Chapter 22 Chapter 23
Valerie POV
As I watched his figure disappear down the hallway, a sharp breath escaped my lungs. Relief rushed through me so fast it almost made me dizzy. I pushed back from the dining table at once, barely managing to keep myself together as I hurried back to my room. My hands trembled as I closed the door behind me, pressing my back against it as if it could protect me from everything I feared.
What if he had found out about my plan to escape?
The thought slammed into me without warning, stealing the air from my chest. My heart pounded painfully as more questions followed, each one worse than the last. What if Lauren had said something by accident? What if Damien had already suspected me and was only pretending not to know? My mind refused to slow down, racing in every direction at once.
What if he had sent people to spy on me?
The idea made my stomach twist. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to keep my body from shaking apart. I didn’t have much time left here every second mattered. Lauren and I had already talked about everything earlier, carefully planning my escape before Damien had interrupted our call. We were supposed to be careful. Quiet. Invisible.
I grabbed my phone with shaky fingers and dialed Lauren’s number. The sound of it ringing felt painfully loud in the silent room. One ring. Two. Three. Then her voicemail picked up.
My chest tightened, I tried again immediately, my thumb pressing harder against the screen this time, as if that would somehow make her answer faster. The same result. Voicemail.
Panic crept into my veins, cold and heavy. My thoughts turned dark before I could stop them. What if something was wrong? What if she had been caught? Worse, what if my father had found out and killed her?
The thought made my vision blur. I shook my head violently, trying to push it away, but fear had already taken hold. I began pacing the room, back and forth, my footsteps quick and uneven. I whispered her name under my breath like a prayer, hoping somehow she could hear me.
Lauren was my only way out.
Without her, I was trapped here. Forever.
I stared at my phone as if it might suddenly come to life in my hand. I called her again. Voicemail. Each unanswered call felt like a countdown, reminding me how close I was to losing everything. My breathing grew shallow, my chest aching as fear pressed down on me from all sides.
Please be okay, suddenly, my phone rang.
The sound startled me so badly I nearly dropped it. My heart leaped into my throat as I rushed across the room, snatching it up without thinking. My eyes locked onto the screen, and when I saw her name, my knees nearly gave out.
Lauren.
Relief crashed over me so hard it burned. My heart skipped wildly as I shut my eyes for a moment, forcing myself to breathe. I didn’t want her to hear how close I was to breaking.
“Jesus Christ, Lauren, you scared me,” I whispered harshly into the phone, keeping my voice as low as possible. My heart was still racing, and my hands trembled as I spoke. I quickly scanned the room, my eyes darting from corner to corner, making sure no one was watching me, no one listening. Even the walls felt like they had ears in this house.
I had to be careful, Luciano already knew about my plans, or at least part of them, and that alone made my chest tighten with fear. One wrong move, one careless word, and everything could fall apart. I wasn’t going to risk it now, not when I was this close.
“I’m sorry, Valerie,” Lauren muttered quietly. “I had to get it… with the help of your brother.”
Her words hit me like a slap, I froze, my breath catching in my throat. Something felt wrong immediately. My instincts screamed at me, warning me that this wasn’t part of the plan. Why would Lauren go to my brother? Why would she involve him in something this dangerous?
My grip tightened around my phone as my mind raced. Of all people, she chose him. The very thought made my stomach churn. My brother was too close to my father, too close to this entire nightmare. Trusting him felt like standing on thin ice and pretending it wouldn’t crack.
“Lauren,” I whispered urgently, my voice shaking despite my efforts to stay calm. “Don’t tell me something bad happened.”
Fear wrapped around my heart like a vice. I was terrified that everything had been exposed,that my father already knew, that my escape had been stopped before it even began. I knew how ruthless he could be. If he found out, he wouldn’t let me leave, not easily, not alive.
“Stop acting, Valerie,” Lauren said quickly, trying to sound calm. “Everything is fine.”
I didn’t believe her. My chest felt tight, my breathing shallow.
“Your brother and I have been dating for a while now,” she continued. “I guess after the engagement… I didn’t want him to tell you about it, but I already knew you were going through so much. I didn’t want to add more to your stress.”
I closed my eyes, slowly sinking onto the edge of my bed as her words sank in.
Dating… My brother?
“I didn’t want to bring it up then,” she went on, “but when you come over to pick up your passport, I’ll tell you everything you want to hear. Every detail.”
I stayed silent for a moment, trying to process everything. My emotions were tangled, confusion, disbelief, fear but beneath it all was one pressing need. Answers could wait. Explanations could wait. What mattered now was my escape.
I pushed aside my questions, forcing myself to focus on what truly mattered. Lauren would explain everything when the time came. I trusted her enough for that. Right now, I need to know one thing and one thing only.
“Lauren,” I said quietly, my voice firm despite the storm inside me. “Did you do everything I asked?”
There was no room for mistakes. I wasn’t going to waste another day trapped inside this mansion, suffocating under rules, expectations, and threats disguised as protection. I needed to know that my freedom was secured, that when I left, there would be no turning back.
Luciano had helped me escape the engagement, yes. But I wasn’t foolish enough to believe that meant safety. I refused to let myself be used as bait, as leverage, as something to control.
This time, I was leaving for myself.
And I needed to know that nothing no one could stop me.