Chapter 12
Elizabeth's POV
The room was silent.
Alex stood there, emanating a terrifyingly cold aura that seemed to leech the warmth from the very air.
I couldn't help but shiver, the words I wanted to say catching in my throat like ice.
He spoke, "Stay out of trouble."
I was instantly left speechless, watching him turn around and walk away.
By the time Lisa re-entered, the residual fear had left me weak, and I was slumped on the sofa, unable to move.
Alex's gaze had been utterly frigid, a chilling emptiness that felt like it could freeze bone.
"Ms. Spencer, are you alright?" Lisa's voice was laced with alarm, her hand waving anxiously in front of my face as if to break a trance.
"I'm fine." I grasped her hand, forcing a measure of composure into my voice. "Mr. Windsor agreed. I can leave this room."
This was more than just permission to walk through a door; it was a small, hard-won victory.
The first step was escaping this room, the next, this entire villa. I refused to be a prisoner here forever.
My working theory was that Alex was likely a distant relative of the Windsor family, his influence perhaps limited. If I could just get away, he might not have the means—or the inclination—to drag me back.
"Lisa, could I walk around the villa for a bit? It's so stifling being cooped up in here all day," I said, strategically placing a hand on my stomach to draw her gaze. I carefully schooled my expression into one of docile harmlessness.
"Of course," she said, though a flicker of hesitation crossed her face before she agreed.
With Anna and Lisa flanking me like silent sentinels, I finally pushed open the bedroom door, my first real glimpse of the villa's interior unfolding before me.
The entire space was a monument to modern design, a stark palette of white and gray that screamed opulence and an unnerving, clinical coldness.
My eyes immediately scanned for the staircase, confirming my position on the second floor. As we descended, I noticed a doorway from which servants were frequently coming and going.
"What's over there? The kitchen?"
Lisa followed my gaze and nodded. "Yes, that's the kitchen. If you'd like anything to eat, Ms. Spencer, you only need to ask."
"Could I walk in the garden outside?"
From my bedroom window, I had seen the meticulously manicured grounds, and with the flowers in full bloom, a faint, sweet fragrance drifted even indoors.
"Well…" Lisa's expression became troubled, her unease obvious.
I immediately shifted my strategy. "Then could I just look at the flowers from the glass doors over there? That should be fine, right?"
I abandoned the direct request, which would have surely aroused suspicion, and instead pointed toward the floor-to-ceiling windows in the main living area.
There was no point in being rash; familiarizing myself with the layout was the most critical task at hand.
This time, Lisa agreed without a second thought. She even thoughtfully arranged a lounge chair for me and handed me a glass of warm milk.
Through the vast expanse of glass, I watched as five or six gardeners trimmed hedges and tended to flowerbeds.
Suddenly, a dark Maybach emerged from behind the villa, gliding silently through the front iron gates before disappearing from view.
Lisa spoke at my side, her voice a soft explanation. "That's Mr. Windsor's car. He's left for work."
"So the garage is in the back," I remarked casually, deducing the car's path.
Lisa immediately fell silent. I noted the subtle shift in her demeanor and offered a disarming smile. "I was just thinking out loud. Don't mind me."
Her shoulders seemed to relax, a quiet sigh of relief escaping her.
I mirrored her relief inwardly.
Lisa and Anna were my caretakers in name, but my jailers in practice.
Every move I made would be reported back to Alex; I couldn't afford to let my guard down around them for a second.
Still, I now knew the general direction of the garage and had observed that the main gate operated on an automatic identification system.
If I was right, starting one of the cars in the garage would likely trigger the gate to open.
It meant that if I could get my hands on a car key, my chances of escape would increase exponentially.
"Lisa, Anna, where do you two stay at night?" I asked, affecting a tone of friendly concern. I winked, trying to put them at ease. "I'm a light sleeper, and if I have a nightmare, would it be okay for me to come find you?"
A trace of suspicion still lingered in Lisa's eyes, but she answered truthfully. "We were staying in the staff building, but Mr. Windsor has arranged for us to stay in the guest room next to yours for the time being."
"That's wonderful. It's good to know you're close by if I need anything," I said, letting the subject drop as I turned my attention back to the window. Cradling the warm glass of milk, I continued to observe the staff's movements, eventually determining that the smaller, adjacent building was indeed their living quarters.
The car keys were most likely kept by Alex's driver. If I could just steal one, my odds would skyrocket.
After observing for a while longer, I didn't linger. I returned upstairs, my mind already racing.
Time ticked by. After dinner, I went to bed early, feigning sleep. Daytime was not the right time for an escape; the best opportunity would be in the dead of night.
Outside, the sky had turned a deep, impenetrable black.
I sensed the bedroom door creak open and immediately squeezed my eyes shut, regulating my breathing to a slow, even rhythm.
The sound of heavy footsteps approached, each one landing like a hammer blow against my heart.
I knew, with a primal certainty, that this was not Lisa or Anna. It was a man.
It was Alex. He had come to see if I was truly asleep.
The lights flashed on. My hand, hidden beneath the duvet, clenched into a fist. I could feel an intense, scrutinizing gaze fall upon me, hot and unnerving. Another set of footsteps drew near.
"How was she today?" Alex asked.
"Ms. Spencer watched the flowers from the living room for a while, had her dinner, and then went to bed," Anna's voice reported.
A soft, almost imperceptible scoff came from Alex. I could feel his eyes lingering on my face, a silent, unnerving assessment.
"If she gives you any trouble, just tie her up."
My heart seized.
I clenched my fists so tightly my nails dug into my palms, grateful for the heavy duvet that hid my body.
The raw menace in his tone, the sheer killing intent, was a thousand times more terrifying than anything Aiden had ever directed at me. If I hadn't been desperately clinging to my self-control, the trembling of my body would have betrayed me instantly.
Finally, the light clicked off.
After Alex and Anna left, I waited a full ten minutes before I dared to relax, taking small, shallow gasps of air.
Every second in this house was suffocating. I had to get out. Now.
At two-thirty in the morning, I slipped into a set of form-fitting athletic wear perfect for agile movement.
On tiptoe, I crept out of my room, hugging the wall as I moved through the silent villa. My hand trembled violently as I reached for the main door.
The staff quarters were to the left. I paused for a second, then decided to investigate the garage first, veering down the path to the right.
Behind the villa sat a massive garage, housing several luxury cars. The sight almost made me freeze in my tracks.
But what truly stopped me was the small, glass-walled guard booth situated right next to it. Inside, a figure was clearly visible.
I froze, a cold sweat breaking out across my back. The garage was guarded.
I remained motionless for several seconds, my eyes fixed on the booth. The figure inside wasn't moving. Was he asleep?
Crouching low, I moved forward with the silence of a cat, creeping closer until I could confirm that the guard was indeed slumped over, fast asleep.
Through the glass door, I could see the interior clearly. My eyes locked onto a row of car keys hanging on a rack against the wall.
So the driver didn't keep them. They were stored right here.
I bit my lip, a fine sheen of sweat covering my forehead. I had come this far; there was no turning back.
I slipped inside, my movements swift and silent. I snatched a set of keys from the rack and retreated just as quietly.
It wasn't until I was actually sitting in the driver's seat of a car, the door closed behind me, that I dared to glance back at the still-slumbering guard and finally let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
I had done it.