The Trap is Set

They're planning to  escape.

Alessia locks the door behind her, the gentle click echoing more than it should.

"We don’t have much time," she says, her eyes darting toward the corridor.

Isabella stands straight near the window, her arms wrapped firmly over her chest. "Is this real? Are we actually doing this?"

Alessia goes closer and pushes something cold into her hand. "Midnight. Back door. This key will unlock it. The guards alternate shifts after 10 minutes. That’s our only window."

Isabella glances at the small silver key in her quivering fingers. "If this fails… Lucian will make sure I regret it."

Alessia meets her eyes, solid. "It won’t fail. But we have to move like ghosts."

A beat of stillness passes before Isabella speaks again. "Why are you risking this for me?"

Alessia hesitates, passion shimmering in her voice. "Because I see what he’s growing into. And I can’t see him become our father. You’re the only one who can stop it before it’s too late."

Isabella swallows hard. "What if he never forgives me for leaving?"

"Then he never truly loved you," Alessia replies quietly. "Real love doesn’t chain you. It lets you go, even if it hurts."

"I’m scared," Isabella murmurs.

"Good." Alessia squeezes her shoulder. "That means you’re about to do something brave."

Lucian’s Suspicion

Dinner is chilly and silent. Tension simmers behind every breath.

Lucian sits at the head of the long table, eyes fastened on Isabella like a predator watching his prey.

"You’re quiet tonight," he replies, voice low.

Isabella attempts a grin, her voice bland. "Maybe I’m finally giving up."

Lucian leans forward, elbows on the table. "You? Give up? No. You’re planning something."

She glances down, schooling her face. "What would I even plan? I have no one left."

"You’ve always been a better liar than you think." He stabs his fork into a chunk of meat. "There’s still fight in your eyes."

She pushes her food around, hunger gone. "Maybe I’m simply weary. Tired of resisting. Tired of hoping."

Lucian examines her in quiet. For a minute, something compassionate flickers in his gaze. "You think I don’t want to let you go? I do. But I won’t because Dante is still out there. If you disappear, he’ll find you. And he’ll ruin you."

"Maybe he already did," Isabella says. Lucian leans across the table, his hand touching hers. "Let me protect you. Even if it means you despise me for it."

Isabella draws back gently. "I don’t hate you, Lucian. That’s the true issue."

His stare sharpens. "What does that mean?"

"It implies I don’t know how to quit caring. Even when I should."

Lucian rises swiftly, his chair screeching back. "No. You’re concealing something."

She rises too. "And if I am?"

He looks her down. "Then I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you here. Even if I have to lock every door in this home."

"Then you don’t love me. You adore your control," she snaps.

Lucian’s jaw tightens, but he says nothing. He turns and rushes out, fists clenched.

The Last Chance

The clock nears midnight. Isabella sits on the side of her bed, key clasped securely in her hand. Her breath comes shallow, chest tense with anxiety.

A mild knock. "It’s me," Alessia murmurs from the other side.

She opens the door.

"Ready?" Alessia asks.

Isabella nods. "Let’s do it." They walk like shadows across the corridor, barefoot and quiet. Every crack in the floor seems like a gunshot.

At the corner, a guard emerges.

Alessia yanks Isabella back, slamming her against the wall.

The guard passes, unaware They dart downstairs. The home is too still. Too easy. "We’re almost there," Alessia whispers.

At the rear door, Isabella struggles with the key, fingers sticky with perspiration.

Click. The lock rotates. The door opens. Cool air rushes in. Freedom.

Then... A voice breaks through the blackness.

"Going somewhere?"

They whirl around. Lucian appears behind them, eyes chilly, shirt half-buttoned like he raced from bed.

"You lied to me," he adds, betrayal evident in his voice.

"Lucian..."  "You looked me in the eyes and said you were tired," he adds, coming closer. "You played me."

"I am tired," Isabella says. "Tired of living in a gilded cage."

He turns to Alessia. "You helped her. My own sister."

"You stopped being my brother the day you became a monster," she answers.

Lucian’s jaw tightens. "Everything I’ve done..."

"Was never about protecting me," Isabella cuts in. "It was about keeping me. You’re frightened of losing control."

"You’re wrong," he murmurs.

"Then let me go," she cries. "If there’s even a shred of love left in you."

Lucian glances at her. Something fractures in his expression.

"I can’t," he adds, barely audible.

Alessia moves forward. "Then I will." She pushes Isabella out the door.

Lucian clutches her arm. "Don’t." Alessia rips free. "You don’t get to choose for her anymore."

Isabella glances at him one final time. "Lucian… if I ever come back, it’ll be my decision. Not your command."

His hand slips to his side. She turns and goes into the darkness.

One Step Ahead

The woodland is alive with shadows. Isabella and Alessia rush through the woods, pulses hammering.

"We’re almost there," Alessia pants. "The car’s just ahead..."

A sudden burst of light blinds them. Men in black suits come out from the dark. Guns raised.

Dante enters, calm, confident, grinning. "Going somewhere, princess?"

Isabella freezes.

Alessia chokes a breath. "No… how?"

"You didn’t think Lucian was the only one watching you, did you?" Dante says, smirking.  He strolls toward Isabella.

She backs away.  "Touch her," Alessia shouts, "and I swear I’ll…"

"You’ll do nothing," Dante snaps. "Because now, I’ve got the one thing Lucian values more than anything."

He clutches Isabella’s arm. She yells but another guy slaps a hand over her lips.

Darkness consumes her. The true trap wasn’t Lucian’s. It was Dante’s.