01

My body trembled with tension during the drive. The man was silent but the air surrounding him was intense and brooding. When the car finally came to a stop, I froze.  

    My heart skipped a beat when he opened the door. I waited for a reaction from him. But he only stepped out of the car and the door closed behind him.   

    Then, utter silence.  

    I breathed out a sigh of relief, my body sagging against the back of the car seat. I was safe. After waiting for a few more minutes, I climbed to my knees and stared outside through the tinted window.  

    I gasped, my eyes widening in shock. The beauty beyond the window took my breath away.   

    There was a long circular driveway lined with pine trees and tall red glass garden stakes. Beautiful shrubs surrounded a gigantic fountain in the middle of the driveway. The central fountain was mesmerizing, made of glazed ceramic tiles and surrounded by flowers.  

    I could see trees in the distance, which continued down the long driveway toward the main gate. This place was serene.  

    When I felt sure I was alone, I quickly opened the door and stepped out. When I had left my father’s estate, it was still dark, dawn just slowly approaching, but now the sunlight was bright. I winced and had to blink to get used to the glare.   

    Turning around, I was speechless.   

    This estate seemed much bigger than my father’s. There were white marble pillars around the entrance to the mansion. The towers were topped in silver domes and intricate stonework decorated the walls. A large wooden double door probably cost more than I could imagine.  

    My father was wealthy, but I had never seen anything like this. The mansion I lived in was much smaller compared to this one.  

    Sudden realization came crashing down on me and it occurred to me that this man was much wealthier than my dad, and possibly just as dangerous—if not more so.   

    I had learned my lesson. Rich people were blinded by their power and they stopped acting like human beings. They had no emotions. And I wasn’t going to take the risk with this stranger.  

    Taking several steps back, I bumped into the car. I swallowed and then closed my eyes. I had to go. I had to find somewhere safer.  

    I turned away but my eyes widened in shock when I saw two men striding toward me. They were looking at each other, away from me. Taking the chance, I quickly hid behind the car.  

    My body was shaking with fear and I felt myself sweating.   

    I had to leave. Now! But my safety was compromised. When the men entered the mansion, my body dropped forward in relief, but tension still coiled tight inside me. Fear lodged deep in my gut and my stomach cramped. As I turned back toward the main gate, I froze again.  

    There was no escape. It was impossible.  

    For the first time, I noticed four men standing at the main gate, guarding it. Nobody entered or left without them noticing. It was the same way at my father’s estate. There were always guards on the ground, making sure there weren’t any impending attacks.  

    I swallowed and looked behind me. My heart stopped beating for a moment when I saw the doors open. Going through the main gates wasn’t an option anymore. And I wasn’t familiar with the grounds.  

    Tears of frustration blinded my vision as I tried to think of a way out.   

    I took a step toward the opened door, my heart beating hard and fast against my ribcage. I could go in. I could hide in there and most likely nobody would see me. I would be safe for some time, until I had a plan.  

    Before I could take more steps toward the door, a shout came from behind me.  

    “Hey!”  

    I froze and turned around to see two of the guards running toward me at full force.  

    “Stop right there!” one of the men shouted, his expression furious. I saw both of them taking their guns out and pointing them at me.  

    My heart stuttered and my vision turned blurry with panic. Without a second thought, I turned around and ran toward the opened door.   

    I felt them behind me. They were closing in and their steps sounded hard and angry.  

    My pulse drummed in my throat. My breath came out in short pants and I smelled it—fear. Fear surrounded me.  

    The doors were so close. I was almost inside the mansion.  

    They came close, their heat at my back. Feeling a touch on my arm, I let out a small scream and increased my pace until I passed through the door.  

    I ran blindly. Between sofas, chairs, a table, and then the stairs. I didn’t pay attention to where I was going. I just ran.  

    When I reached the second floor, I tripped over my legs and almost went down in a heap. Saving myself in time with the help of the banister, I continued running.  

    All I heard were furious shouts. Even when several men came from different directions, I didn’t stop running.  

    The halls were big and filled with many doors. When I heard distant screams, I blindly moved toward one door and opened it. I ran inside and slammed it behind me.  

    My body prickled with tension, like thousands of pointy knives piercing my body. My heart was beating as fast as the thrumming wings of a caged bird. It sounded like drums to my ears. It was the only thing I could hear.   

    I closed my eyes and leaned heavily against the door.  

    The mansion was too big. It would take them some time to find me. I slowly slid down until my butt met the floor. Pulling my knees toward me, I hugged them tight to my chest. I placed my head on them and tried to calm my breathing.  

    When I could finally breathe normally, and my gasps no longer filled the room, I looked up. Noticing that I was in a bedroom, I stood on shaky legs and moved away from the door.  

    The room was massive. There was a king size bed in the middle of the room and a nightstand on either side. A bench sat in front of the bed. I walked closer and pressed my hand into the soft cushions.   

    Looking to my left, I noticed a chest against the wall. I turned around to see a sitting area. There were two couches and a coffee table in the middle, facing a fireplace.  

    I looked to my right and saw that instead of walls, there were big paneled windows framed by intricate draperies. The room was welcoming, but dark.  

    My breath picked up when I heard someone at the door. The knob moved and my eyes widened in panic. My heart pounded faster. No. No. No.  

    I searched the room for a place to hide. The bed was the closest to me, so I crawled under it.  

    I lied down on my side. Bringing my knees to my chest, I wrapped my arms around them and closed my eyes tightly, praying that whoever was at the door wouldn’t find me.