CHAPTER 3
945 Words
The Escape Plan
Lucy pressed her ear against the heavy wooden door, her pulse thrumming in her ears. Silence. No footsteps, no voices just the oppressive weight of the mansion pressing down on her.
She was still locked inside.
It had been nearly twenty-four hours since Ray had dumped her in this room like an unwanted possession. He hadn’t returned. No food, no water just isolation.
She should have been terrified. Maybe a part of her was.
But another part?
It was angry.
Lucy refused to be trapped here like a caged bird. She needed to find a way out. And tonight, she would.
No matter what it cost her.
The House of Shadows
The moment the door unlocked, Lucy was ready.
A maid entered, carrying a tray of food. The woman was young, her face unreadable as she placed the tray on the small table by the bed. She didn’t meet Lucy’s gaze.
This was her chance.
Lucy moved fast. She grabbed the silver fork from the tray, and before the maid could react, she pressed it to the woman’s throat.
“Don’t scream,” Lucy whispered, her hand trembling slightly. “Just give me the key.”
The maid’s eyes widened in shock. “You—”
“I don’t want to hurt you.” Lucy tightened her grip. “I just want to leave.”
The woman hesitated, then—slowly—lifted a trembling hand and pulled a small key from her pocket.
Lucy snatched it, stepping back. “Thank you.”
She moved toward the door, but the maid’s voice stopped her cold.
“Even if you run, he’ll find you.”
Lucy’s breath hitched.
The maid finally met her eyes, something haunted in her expression. “He always does.”
A shiver ran down Lucy’s spine. But she didn’t stop.
She couldn’t.
The Chase Begins
Lucy moved through the dimly lit hallways, her bare feet silent against the cold marble floor.
The mansion was enormous too big. A maze of corridors and locked doors.
She tried to push down the panic rising in her chest. She had to stay calm. Think. Find an exit.
But then a voice.
Low. Dangerous.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Lucy froze.
Ray.
Her stomach dropped as she turned.
He stood at the end of the hall, dressed in black, his blue eyes like ice under the dim lighting.
He wasn’t angry.
He was amused.
Like a predator watching his prey struggle before the kill.
“I” Lucy’s mind raced. “I was just”
“Running?” He took a slow step forward. “Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”
Her pulse thundered.
Ray sighed, as if disappointed. “I thought you were smarter than this, Lucy.”
Then, before she could blink he moved.
Fast.
Lucy turned to run, but it was useless. Within seconds, Ray’s strong hands grabbed her, shoving her back against the wall.
His grip was firm, unbreakable.
“You don’t understand,” she gasped. “I”
Ray leaned in, his breath warm against her ear. “Let me make something clear.”
Lucy shuddered, hating the way her body reacted to his closeness.
“I don’t lose things that belong to me.” His voice was deadly calm. “And you, Lucy, belong to me.”
The Secret Door
Lucy’s heart pounded as she struggled, anger replacing fear.
“I’m not your property,” she spat.
Ray smirked. “Aren’t you?”
Something inside Lucy snapped.
She swung the fork.
Ray’s reflexes were sharp, but not sharp enough. The prongs scraped against his cheek, drawing blood.
He hissed, his grip loosening just enough enough for Lucy to break free.
She ran.
Adrenaline surged through her veins as she sprinted down the hall, turning sharp corners, desperately searching for a way out.
Then a door.
Not the front exit, but something smaller, hidden in the shadows. A servant’s passage.
Lucy yanked it open and slipped inside.
The hallway beyond was narrow, dark, and lined with dust and forgotten things.
She moved fast, not daring to look back.
But just as she thought she might escape—
She crashed into someone.
Hard, muscular arms caught her. A familiar scent.
Lucy’s breath hitched as she looked up.
Lucas.
Ray’s assistant.
The only person who had ever been kind to her.
His dark eyes flickered with recognition, then concern.
“Lucy?” His voice was hushed. “What are you doing here?”
She clutched his arms, desperate. “Help me.”
A beat of silence.
Then Lucas exhaled, his grip tightening.
“You don’t know what you’ve just started.”
The Beginning of Betrayal
Footsteps echoed behind them.
Getting closer.
Ray.
Lucas hesitated for one second too long.
Lucy saw the conflict in his eyes.
And then the unthinkable happened.
Lucas pushed her behind him.
Protecting her.
Ray’s voice was dangerously calm. “Move, Lucas.”
Lucas didn’t. “Let her go.”
Lucy’s breath caught. He was risking everything. For her.
Ray’s gaze darkened. “You don’t want to do this.”
Lucas swallowed hard. “She’s not your prisoner, Ray.”
A muscle ticked in Ray’s jaw. Something shifted in his eyes.
And that’s when Lucy realized this wasn’t just about her anymore.
There was a history between these two men.
Deep. Dark. Deadly.
Ray tilted his head. “You think you can take her from me?”
Lucas squared his shoulders. “I know I can.”
Lucy’s heart slammed against her ribs.
This wasn’t just a fight.
This was war.
And the worst part?
She wasn’t sure who she could trust.
- Writer
