Until You

| B E F O R E W E B E G I N | ▪ This book includes abuse, violence, r**e, drug addiction, s*x, suicide, self-harm. ▪ Hate would not be tolerated. Either it's on the author or any other reader. We're here only for entertainment, not to spread hate or hurt others. ▪ At any point, if you think you can't handle it or the author is too shitty, the doors are open to leave. But since it's not an airport, your departure shouldn't necessarily be announced. ▪︎ All the chapters are unedited, so forgive me for the errors. Also, you guys, this book is a bit extra and dramatic. Now that I reread it, everything feels like high school humour, but that's because I was quite literally in high school when I wrote this. ▪︎ Bad language is used in the book, a lot. ▪ No one, I repeat, no one is supporting r**e, abuse, drug consumption, suicide or any such thing here. It's fictional , you shouldn't ever leave that point aside. I hope you all enjoy this book. Loads of love from the author ♡ | P R O L O G U E | My heart was crashing against my ribcage, fear was clawing my throat as I slid down from my seat. It wasn't even a minute after Marcus Hale, my lawyer, frowned down at me. "Ms. Laurent, what are you doing?" "Uhh, I was just looking for cracks in the building's foundation." I whisper as he lets out a sigh. "Please get up." He pulls me up on the chair. "Ms. Laurent, please pull yourself together. This is the final moment." He says, patting my back. His words did no help. This is the final moment that didn't give me any courage, instead added more to my growing anxiety. The clicks of metal cuffs sent goosebumps across my skin, my eyes stilted on my lap avoiding any chances of meeting the sight of them. With shaky hands, I tucked a few strands of hair behind my ear for the hundredth time. I just wanted to go home. My lungs stopped the moment my senses picked up the sound of the door swooshing open. Swallowing the lump forming in my throat, I bit my lips trying to gulp in the air just like Vivi had taught me. It didn't work. Nothing did. The sound of footsteps shuffling already had me in tears, I dug my nails into my palm as the room grew quiet. My eyes pricked with tears as I forced them to focus down on my lap. This is the final moment, Evie! "I need you to calm down, Ms. Laurent. You're ripping off the material of your dress," Marcus mutters, tapping his fingers on the wooden table. If only it was that easy to be done as it was said, if only... I gulped loudly. Once. Twice. Thrice. "I can't do this," I whispered, breathing loudly. "Ms. Laurent—" I slid down from my seat, hiding under the table from their evil gazes. My breath came in short pants as I rocked myself back and forth. Marcus crawled under the table beside me, his face full of sadness and frustration. "Please. Please, just let me go. I don't want this. They're going to hurt me... Again." I cry, pulling my hair. "You have to be strong, Ms Laurent. Don't you want justice?" He mumbles gently. "I wanna go home. I wanna go home." I chant, but he shakes his head, pulling me up from the floor. "You have to be brave, not for yourself, but for the Evie they hurt. I promise you, this is the last time you're sitting here. It's the final hearing and if you lose courage now, you'll never be able to forgive yourself for this." Marcus growls. "I can't," I whisper, feeling the weak side of me taking over. "You can. You can, Ms Laurent." He nods, holding my shaky hand in his. "All rise." Marcus gripped my arm, pulling me out of my seat as the judge entered the room. There was a lot of people shuffling around to greet the judge. I gripped Marcus' hand tightly, supporting my jello legs. He kept stroking my knuckles with his thumb, and it wasn't soothing, but I liked it there. "Be seated." I threw myself into my seat, it felt as if my head was burning down. The mental walls I had built were crumbling with each passing second. "This is it." Marcus whispers. I watched Marcus with blurry eyes as he stood, walking toward the centre of the courtroom and handing a thick file to the clerk seated beside the judge. He returned to his place without looking at me. The judge adjusted the papers in front of him before looking over the courtroom. "The court has reviewed the testimony provided by Ms Laurent, the medical evidence collected following her recovery, the statements of the defendants, witness accounts, and the evidence obtained by law enforcement." "The evidence establishes that on the fifth of October, Ms Laurent was abducted from the Laurent residence by Jacob and Alexander, alongside several unidentified accomplices." My nails dug into my palm as I struggled to breathe. I remembered the night. My screaming. Their hands. The blindfold. The feeling of being dragged away from everything I knew. "The defendants entered the residence with the intention of abducting Ms Laurent following a fight involving her fiancé, Mr Adrian." My stomach twisted at the mention of his name. "The prosecution has established that this was not an isolated act of violence. Ms Laurent was transported against her will and held captive for six days. During that period, Ms Laurent was subjected to repeated s****l assault and severe physical violence. Medical examinations conducted after her recovery documented multiple injuries consistent with prolonged physical assault. The court has also reviewed evidence demonstrating that the defendants acted with deliberate intent to cause serious physical and psychological harm." I could hear my heartbeat louder than the judge's voice. I couldn't feel my hands and feet anymore. "The prosecution has further established that Ms Laurent was transported to a remote location following the assaults. She was discovered six days later, restrained inside a vehicle in a forested area. The evidence also establishes that while Jacob and Alexander were apprehended at the scene, the remaining individuals involved in the attack have not yet been located." The judge paused, and for the first time, his expression softened. "Ms Laurent survived circumstances no person should ever have been subjected to." I didn't want his sympathy. I wanted to forget, I wanted my life back, my fiancé and my dignity back. "The charges before this court are abduction, s****l assault, human trafficking, and accessory to murder. After reviewing the evidence and considering the testimony presented during these proceedings, this court finds both defendants, Sean and Ian, guilty on all charges. Given the severity of the offences, the deliberate nature of the attack, the prolonged period of captivity, and the physical and psychological harm inflicted upon the victim, this court sentences Sean and Ian to fourteen years' imprisonment." Bang. The sound of the gavel echoed through the courtroom. And somehow, after everything that had happened, that tiny sound felt like the loudest thing I'd ever heard. "No, please! Please, don't do this to me!" Alexander screamed, dropping to his knees. I stared at him through the blur of my tears. He looked pathetic, but I didn't feel an ounce of emotion towards his begging. He was the second man who lined up to r**e me, after Jacob. Jacob remained standing beside him, his face hard, and his stone eyes fixed on me. There was no regret in his eyes, only rage. "Finally, it's over," Marcus whispered beside me. I looked at him, and he gave me the smallest smile. "Well done, kiddo." I wanted to believe him. But somewhere deep inside me, I knew. It wasn't over. It had only just begun.