Chapter 44

Joy’s POV

The cold air hit my face as I slipped through the backdoor of the mansion, moving as silently as a shadow. My breaths were shallow, every step deliberate. Elsa was curled against my chest in the pouch of my jacket, blissfully unaware of the risk I was taking.

Just as I turned the corner toward the old wine cellar, a faint rumble caught my attention—the hum of an engine. I paused, ducking behind the wall. Through the narrow archway, I saw it: a white delivery van pulling up to the back entrance. Two men in uniforms hopped out, hauling crates of fruits and sealed boxes of groceries.

My heart skipped. This was it. My shot.

I crouched low and kept to the wall’s edge, praying none of the guards had their eyes on the security monitors. Timing was everything. When the workers carried in a heavier load and left the van door wide open, I bolted forward, barely making a sound.

I slid into the back of the van and nestled myself behind a row of crates, the scent of ripe bananas and earth-heavy potatoes masking the panic pulsing through my body. I clutched Elsa tighter. She stirred, but didn’t squeak.

My chest rose and fell in quick, sharp bursts as I waited. Waited for them to finish. Waited for the doors to slam shut. Waited for the wheels to start rolling.

And when they finally did, when I felt the first shift of the van beneath me—I almost cried.

I was leaving.

The van rumbled along a dirt path, jostling me against the crates with every bump. My legs were beginning to cramp from how tightly I was curled, but I didn’t dare move. Each passing second was both a blessing and a curse—closer to escape, but closer to being found too.

Elsa stirred in my jacket. I gently rubbed her head to calm her. “Shh… just a little longer,” I whispered, barely able to hear myself over the hum of the road.

The van finally took a sharp turn, then slowed. I froze.

Voices. Laughter.

It sounded like a checkpoint or maybe another delivery stop. My heart pounded. What if they opened the back? What if someone spotted me before I could even run?

I heard footsteps approaching the rear doors.

Click.

The latch turned.

My body tensed, preparing to bolt.

But it was just one of the delivery men reaching in to grab a crate from the front. He didn’t look my way. Didn’t see me hidden in the shadows behind the taller boxes. Within seconds, the doors slammed again, and the van pulled away.

I let out a shaky breath. Sweat clung to my back despite the chill.

Another ten minutes passed. Maybe fifteen. Then, finally, the van slowed to a halt. The engine cut off.

Silence.

Were we at a market? Another estate? Somewhere in town?

I had no idea. But I knew this was my moment.

I waited, listening. When it was quiet enough to hear only distant voices, I pushed one of the crates gently aside and slowly reached for the handle. With one last breath, I slipped out of the van, landing softly on gravel.

I was in a loading bay. A small one, not too busy.

No one saw me.

I pulled the hood of my jacket over my head, adjusted Elsa beneath my coat, and walked away like I belonged there.

The air felt different.

For the first time in what felt like forever, there were no cameras on me. No guards shadowing my every step. No Adrik. Just people—strangers—minding their own business.

I walked with my head down, weaving through the narrow backstreets. Every corner I turned, every unfamiliar face I passed, felt like a breath of fresh air. The scent of baked bread wafted from a nearby shop, and for a second, I let myself close my eyes and breathe it in.

Freedom.

I clutched Elsa gently beneath my jacket. She was calm, surprisingly, as if she too sensed the change in atmosphere. I found a quiet alleyway behind a closed florist shop and sat down, resting my head against the wall. My legs ached, my stomach growled, but for the first time in months, I smiled.

No luxury bed. No fine clothes. No gold-plated cage.

Just the sky above me and no one telling me what to do.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the little cash I had stashed from the mansion—just enough to maybe buy something warm to eat if I was careful. I’d have to move again soon. Find somewhere to hide. Somewhere far away from the mansion’s reach. But for now?

For now, I sat in that alley, feeding Elsa bits of crusty bread I’d stolen from a crate, and let the feeling of being alive settle into my bones.

Because even if it didn’t last long, this moment was mine.

I needed to find her—my mother.

That had been the plan all along. Get out, find her, and run far away from the nightmare we had both been dragged into. But now that I was out, I realized something terrifying—I didn’t know where Adrik had kept her. He’d moved her more than once, never letting me know her location, only dangling vague reassurances over my head like some cruel reward.

Heart pounding, I approached a woman standing by a bus stop. She looked kind, or at least not threatening, and I knew I had to take the chance.

“Please,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “Can I borrow your phone? Just for a minute—it’s important.”

She hesitated, but something in my eyes must’ve moved her. She handed it to me with a nod.

