Chapter6:A World Without Chains
389 Words
The cold night air bit at Mia’s skin as she stepped out onto the dimly lit sidewalk. The towering city buildings stretched endlessly above her, their glowing windows a stark contrast to the emptiness in her chest.
She walked quickly, suitcase rolling behind her, her mind racing. She had no cash, no cards, no backup plan. Adrian had made sure of that.
Her phone buzzed in her hand.
Liam: Mia? Please tell me you’re okay.
She hesitated. Admitting she needed help meant facing everything she’d buried—Liam, the past, the pain. But what choice did she have?
Before she could respond, a sleek black car slowed beside her, its tinted windows rolling down.
“Mia,” a familiar voice drawled.
Her stomach twisted as she turned to see Adrian’s driver, Marco, watching her with an unreadable expression.
“Boss wants you back.”
Mia’s grip on the suitcase tightened. Of course, Adrian wouldn’t just let her leave.
She forced herself to stay calm. “Tell him I said no.”
Marco’s lips twitched in something almost like pity. “Come on, Mia. Don’t make this harder than it has to be.”
A sharp panic shot through her, but she swallowed it down. Think.
“I’m not going back,” she said firmly, stepping away.
Marco sighed, rubbing his temple. “Look, I don’t want trouble—”
Mia turned and ran.
The suitcase slowed her down, so she let it go, sprinting down the street. Her pulse pounded as she ducked into an alleyway, weaving between trash bins and fire escapes.
Footsteps followed.
She didn’t dare look back.
Her heart slammed against her ribs as she turned another corner, spotting an open diner at the end of the street. Without thinking, she pushed through the door, nearly crashing into a waitress.
“Whoa, you okay?” the woman asked.
Mia glanced over her shoulder. Marco was nowhere in sight.
For now.
She forced a breath. “Yeah. Just… needed to get inside.”
The waitress nodded toward the counter. “Take a seat, honey. You look like you need it.”
Mia slid onto a stool, her hands shaking slightly.
She had escaped—for now. But how long before Adrian found her again?
Her phone buzzed.
This time, she didn’t hesitate.
Mia: Liam… I need help.
- Writer
