Chapter 38 I AM TRAPPED
.
.
.
ADELINE
I blinked my eyes, my vision blurry as I took in my surroundings. My head was throbbing and a groan escaped my lips. It hurts.
I blinked my eyes to get a clear vision and looked around. It was an unfamiliar room. The thoughts sent shivers down my spine.
The room was dimly lit, the soft glow of a single bulb illuminating the wooden walls and modest furniture. It smelled faintly of earth and old wood, and the faint sound of wind whistled outside.
I froze as the realization dawned—this wasn’t the city. I was …… kidnapped.
My heart pounded like a drum in my chest as I tried to piece together what had happened. Memories came flooding back, vivid and sharp: leaving the restaurant with Asher, the argument in the parking lot, his hand gripping mine, forcing me into his car. The water he gave me to drink and then I passed out- my eyes widened in horror.
“Asher…”
I whispered to myself, my voice trembling. He is so dead. Why would he even do such thing when I was going with him.
I bolted to my feet and ran to the door, my fingers fumbling with the handle. It wouldn’t budge. I jiggled it desperately, banging on the wood with the flat of my palm.
“Let me out!”
I yelled, my voice echoing in the otherwise silent cabin. I sighed hearing no response. I had to get out of here as quickly as possible.
I looked around the room, any chance for me to get out but the window was way caged with barrier. Even though I could look outside of the window, I could not escape through it.
I stumbled back and sank into the wooden chair by the wall, my breaths coming in shallow gasps. I tried to calm herself, to think. But no matter how hard I tried to push away the rising panic, one thought loomed over all others: Asher had kidnapped me.
How could Asher do such thing!? Everyone must have found out I was missing because it was dark outside. The thought of Luciano and his dangerous anger sent goosebumps all over my body.
Suddenly, the sound of a key turning in the lock snapped me out of my thoughts. The door creaked open, and there he stood—Asher.
His expression was calm but intense, his presence filling the small room. I shot to my feet, my glare sharp enough to cut glass.
“Asher,”
I hissed, my voice shaking with anger. I considered him my friend. Someone I would trust with my life but he was the one to kidnap me and messed everything up.
“What the hell is this? Why did you bring me here?”
He stepped inside, closing the door behind him.
“I needed to talk to you,”
he said, his voice steady,
“without anyone interrupting us.”
“Talk to me?”
I snapped, my eyes narrowing. He was not the Asher I knew. How could he take me here by making me unconscious just to talk!
“You kidnapped me, Asher! Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
He didn’t flinch, didn’t back down. He looked like it all did not even bother him.
“You left me no choice,”
he said simply.
“You wouldn’t listen to me. You wouldn’t give me the chance to explain.”
I stared at him, my fists clenching at my sides.
“You’ve lost your mind,”
I said, my voice low and seething.
“Do you know what Luciano will do to you when he finds out about this? You’ll be dead before you can even blink.”
At the mention of Luciano, Asher’s jaw tightened, his calm exterior cracking slightly. But then he took a step closer, his eyes locking onto mine with a mix of desperation and determination.
“I don’t care,”
he said firmly.
“I don’t care what Luciano- that uncle of yours does to me. I don’t care about him, or his threats, or his power.”
I took a step back, my back hitting the wall. I swallowed hard, my pulse racing as his words sank in. He had really lost his mind.
“I love you, Adeline,”
Asher continued, his voice softer now but no less intense.
“I’ve always loved you. And I would do anything for you. Even if it means risking everything.”
My eyes widened as his confession sank in. My breath hitched, and for a moment, I was too stunned to respond. I searched his face, hoping to find some sign that this was a joke, that he didn’t mean the words he was saying. But all I saw was raw, unfiltered emotion.
“Asher,”
I finally managed, my voice trembling. I gulped the lump formed in my throat and my chest heaved up and down in nervousness.
“This isn’t love. This… this is insanity. You can’t just—”
“I had to,”
he interrupted, his voice rising slightly.
“You don’t understand. Everyone’s wrong for you. No one deserves you. I had to show you that there’s another way—another life you could have. With me.”
I shook my head, tears welling up in my eyes.
“ you’re my friend. I always looked at you as my best friend and This isn’t the way, Asher,”
I said, my voice breaking. I did considered him my close friend and seeing him like this did hurt me but he was also wrong, doing all this.
“This isn’t how you prove love. You’re only making things worse.”
Asher’s shoulders sagged slightly, but the fire in his eyes didn’t waver.
“You’ll see,”
he said softly, almost pleadingly.
“You’ll see that I’m right. I just need you to listen. Please.”
I stared at him, my mind racing with a thousand thoughts. I knew I needed to stay calm, to think of a way out of this. I gulped as Asher walked to me and I slowly took my steps back.
“ Asher— let me go “
I pleaded.
“ you wont leave until you have accepted me “
I clenched my fists as tears slid down my cheeks. This was all so overwhelming. I did not expect this at all to happen in my life.
“ you’re trapped here with me, for the rest of our lives “