heavy weight settling in my chest. "But for now, I just need to breathe."
By evening, Mabel had to head back for her shift at the hospital. She tucked me into bed like I was a child and promised to bring back some pizza later. I couldn't sleep, though. My mind was a storm of what-ifs. To clear my head, I went to the kitchen to start dinner for her.She didn't like junk foods and I knew she was only getting pizza because of me. She promised she would be back by 11. It was the least I could do after everything.
I was chopping vegetables when the doorbell rang.
I smiled, thinking she’d forgotten her badge or her keys again. I wiped my hands on a towel and headed for the door. But halfway there, I stopped.
Something felt wrong. The air in the hallway felt heavy and cold.
"Mabel? Is that you?" I called out. My hand hovered over the lock, trembling.
"Yes... it's me," Mabel’s voice came through the wood.
It sounded thin. Strained. Like she was struggling to breathe during a panic attack.
"Mabel? Are you okay? Answer me!"
There was no answer for a long, terrifying second. My heart started to hammer against my ribs so hard it hurt.
"Open the f*****g door," a deep, familiar voice growled from the other side.
My blood turned to ice. Caden. He had found me.
I backed away, my eyes searching the kitchen for a weapon—a knife, a heavy lamp, anything. I was about to bolt for the back stairs. Maybe Mabel had a more dangerous weapon in her bedroom when a deafening CRACK echoed through the door.
A gunshot.
"NO!" I screamed.
I didn't think about my own safety anymore. I didn't think about the possibilities or the scandal. All I could see was Mabel bleeding on the other side of that door because of my mistakes.
I lunged forward and swung the door open.
"MABEL!”
- Writer
