Chapter sixteen
856 Words
Serena’s Perspective
Serena had lost count of the days. Time blurred in the dimly lit room where she had been confined for weeks. The fever had wrung every ounce of strength from her body, leaving her weak, disoriented, and aching all over.
She had been certain she was going to die.
Yet, somehow, she hadn't.
The doctor had come and gone, prescribing medication that she hadn't expected Alessio to actually provide. But he did. He ensured she was treated—why? Out of guilt? Possessiveness? Or was it simply because he didn't want his plaything to break too soon?
Her mind swirled with those thoughts as she forced herself to sit up on the bed. The bruises from his punishments still marred her skin, a cruel reminder that any kindness he showed was nothing more than a mask.
She glanced toward the door, her heart sinking as she realized her guards were still there. Always watching. Always ensuring she remained his prisoner.
But she was done waiting for freedom.
Her body was weak, but her mind was sharper than ever. She needed a plan, and she needed it fast.
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Alessio’s Perspective
Alessio sat in his office, a glass of whiskey untouched beside him. His mind kept wandering back to her—the delicate, stubborn woman who had collapsed in his arms days ago.
He should have let her die.
It would have been easier. No more frustrating defiance, no more tempting innocence that made his chest tighten with something unrecognizable.
And yet, he couldn't.
He had ordered the doctor. He had made sure she was fed, hydrated, cared for. Why? Because he owned her. Because she was his to break, his to keep.
Or at least, that was what he told himself.
He couldn't ignore the unsettling sensation that crept up his spine whenever she looked at him with those tear-stained eyes.
It was hatred, and yet, there was still a hint of something else. Fear? Desperation?
Alessio scowled. It didn't matter.
She would learn—she was never leaving him.
Not now. Not ever.
The night was heavy with silence, except for the occasional footsteps of the guards patrolling outside her door. The dim glow of the bedside lamp cast long shadows across the room, making the space feel even smaller than it already was.
Serena sat curled up in the corner of the bed, her knees drawn to her chest, her fingers tracing the bruises on her wrist where the chains had dug into her skin earlier that day. Her body still ached from Alessio’s punishments, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the storm raging inside her mind.
She hated him.
She hated her father for gambling her away.
She hated herself for not fighting harder.
Her gaze shifted to the window, her only connection to the outside world. The stars twinkled mockingly, as if reminding her of the life she had lost—the freedom she might never taste again.
A tear slid down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it away. No. She would not cry for him.
Not anymore.
She had spent weeks enduring his cruelty, suffering in silence, and letting the fear consume her. But something had changed inside her. She wasn’t just a victim anymore. She was a survivor.
Her fingers curled into fists as she whispered into the empty room, “I will get out of here.”
She didn’t care what it took.
She would escape.
Even if it killed her.
Serena’s Perspective
The dim light flickered against the cold walls, casting eerie shadows across her prison. Serena sat on the floor, her back pressed against the hard wood of the bed frame, her breath shallow as she listened to the faint murmurs of the guards outside. Her body ached—from the chains, from the punishments, from the constant torment of her captivity—but her mind… her mind was sharper than ever.
Alessio thought he had broken her.
He hadn’t.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she traced the edge of the thin bedsheet, a plan forming in her head. She had spent weeks in this dark world, enduring his cruelty, waiting for the perfect opportunity. Now, she had one.
She had learned the guards' routines—when they changed shifts, when they left gaps, and which ones were easily distracted. The last time the maid entered to bring food, she had noticed something small but significant—the key ring on her belt.
Tonight, she would take her first step.
Her gaze flickered toward the window. It was high, but not impossible. She had seen how the fence surrounding the estate was lined with barbed wire, but there were blind spots—areas where the security cameras didn't cover completely. She had memorized them during the rare moments she was allowed outside.
She would not remain his prisoner.
She whispered the words like a vow, her fists clenching as she imagined the feel of fresh air on her face, the taste of freedom on her tongue.
Soon.
Very soon.
And when she left, she would make sure Alessio never found her again.
- Writer
