Sophie sat on the white chair, crushed by despair as memories of last night replayed in her head. “This is dangerous. Maybe I got lucky last night, but what about next time?” she muttered quietly.
That morning, her parents had already flown out of the country, just like she’d asked Damien to arrange. He thought she’d sent them to England, but in reality, she’d told them to go to Australia. It was almost impossible to slip away from his spies, but she still hoped her parents were safe. Now it was her turn to run.
She paced the room, checking every corner, the bathroom, and the windows, but there was no escape. No gap, no hidden way out.
Defeated, Sophie sat down and hugged her knees. 'If I can’t even get out of this room, how am I supposed to get out of this house?' she thought.
Her eyes drifted toward the locked door. It was the only way out, and the only ones with access were Damien and that cold-faced man, William, who always shadowed him. He was the one who brought her meals. Maybe she could trick him. She needed a plan. “I’ll never know if it works unless I try, right?” she whispered.
Almost as if on cue, the door opened. Sophie straightened immediately, bracing herself.
William stepped in with a tray of food, his face as blank as ever. Sophie put on her best pained expression. “Help me,” she whispered weakly.
He frowned and came closer. “What’s wrong, Miss?”
“I… I think I’m gonna throw up. Please.” She clutched her stomach, trying to make it look real.
William didn’t seem suspicious. He moved closer and studied her face. “Do you need help getting to the bathroom?”
Sophie nodded faintly.
He slipped an arm under hers, his grip firm as he helped her stand. When he opened the bathroom door, Sophie acted like she was about to vomit, and he hurried her inside.
At the sink, she bent over, pretending to heave. “Towel… please…” she mumbled, glancing toward the linen cabinet at the far end.
Still unsuspecting, William turned to grab one. That was her chance. In a burst of speed, Sophie ran out, slamming the door behind her and locking it from the outside.
Her heart pounded wildly. She pressed her back to the door, eyes shut tight, ignoring the furious pounding from the other side.
“You’ll never escape,” William shouted. “Mr. Damien will find you! And if you make him angry, you’ll regret it!”
His words made her chest tighten for a moment, but she shook her head. 'Damien’s cruel, but I can’t let fear control me. I need to prove I’m not a woman who can be broken that easily.'
She turned toward the white door leading out of the room. Slowly, she cracked it open, peeking through to make sure no one was there. Damien must’ve thought she was too weak to need guards.
The hallway was empty. “Good,” she breathed.
Quietly, she stepped out. The banging from the bathroom still echoed faintly, but once she closed the main door, silence swallowed everything. The room had been soundproof.
Sophie made her way down the long corridor. There were no other doors, just a grand spiral staircase leading to the front entrance. She peeked over the railing. Empty.
'Where are all the guards I saw yesterday?' she wondered. Cautiously, she descended the stairs. She made it across the hall and reached for the door handle when a cold, familiar voice cut through the air behind her.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Sophie froze. She spun around and almost collided with Damien. He stood there, his eyes burning with fury, like a devil ready to destroy everything in his path. “You actually fooled William? And you dared try to run from my house?”
His hand shot out, gripping her arm hard. He dragged her up the stairs toward the white room again. She fought to break free, but his strength was overwhelming.
Inside, several DeLuca guards were already waiting. William stood among them, bruised pride written all over his face. He must’ve called Damien after getting locked in.
'I should’ve knocked him out when I had the chance,' she cursed silently.
Damien shoved her forward. “You see that, William? A man who’s been with me for years, fooled by this little girl.”
William stayed silent, face blank.
“And you, Sophie.” Damien took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. “Here’s your warning. The next time you trick one of my men, someone will die for it.”
Without hesitation, he slammed his fist into William’s face, sending him stumbling backward. Blood trickled from his lip.
Sophie gasped, horrified, as Damien kept hitting him again and again. William didn’t fight back. He just took it, bleeding, collapsing to his knees.
Damien stepped back and looked at Sophie. “You see that? Every time you try to run, someone will pay the price. Anyone who lets you slip will suffer for it.”
Then he punched William again.
“Stop!” Sophie screamed, grabbing Damien’s arm. “Please stop! It’s my fault! I’m the one to blame! Don’t kill him! Please, it’s my fault!”
Damien froze, eyes cold as ice. “So you admit you were wrong?”
Sophie nodded quickly, relieved that he’d stopped hitting him.
“I just wanted to leave this place!” she yelled, anger and despair spilling over.
“You belong to me,” Damien said in a low, dangerous voice. “And nothing that belongs to me leaves without my permission.”
“I want out! I’m sick of you! Sick of everything here! I just want to go!”
“You want to go?” Damien grabbed her arm again, gripping so hard it left bruises. “You ungrateful woman. You should be thankful I’ve let you live this long.”
“There’s nothing about you worth being thankful for,” Sophie snapped.
“So you still want to leave?” His jaw tightened. He pointed toward the balcony door overlooking the pool below. “That’s the only way out. Got any last words?”
Sophie turned her head, locking eyes with him. “Thank you for setting me free,” she said, voice steady.
She walked toward the balcony door, every step deliberate, expecting someone to stop her. No one moved.
She opened the door and, without hesitation, jumped.
Her body sliced through the air before crashing into the water below. The impact stole her breath. She sank deeper, her limbs going limp as darkness crept in.
She didn’t even try to swim up. Water filled her lungs, her chest burned, and everything blurred.
'Oh God… I’m going to die.'
Aksara