MY GANGSTER CRUSH

Chapter Nine: Caught in the Dark

The mansion was silent that night, so still Ava could hear the faint ticking of the antique clock in the hallway outside her room. She sat on the edge of her bed, her heart hammering so loud she was sure it would give her away before she even moved.

Jace’s last words glowed on her phone screen. Come see me tomorrow. My place. Don’t make me wait.

Tomorrow had come, and she’d spent the entire day rehearsing excuses in her head, her nerves buzzing like live wires. Now, wrapped in the cover of darkness, she finally rose, slipping into a cardigan over her nightdress. Her bare feet padded softly across the carpet as she eased open her door.

The halls were empty. Perfect.

She tiptoed down the grand staircase, each polished step creaking faintly beneath her weight. The house felt like a cathedral, every shadow watching, every portrait on the wall glaring down at her like it knew.

Her fingers grazed the cool brass handle of the side door. Almost there. Just one more turn of the key, and she’d be free.

“Ava.”

Her body froze.

The word cracked like thunder in the silence. Her father’s voice.

Slowly, dread filling every inch of her, Ava turned. Her father stood in the shadows at the end of the corridor, his tall figure rigid, his gaze cold as stone. Her mother appeared a moment later at the top of the staircase, her silk robe trailing like a banner of authority.

“What,” her father said, his voice sharp, “are you doing?”

Her throat tightened. “I—I was…” Her mind raced for something, anything. “…just getting some fresh air. The house felt stuffy.”

His brows rose, disbelief etched into every hard line of his face. “In the middle of the night?”

“I couldn’t sleep,” Ava whispered, hating how weak her voice sounded.

Her mother descended the stairs slowly, her eyes narrowed, her tone laced with disdain. “You think we’re fools, Ava? Do you know how dangerous it is for a girl like you to wander around at this hour? What on earth were you planning?”

Ava dropped her gaze, clutching the edge of her cardigan tighter. “Nothing. I promise.”

Her father’s jaw tightened. “No more excuses. Go to your room. Now.”

The words struck like a whip. Ava’s shoulders hunched as she obeyed, the sting of humiliation burning her skin. She could feel their eyes boring into her back until she finally reached her bedroom, closing the door with trembling hands.

Once alone, her chest heaved with frustration. She pressed her palms to her eyes, fighting the tears that threatened. Everything inside her screamed. She wanted freedom, wanted Jace, wanted something that was hers.

Her phone buzzed against the sheets.

Well, Princess? Did you make it?

She typed furiously. I couldn’t. They caught me. It was humiliating.

His reply came seconds later. Told you Daddy wouldn’t let his little angel out of his sight. Don’t pout. I’ll see you tomorrow. We’ll plan something better.

She hugged the phone to her chest, a small smile tugging at her lips despite the sting of her father’s voice still echoing in her ears. Promise? she typed.

Promise. Sweet dreams, Princess. You’ll need them.

Her heart softened. For the first time that night, she felt safe again.

The next morning came with no mercy.

Ava’s routine was as rigid as the polished silverware at the breakfast table. Her nanny knocked promptly at seven, laying out a pressed uniform, combing her hair into place as if stray strands were sins. The dining room gleamed, sunlight spilling across the polished mahogany table. Her father spoke of business and politics between bites of toast, her mother’s gaze sharp enough to slice through glass. Ava nodded in all the right places, answered when spoken to, and forced down mouthfuls of food that tasted of nothing.

It was a life rehearsed, every step scripted. And yet, under the crisp collar of her blouse, her skin still tingled with the memory of Jace’s whispers.

By the time she reached school, there was no room left for softness.

The day was chaos. One test bled into another, teachers herding students from one examination hall to the next like cattle. Ava barely had time to breathe, much less think. Her head spun with essay questions and equations, ink smudging across the pages of her answer sheets.

By the end of the day, she was exhausted, her body aching from hours bent over desks. She searched the halls half-heartedly for Jace, but he was nowhere in sight. Guilt prickled her, she had promised. But exhaustion dragged her down too heavily.

When she arrived home, she collapsed onto her bed without even changing. Her eyelids drooped, her phone still clutched in her hand, unread messages glowing faintly across the screen. Sleep swallowed her whole before she could open a single one.

It was well past midnight when she stirred again, groggy, her throat dry. She reached for her phone, the sudden brightness making her squint.

Her breath caught.

Dozens of notifications lit up the screen. Missed calls. Texts. All from Jace.

Her fingers trembled as she scrolled through the endless list, her heart racing.

Something was wrong.