His sin, Her salvation

Chapter seventeen

Serena had never felt the weight of time as heavily as she did now. Each second in Alessio’s mansion was a slow, torturous reminder of her imprisonment. The bruises on her wrists from the chains had faded, but the ones inside her heart remained raw, unhealed. She knew she couldn't stay here forever. She had to escape.

Days of quiet observation had taught her the layout of the mansion—its security cameras, the guards’ patrol shifts, and the times the gates opened for deliveries. She had waited patiently, pretending to be obedient, allowing them to believe she was finally broken. But she wasn’t. Not yet.

That night, as the clock neared midnight, Serena sat on the edge of her bed, her heart pounding wildly. The soft moonlight slipped through the high windows, illuminating the cold floor beneath her bare feet. This was her moment. The guards would change shifts in ten minutes. It wasn’t much time, but it had to be enough.

She pressed her ear to the door, listening for footsteps. Silence. Slowly, she opened the door, stepping out into the dimly lit hallway. Her breath came in shallow gasps as she moved, her legs trembling but determined. She navigated past the grand staircase, keeping to the shadows, her fingers trailing along the wall to steady herself.

As she reached the back of the mansion, she saw it—the garden, the high walls, and beyond them, freedom. The gate was locked, but she had expected that. She had seen a low part of the stone wall near the greenhouse. If she could climb it—

“Where do you think you’re going?”

A voice, cold and lethal, cut through the silence like a blade.

Serena’s heart stopped.

She turned slowly, her stomach dropping as she met Alessio’s gaze. He stood in the darkness, his tall form barely illuminated by the faint moonlight, but the danger in his eyes was unmistakable.

She had been caught.

Serena sat on the cold floor of her dimly lit room, her throat burning with thirst. The glass of water she had received earlier remained untouched on the small table beside her bed. She had been too lost in her thoughts, too consumed by the plan forming in her mind. But now, the dryness in her mouth was unbearable.

Her hands trembled as she reached for the glass, hesitating for a moment before bringing it to her lips. The cool liquid was a relief, but she forced herself to drink only half. She needed to leave some—if the guards checked, they wouldn’t suspect she had been awake, plotting her escape.

Minutes later, the door creaked open, and her body stiffened.

Alessio stepped in, his presence immediately suffocating. He was dressed in his usual dark attire, his sharp gaze sweeping over her. His eyes flickered toward the glass.

“Did you drink?” His voice was calm, but something about the way he asked sent a chill down her spine.

Serena swallowed hard, quickly nodding. “Yes.”

Alessio took a step closer, his fingers brushing against the glass. He lifted it, inspecting the amount left.

A smirk tugged at his lips.

“Lying doesn’t suit you, Serena.”

Her pulse quickened. Had he memorized the exact level of water from before?

Before she could react, Alessio moved. In one swift motion, he grabbed her by the chin, forcing her to look at him.

“If you’re going to lie, at least make it believable,” he murmured, his grip tightening slightly.

Serena clenched her fists, her heart hammering in her chest. Would he punish her over something so small?

His eyes searched hers, as if trying to decide if the lie was worth his time. Then, without another word, he let go and walked out, locking the door behind him.

She exhaled shakily.

He knew.

And now, he would be watching her even more closely.

Serena pressed herself against the cold stone wall, her breaths shallow as she listened for any sign of approaching guards. The estate was eerily silent at this hour, the deep stillness amplifying the rapid thudding of her heart.

Her hands trembled as she reached into her tattered dress, fingers brushing against the small stolen pin she had taken days ago from the dining hall. She had spent the last few nights carefully observing the guards' rotations, mapping out every possible exit. Now, it was time to put everything into action.

She slipped through the dimly lit corridor, her bare feet making no sound against the marble floors. Her body ached from the countless bruises and punishments she had endured, but adrenaline numbed the pain.

As she neared the outer courtyard, the last hurdle loomed before her—the high metal fence that separated her from the world beyond.

Serena gritted her teeth and sprinted forward. With sheer determination, she grabbed onto the metal bars, hoisting herself up. Pain flared in her shoulders, but she ignored it, climbing higher despite the sharp edges digging into her palms.

Voices echoed in the distance.

"Did you hear that?"

A guard was approaching.

Panic surged through her veins, but she pushed herself over the top, her fingers slipping as she fell to the other side. The impact sent a shockwave through her body, but she rolled into the dirt, biting back a cry of pain.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, she was outside. Free.

Tears blurred her vision as she forced herself to her feet, her heart hammering in her chest. She didn't have time to celebrate—she had to run.

And she did.

With the last of her strength, Serena vanished into the night, the wind carrying her away from the place that had once been her prison.

Alessio sat in his dimly lit office, fingers tapping against the surface of his desk. A single lamp cast shadows across the room, illuminating the unfinished reports scattered before him. But he wasn’t focused on work. His mind was restless.

Something felt... off.

He ran a hand through his dark hair, sighing. He had been dealing with an issue at the docks—a shipment dispute that required his immediate attention. It had occupied his mind for hours, the tension in his body refusing to ease.

But now that the matter was settled, unease crept over him.

With a frown, he reached for the tablet beside him, habit guiding his fingers as he opened the security feed. It had become a habit to check on her, to make sure she was still there—trapped, broken, right where he left her.

The screen flickered, showing different angles of the mansion—the hallways, the courtyards, the guard posts. Finally, he switched to the camera inside her room.

The bed was empty.

Alessio's fingers stilled.

His brows furrowed as he leaned in, eyes narrowing at the sight of nothing. No trembling figure curled under the sheets. No trace of her presence.

The blanket was half-off the bed, the room eerily still.

A slow, deadly realization settled over him.

She’s gone.

His grip tightened on the tablet as he swiftly switched cameras, scanning every angle of the house. The halls? Empty. The kitchen? No trace. The damn basement where she had been locked for weeks? Nothing.

A muscle in his jaw twitched as he slammed the tablet onto the desk, standing abruptly. His hands clenched into fists, his veins pulsing with rage.

A sharp knock sounded at his door.

"Boss, about the—"

"Where the hell is she?!" Alessio’s voice was dangerously low, but the force behind it sent chills through the guard at the door.

The man hesitated, clearly confused. "Sir?"

Alessio didn’t answer. He stormed past him, his long strides taking him straight to the security room.

The guards inside straightened the moment they saw him, fear flashing in their eyes. One of them opened his mouth to speak, but Alessio's glare had him shutting it immediately.

He moved to the main screen himself, rewinding the footage.

And then, he saw it.

Serena slipping past the hall. Dodging the guards. Climbing the damn fence with wounds still fresh on her body. And then—nothing. Just darkness as she vanished beyond his reach.

His fingers curled at his sides. His breathing slowed, deadly and controlled.

She got away.

She was already too far. The chances of catching up to her now were slipping fast.

The guards awaited their punishment, but Alessio didn’t move.

His chest rose and fell with slow, calculated breaths. A storm was brewing behind those dark eyes.

Finally, he turned to them, voice cold as ice.

"Find her."