Chapter 11: Binds

The next morning, Audrey knocked on Isabella's door, carrying a tray of breakfast and some fresh coffee. "I thought you could use a little something to perk you up," she said with a friendly smile. "How are you feeling?" Isabella was still feeling groggy and confused, but she tried to put on a brave face. "I'm okay," she said, though her voice sounded weak and tired. Audrey set the tray down on the bedside table and sat down next to her. "You don't have to pretend with me," she said gently.

"I'm not pretending!" Isabella snapped, her frustration boiling over. "You're all keeping me here against my will, and you're all lying to me. I want to go home!" Audrey was taken aback by the sudden outburst., trying to keep her voice calm. "Toby is trying to help you. we want to make sure you're safe." Isabella glared at her, her eyes full of anger and distrust. "Safe? I was safe at home! I was happy at home! You people have ruined everything!"

"This is all Toby's fault!" Isabella said, her voice rising in anger. "He's the one who dragged me into all of this, he's the one who's been lying to me! He's the one who's keeping me here!" Audrey tried to placate her. "Isabella, I know you're upset, but I promise you, Toby is just trying to help you. He's not trying to hurt you." Isabella scoffed, Toby doesn't want to see me here, I don't know why he is keeping me here when all he does is hurt me. "That's easy for you to say! You're not the one who's been kept prisoner here!" Audrey sighed, not knowing what else to say.

"I know I can't go back to the way things were before, but I just want to be free. I don't want to be here anymore." Isabella's voice was desperate and pleading. She felt like she was losing her grip on reality, and she was scared of what would happen next. "Please, let me go. I won't tell anyone about what happened here, I promise. I just want to go home." She could feel herself breaking down, the weight of everything that had happened crashing down on her.

"I know this is difficult, but you have to understand that Toby is only trying to help you. He has your best interests at heart." Audrey spoke calmly, trying to reason with Isabella. But Isabella wasn't having any of it. Are you saying my kidnapper has my best interest at heart? what the fuck are you saying? Y'all are the same, you're delusional if you think he's doing anything to help me, she spat out. "He's only trying to control me. He's a monster!" Audrey was taken aback by Isabella's harsh words. She had never seen her like this before. "Isabella, please," she said. "

"You're not even trying to understand what I'm going through," Isabella said, her voice shaking with emotion. "You're just sitting there, spouting all of this nonsense about how Toby is just trying to help me. But you have no idea what it's like to be in my shoes. You're just a pathetic fool, blindly following Mike around like a lost puppy." Audrey's eyes widened, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Isabella, that's not fair!" she protested. "I'm only trying to help you!"

"Forget about helping me, you should be trying to help yourself!" Isabella said, her voice rising to a shout. "You're in a relationship with a man who's a part of a criminal organization, and you're just going along with it like it's nothing. Don't you see how messed up that is?" Audrey opened her mouth to protest, but Isabella cut her off. "No, don't you dare say anything! You don't get to lecture me about what's right and wrong, not when you're just as complicit in all of this as he is!"

"If I had never met you, if I had never met any of you, I would still be living a normal life," Isabella said, her voice growing more and more bitter with each word. "I would be working a normal job, and going about my day like any other person. But because of y'all , my life is in ruins. Everything I've worked for has been destroyed. And you want to sit there and tell me that he's trying to help me? You're delusional!"

"I'd rather die than spend another minute with any of you!" Isabella exclaimed, her face red with rage. "I'd rather take my chances with the Serpentine Group than be here with you. At least with them, I'd know what I was up against. With you, I have no idea what to expect. You're all a bunch of snakes, and I hate every single one of you!" Audrey stood there, speechless. She had never seen Isabella like this, and she didn't know what to do.

"Audrey, I'm so sorry," Isabella said, her voice quivering. "I didn't mean any of those things I said. You've been nothing but kind to me since I got here, and I don't know why I lashed out like that. Please forgive me." Audrey put her arms around Isabella, pulling her close. "Of course I forgive you," she said. "We're all under a lot of stress right now, and we're all bound to say things we don't mean. It's okay, Isabella."

I should have been yelling at steph and not at you ''I said with a mischievous grin''...Then me and Audrey burst out laughing.

"I'm so glad we're laughing again," Audrey said, her laughter subsiding. "For a moment there, I thought we were going to be at each other's throats forever." Isabella nodded, her expression growing more serious. "It's not easy being in this situation," she said. "It's so easy to get frustrated and angry at each other. But I'm glad we're able to talk through it and work things out." Audrey reached out and took Isabella's hand. "Me too," she said.

Just as the laughter was beginning to die down, there was a knock at the door. Audrey and Isabella both looked up, startled. "That must be Mike," Audrey said, rising to her feet. "Let's see what he wants." She went to the door and opened it, revealing Mike standing on the other side. "Uhm babe will you excuse me and Isabella I want to see for her some minutes"

As Audrey left the room, Mike gave her a quick peck on the lips. But before the kiss could linger, Isabella called out from across the room. "Get a room, you two!" she said, a playful smirk on her face. Mike blushed, embarrassed, but Audrey just laughed and gave Isabella a wink. "We'll behave," she said, before closing the door behind her.

"Isabella, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" Mike asked, his tone serious. "I just need to get a few things cleared up, if that's okay." Isabella nodded, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Of course," she said, her voice hesitant. "What do you want to know?" Mike hesitated for a moment, considering his words carefully. "I know you left the party the other night, and I just want to know where you went. I'm not trying to be nosy, I just want to make sure you're okay."

Isabella hesitated, her mind racing. She knew she couldn't tell Mike the truth - that she had been trying to escape. But she also couldn't think of a good lie. "I...I went to my rooms," she said, choosing her words carefully. "I just needed some time to myself, you know? I was feeling a little overwhelmed by everything that was happening." Mike nodded, a look of understanding on his face. "I get that," he said. "It's been a crazy few days.

Are you sure that was all that happened? "Mike asked again"

What is with all this questions Mike? Did anything happen?

No no nothing at all I just wanted to be sure nothing bad happened to you that night..Mike said suspiciously.

"Look, I'm not trying to be nosy," Mike said, his tone shifting from understanding to suspicious. "But I find it hard to believe that nothing happened that night. You're not telling me everything." Isabella's heart started to race. She knew she was caught in a lie, and she didn't know what to do. "I'm not lying, I swear!" she said, her voice shaking. "I really don't know what you're talking about." Mike's eyes narrowed. "You're a terrible liar, Isabella," he said. "I can see right through you.

As Mike's words hung in the air, Isabella's mind raced. What was she going to do? She couldn't tell him the truth - that she fought a spy that night . But she also couldn't let him know that she was lying. She was trapped, with no way out. The tension in the room was thick, and it was clear that Mike was not going to let this go. As the silence stretched on, Isabella could feel the fear rising within her. What was going to happen next?

"Tu eres una mentirosa(you're a liar)," Mike spat, his voice dripping with anger. The words hit Isabella like a slap in the face even though she didn't know what they meant - . She felt her cheeks flush with shame. How had this gotten so out of control? She had just wanted to help, but now she had made everything worse. Mike turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, leaving Isabella alone with her thoughts. She sank down onto the bed, feeling overwhelmed and afraid. What had she gotten herself into?