Chapter 16

Seconds turned into minutes and my terror only grew.

The sound of music and people gradually died down until only silence remained.

My throat hurt from screaming. I had not screamed in the hopes of someone hearing me. I was not a fool. I knew it was impossible. I had screamed with frustration. I had screamed because I was tired of crying.

Minutes passed and I was emotionally exhausted. This was another one of Ace's psychological tricks. He was making me die every minute in the fear of what was to come.

With mouth taped and limbs bound, I was helpless. My fear only amplified.

Christina knew of Ace's abuse.

She-

My eyes rested on the huge, framed picture on the wall above the bed. A chill ran up my spine.

The picture was a close-up of Ace kissing Christina's cheek. Her eyes twinkled and they both looked genuinely happy and content.

I could no longer feel my hands and feet. My body had become numb.

My eyes travelled around the room for the first time. On the wall opposite the bed, there were more pictures, smaller but framed. Each one was of Ace and Christina. They were laughing in some pictures and passionately admiring each other in the rest.

My breathing quickened and I started to shake. Ace and Christina were a couple.

No, no. Mama…mama, take me away from here. Mom!

Save me.

This is what Ace was talking about. The bigger plan. About me being stupid and innocent.

What are they trying to do? What do they want from me?

Mom. Hear me. Help me.

Dad…

If I had thought that I knew what terror was, then I was wrong. The terror that ran like a razor blade through my blood right now was true terror.

Just then, a key rotated in the lock. My eyes fixed on the door as it opened.

Ace wheeled Christina into the room. This time, he did not bother locking the door. He did not need to; there was no one else in the house now.

"Hi," he said, grinning.

Christina rolled her eyes at him. "Oh, come on, untie her."

"Should I?" he asked, amusement written all over his face. "She looks so much better all tied up. You let her loose and she goes around setting up all these little troublesome plans. Honestly, the amount of work she has made me do!"

"Ace," said Christina, sighing tiredly, "Just look at how scared she is. I don't want her to faint."

"Okay." Ace raised his hands up in mock defeat.

He wheeled Christina next to the bed and came over to untie me. Without any care, he ripped off the tape from my mouth. But the pain felt like nothing in comparison to the frozen state of my heart.

Ace finished untying me completely and got up to sit on the bed, close to Christina.

Despite being untied, I had not moved from my position. I was scared that something would happen if I did.

"Now, now, stop with the crying already," said Ace, narrowing his eyes at me. "I'm seriously fed up with it."

That was one demand which I could not obey. The tears running down my cheeks were not under my control. They were subconsciously escaping my eyes.

"Here," said Christina, handing over a mobile to Ace. "I found it on the floor in the main hall."

My phone. It had dropped from my hand when Ace had dragged me in here.

"Okay, now let's see," he said, taking my phone. "What's the password?"

My lips were sealed.

"Password?" he asked again.

I did not look up and kept my eyes fixed on the floor.

"I'm not going to ask again," he said, his voice low and threatening.

He already knows everything. There is no point in making him angrier.

"S-S—” I tried to say. The word did not come out. Clearing my throat, I tried again. "S-Sa."

My eyes widened. What happened to my voice?

You're scared. That's all. Try again. Don't let him see you cower.

"Say it!" he shouted, standing up.

"Sa-Saturn." I had said it.

He sat down again, pleased with himself.

"Got it. Flight ticket to Amoredale at eleven in the morning tomorrow. Lovely." He smiled at me. "Whatever I told you back at the house, did anything even register in your brain?"

I moved back against the wall, the cool surface making me shiver.

"I thought you will learn, Dalia. I thought the beatings were enough to make you obey. But you like things only when they get tough, don't you?" he said. "And did you honestly believe that you will get away? How were you even confident that I wouldn't find out?"

"Y-You told me." From where I gathered the courage to speak up, I did not know. "You told me to try and c-convince my parents t-that you—”

Christina's laugh filled the room. She held her stomach and laughed, shaking her head at Ace.

"She took it as a challenge." She continued laughing. "Ace, oh my!"

Ace sighed and glanced at me. "How old are you again?"

"What happened, Dalia? At the party, you always had a polite answer to everyone's questions. Cat got your tongue now?" asked Christina.

"W-Why?" I asked, directing my question at Ace. "Y-You both are a c-couple. Why did you marry me?"

"Long story," he said, engrossed in my phone. "Before we tell you that, there is something that needs to be done."

"No, tell me now," I said, clenching my fists.

"Watch your tone, Dalia." Christina snapped. "Getting on my nerves is the last thing you want to do right now."

"The rest of the phone is clean," Ace told Christina. "Nothing suspicious."

Christina simply shrugged.

"Time to make the phone call," Ace said, standing up.

"W-What do you m-mean?" My back pressed against the wall as he advanced towards me.

"Means," he said, sitting down beside me, his back against the wall and our thighs touching. "You will call your mother now and tell her that whatever you told her earlier is a lie. You were upset with me because of a silly argument and wanted to teach me a lesson. You can maybe also add that you were feeling lonely and wanted attention or something like that. Just make it sound convincing."

"And," he added, "I've sent her a picture of a diamond necklace from your phone. Tell her that it was a gift from me for fighting with you. Did you mention that I beat you? Of course, you must have. Well, say that I begged for forgiveness on my knees."

After listening to him, I shook my head, my eyes wide with horror. "No. I'm not going to say any of it."

If I don't land in Amoredale tomorrow, Mom will know something is wrong. She will come and help me get out of here.

"You will, darling," he said. "Or I will slice your throat now."

He took out a pocketknife and expertly flipped it open. The sharp blade shone under the yellow light of the room.

"Will you call or…" He placed the tip of the knife on my cheek, gently tracing it down to my neck. If he applied the slightest pressure, the blade would split open my skin, drawing out blood.

With shaking hands, I took my phone from him. He had mom's contact page open.

I glanced at the knife that he had placed an inch away from my neck, then I quickly pressed on call.

Signing off my only chance of freedom with my own hands felt like I was murdering my own soul.