Chapter 96 Kicking the Door
Bianca lifted her gaze, her eyes turning cold, the fire inside her locked down by sheer will. It was as if steel restraints held every emotion in check.
Blair.
She repeated the name in her mind, stoking her anger until it threatened to explode. But she forced it down.
Right now, the only thing that mattered was finding a way to get Jasmine out.
"I'll text a teacher, have them bring tools," Paxton said, urgency sharpening his voice.
Bianca gave a brief nod, drew in a deep breath, and drove her boot into the door again.
The dull thud echoed through the bathroom. The corroded sign hanging on the door broke loose, clattering to the floor.
The old door didn't move. It stood there, mocking her effort.
She shook out her aching foot, her brows knit so tightly they could snap.
"Dammit... no signal at all!" Paxton paced with his phone raised, watching the sending icon spin endlessly before shoving it back into his pocket. "I'll find help. You stay here."
Bianca didn't answer. He leaned close to the door, speaking low to Jasmine inside.
"Jasmine, hang on. We'll get you out soon."
His face was grim as he turned and ran down the hall. The sound of his footsteps echoed in the empty corridor, each beat tightening the knot in her chest.
"Why is the door closed? We didn't shut it..." Paxton muttered, breathless, stopping before the old school's main entrance—now sealed tight.
Without thinking, he lunged forward, slamming his shoulder into it. The impact rang sharp.
"Bianca, stop wasting your strength."
The voice from the other side froze him in place. His pupils contracted, his hand hovering mid-knock.
Blair's voice? No... he had to be mistaken.
"Good thing I came back, or you'd actually get Jasmine out," Blair's tone was a cold sneer. "All I wanted was for her to write my paper. She dared to refuse? Who does she think she is?"
Paxton stood silent, shock rooting him to the spot. He knew that voice. He couldn't be wrong. But why...
Blair didn't seem to care about his silence. "Stay in there with her. Maybe you can die together."
Her voice sharpened, dripping venom. "You little bitch... you told Dad, and now I can't go anywhere but school. Time for you to feel what it's like to be locked up."
She turned and walked away.
Paxton snapped out of it, pounding on the door. "Blair, it's me! Don't leave! Open the door!"
But she was gone, her footsteps fading.
His hand fell slowly to his side, the chill seeping into his bones. Blair's voice replayed in his head, stabbing through what was left of his faith.
So... they'd been telling the truth.
Back at the bathroom, Bianca's boot slammed into the door again. This time, a crack split down the middle.
The sight was a lifeline—hope surged.
She kicked at it again, but her motion stalled when she saw Paxton return alone, his shoulders slumped.
"You... came back alone?" Her eyes narrowed, studying him like he was a stranger.
"Don't bother. Even if you break this one, the iron gate outside won't budge." His voice carried the weight of defeat.
He sank to the floor, back against the wall, hands resting on his knees. His sigh was long and heavy.
"Bianca... are you still there?" Jasmine's voice was small, trembling. She was curled up in a corner of the storage room, her back pressed to the wall.
Broken mops and buckets surrounded her, the air thick with a sharp, unpleasant stench.
It was disgusting, but fear drowned out the discomfort. She was alone, and she was terrified.
"I'm here, Jasmine. I'm not leaving you. I'll get you out, I swear."
Bianca drove her boot into the door again.
The wood splintered, fragments flying. The crack widened into a jagged opening—enough to spark joy in her chest.
Even Paxton lifted his head.
She'd done it.
Bianca grabbed the mop from the floor, using its handle to hammer at the edges of the break. The opening grew wider under her blows, until it was big enough for a person to slip through.
She tossed the mop aside, ripped away the sharp splinters, and slid through, stepping into the bathroom.
"Jasmine, I'm in. Where are you?"
Hearing her voice so close, Jasmine shot upright, pounding the door in front of her. "Bianca! I'm here!"
She hadn't believed Bianca would actually come. Relief crashed over her, tears spilling as she ignored the sting in her palms.
Bianca cleared the debris blocking the storage room door and yanked it open.
Sunlight streamed through a high window, spilling across her shoulders, gilding her in gold.
A hot tear slid down Jasmine's cheek, falling onto the cold tile.
She threw herself into Bianca's arms, sobbing.
"Bianca... thank God. I thought I'd be stuck here forever. I was so scared... it was just me..."
Bianca's hand moved gently over her back. "I should have reached out sooner. You're safe now. I'm here."
Paxton had come in at some point, leaning against the frame. He watched them, something shifting faintly in his chest, but reality dragged his expression back down.
"We found her... but we're still trapped in the old school. The signal's dead. Messages won't send. We might be stuck here for a while." His sigh was heavy.
Bianca shot him a glare.
In her arms, Jasmine stiffened, her grip tightening on Bianca's shirt. "What does he mean? Stuck here for a while?"
Paxton stared at her trembling form. She looked nothing like the rumors.