Chapter 28: .•11•.

She spent more than an hour in the shower, crying her heart out. Mourning the loss of her freedom. Her sanity. Her tortured mind constantly replaying all those horrifying moments she'd just been through tonight. Mere hours ago. How from a seemingly innocent dinner things had escalated to the point where she'd found herself suddenly chased by her own boss, the psychotic killer. The monster.

Maybe those dreams she'd had about him were actually premonitions. Warnings about what he was going to do to her in the future.

She should've left after that first nightmare. After that first sign that something was wrong. She shouldn't have stayed. Now she was trapped within these walls, possibly still in danger of being murdered. And god only knows what else.

She hiccuped, rising herself from the floor on shaky legs. She'd already spent way too much in there. She needed to get out and dress up before he returned. She didn't want him to see her like this. In such a vulnerable and inappropriate state. He'd mentioned sex before. She'd even felt his uhm...eagerness during those moments of struggle. What if he forced her to offer her body too, along with her blood? The thought had those tiny hairs on her body rising with alarm, scrambling to put on a towel and dress up as quick as possible. She'd remained a virgin for a reason. She was dreaming about offering her body one day to someone she actually loved, not to a random stranger. And much less to a deranged psychopath who was probably already planning ways to torture her before sucking her dry like a damned bloodbag.

Tightly holding that towel wrapped around her body, she ran back into the bedroom and started to rummage through her things for a pair of decent pyjamas. She really didn't want him to see her like that again. Like he'd seen her the very first time they'd laid eyes upon each other. So she picked the longest pyjama pants she had, along with a large grey t-shirt. She shrugged her lacy panties on, followed by the silken pair of pants and the simple t-shirt.

She really dreaded what was about to follow next. She had to go and search for his room now, since she obviously had no idea where that was. And then she would be forced to sleep in his bed. Possibly right next to him. She gulped at the idea. Heart already pounding with fear.

Still, she willed herself to move and finally exited that room, trailing down the corridor with slow and shaky steps. The manor seemed so silent now. So frightening. And cold. She crossed her arms over her chest and continued to walk, climbing the stairs that led to the next floor. It was equally dark. And deserted. She suddenly remembered what miss Nancy had told her, on her very first day here. To stay away from the top floor.

Well, it was safe to say that that rule wasn't applicable now anymore, anyway. The cat was out of the bag. She knew who her boss was. What he did for fun. She couldn't help but wonder if miss Nancy was also aware of it. Of his true nature.

Of course she was, silly. Her mind whispered almost mockingly back at her. She'd said that she'd known him since he'd been born. Wait. Was that why she'd hired her? To offer her to her precious "master" as a sacrifice? A some sort of snack?

What a cruel old lady! She couldn't help but think. And to think that she'd treated her so kindly, so motherly.

It was all just an act, as it turned out. Just a ruse to make her believe that she was safe here. They were both monsters. Him and that cunning maid of his.

She stopped at the top of the stairs, thickly swallowing as soon as she noticed that wide open door, further down the corridor. The soft and warm light coming from inside the room.

Her heart flipped inside her chest. Body starting to shake as the memory of what she'd gone through mere hours ago came back to her full-force.

Her instincts screamed at her to run. To escape this nightmare she was currently living. But that dark threat of his was still looming over her head like a swinging axe, making her feel more afraid of what was going to happen if she did so. If she gave in to those instincts.

So she drew in a shaky breath of air, forcing herself to start walking again. To move. She had to do it. She couldn't stop now. She couldn't give in. She had to try to survive. For her poor sweet mother. For Dan. For herself.

She timidly made her way there, her footsteps small and reluctant. Trembling. Her heart banging inside her chest. She paused in the doorframe, her fearful gaze landing on the m... creature lying so relaxedly on one side of the large four-poster bed sitting close to the opposite side of the room. His lean and tattooed upper body free of any clothing. His hand splayed over the cover of a book as he held it in front of him. Seemingly engrossed into it.

"About damn time, little mouse. I was starting to get bored,"