Chapter 53: Your Last Chance

Chapter 53: Your Last Chance
Chapter 53: Your Last Chance

EVANGELINE

Holding my hand, Aleksander makes my pulse quicken as he leads me outside the house.

Not even the sight of the massive pool in the back or the artificial lake in the side garden is enough to distract me from the adrenaline running through my body.

Without seeming to care about leaving the other guests behind, he keeps walking across the lawn.

I want to ask where he’s taking me, but I feel like he has no intention of telling me.

Leaving the lake behind, we follow a narrow stone path. Going farther toward the back of the property, all I can see on the horizon are the trees surrounding it.

And as we move forward, the lighting seems to dim more and more, blending into the darkness of the night.

A little farther ahead, I identify what looks like a large hedge structure among the trees.

If it weren’t for the small lights marking the opening in the vegetation, anyone would think it was nothing more than a tall wall of perfectly aligned hedges.

Wait... he’s taking me there?

"Wait," I say hesitantly when we’re almost at the entrance.

"We’re almost there," he says without stopping.

"What is this place?"

"Trust me."

"Wait," I insist, trying to stop him as we pass through the entrance, feeling my fear grow at the sight of the dimly lit narrow corridor of hedges ahead of us.

But he keeps going, turning right at the end of it, only to enter another identical one, making me realize.

Fuck.

"This is..."

A maze.

My stomach tightens.

I try not to panic as I look around.

"Almost there," he repeats, trying to reassure me, but with every new corridor, I only feel more dazed.

More lost.

Whatever he wants to show me, I’m no longer sure I want to see it. I just want to go back.

But I don’t think I could on my own. I would probably get trapped in this place forever.

Which means I’m trapped with Aleksander.

And all I have left now is to trust him.

After passing through so many identical corridors, I’m almost losing my sense of front and back when something different appears as we turn a corner.

Entering the wide area surrounded by hedge walls, Aleksander finally stops near the stone fountain positioned at the center of it.

When he lets go of my hand, I instinctively move closer to the faint light hidden somewhere beneath the fountain stones.

For a moment, I almost feel relieved. But the sound of the water slowly running down the dark stone only worsens my unease.

"Are you afraid?" he asks, making me look away from the water.

"What are we doing here?" I question, feeling a cold shiver.

I try to control the urge to wrap my arms around myself.

Ignoring my question, he unbuttons his suit jacket and takes it off, then circles around me, stopping behind me to place it over my shoulders.

"Thank you," I say, holding it around myself while trying to disguise the way my body tenses at his proximity.

"I had no intention of frightening you." I feel the words against my temple.

"I just... don’t like closed spaces."

"I needed to bring you here."

"Are you finally going to tell me why?"

He moves, stopping in front of me, his gaze fixed on mine.

"I said I would help you understand."

"But I still don’t understand."

A moment of silence follows.

"There’s something in the pocket I want you to get for me."

I blink, processing it.

Following his instructions, I start moving my arms inside the jacket in search of pockets, and soon find something rigid and cold.

Curious, I pull the object out of the pocket.

Shock hits me when I see what it is.

A mask? What does he...?

"What does this mean?" I question, meeting his gaze, tormented.

"You can still say no, but I don’t think you came here for that."

His words only confuse me even more.

"Why? For what?"

"I’m going to give you one last chance... If you can get out before I find you, you’re free."

What?

Is this some kind of game? Is that what he’s proposing?

Why? Does he think this will help me?

Then, I remember.

The conversation about fantasies. About understanding what I felt.

"I prefer to explore them."

Is that what he’s trying to do?

Could it... actually work?

"And if... I can’t?"

"You won’t be able to run anymore."

I swallow hard, feeling the words slip beneath my skin, heavy with danger, sounding almost inevitable.

I’m not sure what they mean, but I think they shouldn’t make my heart race like this.

"Doesn’t seem very fair to me," I say at last. "Considering it’s my first time in this place."

He seems to consider my words for a moment.

"I’ll give you an advantage. One minute."

One minute...

My heart races even faster.

My gaze falls to the matte black mask in my hands, now almost trembling. I slide my thumb over the smooth, rigid surface.

"Run... or stay?" he asks, extending his hand toward the mask.

"Stay," I murmur, almost breathless, before handing him the mask.

Offering me one last intense look, he raises the mask to his face.

As I watch him put it on and fasten it behind his head, my feet step back instinctively.

When he finishes, I can barely see his eyes through the only openings in the dark surface.

It looks cold and disturbing. Expressionless. Devoid of humanity.

"Now, you should run."