I dialed the number I had memorized, praying it hadn’t changed. The line rang, once, twice—then her voice.

“Joy?” she breathed.

“Mom!” I nearly cried, my hand tightening around the phone. “I’m out. I escaped. I want to come get you. Where are you?”

There was a pause—then a soft, heartbroken laugh. “You sweet girl. You need to keep running. Don’t worry about me—I’ll manage. Just get as far away from him as you can, do you hear me?”

“But—”

“No,” she cut in gently but firmly. “This world is colder than you know, but you’re strong. Don’t let him pull you back.”

The call ended before I could say more. I stood frozen, the phone still pressed to my ear, her words echoing in my head. My eyes burned.

It was getting dark.

Had they noticed I was missing by now? Had Adrik been called? Did the mansion already smell of panic—or rage?

I turned the phone back to the woman with a quiet “thank you” before slipping away down the cracked sidewalk. My legs were sore, my stomach felt hollow, and I had nowhere to go. No money for a hotel. Just the clothes on my back and the rabbit tucked beneath my coat.

Then I saw it.

A run-down motel, its neon sign flickering weakly. I hesitated at the entrance, unsure of what story I could possibly spin to get shelter for the night.

The manager was a large man with graying hair and a thick accent. He looked me over with mild suspicion, until I blurted out, “I can cook. Clean. Please—I just need a place to stay. Just for tonight.”

He scratched his chin, then gave a slow nod. “You cook well, you stay free. Breakfast, every morning, yeah?”

I agreed immediately.

He handed me a key and pointed to a room at the far end of the lot. I stumbled toward it, the weight of the day finally crashing over me. The door creaked as I stepped inside, and I locked it quickly behind me.

I stepped into the tiny room the man pointed me toward. The walls were stained with age, and the air was thick with the scent of dust and something fried—maybe from the tiny kitchen that was barely separated from the bedroom by a curtain. But to me, it was a castle. A place untouched by Adrik’s presence.

I locked the door, checked it twice, then collapsed onto the creaky mattress. My body ached from the tension I’d carried all day, but my mind refused to rest. I thought of Elsa—would she be okay? Would they hurt her for my escape? My stomach twisted at the thought.

I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to breathe. I had escaped. For now.

But Adrik wasn’t stupid. By now, they’d noticed. The guards. The maids. Maybe even the delivery truck driver. My absence would’ve sparked a storm back at the mansion. He would know. And when he did—hell would follow.

I could feel him already, the weight of his rage, the way he looked at me when he felt betrayed. I knew that look far too well. But tonight, I had won. For once, I had slipped through the cracks of his perfect trap.

The motel’s walls were thin. I could hear someone arguing in the room beside me, a baby crying somewhere further down the hallway. But it was real. Life was still happening out here. And for the first time in what felt like forever, I was in it—without him.

I got up and walked toward the window, slowly pulling the curtain aside. Outside, the night carried on. A car passed. A couple laughed as they walked past the parking lot. Freedom.

But fear sat beside it.

I needed to plan. I couldn’t just run forever. My mom had said she was fine, but I knew better. If I didn’t find her soon, I might lose her for good. And if Adrik found me before I figured things out—no, I couldn’t think like that.

I laid back on the bed, pulling the thin blanket over myself. The silence didn’t last. My thoughts clawed at me—his voice, his hands, the cold floors of the mansion, the blood I’d once seen him casually wipe from his knuckles.

Just as I was going to close my eyes and let exhaustion finally claim me, a knock echoed through the thin motel door.

My heart dropped.

Panic, sharp and cold, surged through my veins like poison. I froze where I lay, breath caught in my throat, eyes wide open staring at the ceiling. He found me. Oh God, he found me. I could already feel his hand at my throat, hear the cruel calm in his voice.

Tears welled in my eyes without warning. My entire body trembled as I slowly pushed myself to sit up, the weight of dread pressing down like a boulder. I didn’t even have a weapon. What was I going to do? Should I run? Hide? Jump from the window?

But then—his voice cut through the fear.

“Dear, it’s time for you to cook.”

The motel manager.

I let out a shaky breath that sounded more like a sob. My hands trembled as I wiped the tears from my face. I hated how jumpy I’d become. How even the smallest sound could tear open old wounds.

I stood, legs still weak, and crossed to the door. My voice came out hoarse, fragile. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

Silence followed, then I heard his footsteps retreat.

I rested my forehead against the door for a moment, collecting myself. I wasn’t safe—not really. But I wasn’t caught. Not yet.