Chapter 77 Caged
Elsie
The beach was beautiful. I stood right at the edge of the water, and the view stretched forever—the endless blue meeting the sky in a soft, bright line.
The air was cold, and the wind grabbed my hair, whipping it across my face, and I just let it. I didn't try to brush it away. I was in a deep fog, lost in my own thoughts, wondering just how many places like this the Lancasters owned. How many beautiful homes were just clean, perfect fronts for their ugly, criminal business?
Then I heard footsteps on the wet sand behind me.
My body stiffened instantly, though I didn't turn. I already knew who it was. The three monsters.
Jacob reached me first, holding out a glass of coconut water, "Here," he said gently. “It's refreshing.”
I took it, our fingers brushing for a fraction of a second. I hated the small jolt I felt—a confusing mix of pain and a response I didn't want to name. I quickly clenched my jaw, pushing the feeling away.
Then Caleb spoke. "I have things to take care of," he announced to his brothers, his voice steady and flat. "I'll be back tomorrow."
Things to take care of, I thought, the resentment burning hot. I knew exactly what that meant. It wasn't about legal briefs or stock reports. It was about damage control, silencing witnesses, and making the problems disappear.
He wasn't just a lawyer anymore; he was something much more dangerous. He was a ruthless son running a criminal empire, the same man I had been stupid enough to trust over the others.
I knew I had lost the initial battle. I had been taken. I needed to re-strategize. I needed to play their game, let them use me as their fuck toy, let them tell me what to do, until the perfect moment came to strike back.
Jacob spoke up, sounding confused. "Why are we even here, Caleb? This is somebody who was missing, and everyone is worried sick. Mrs. Chavez, the other staff, Father... We can't just be hiding her at the coast instead of taking her home."
Caleb's voice was firm, cutting off the discussion. "She is much safer here. And that is all I can say. When the time is right, I will take her to the mansion. Until then, you both look after her."
Then he turned to me. He leaned down, and his presence was suddenly too close. I could smell the sharp, clean scent of his expensive cologne. He held my face up with both hands to meet his eyes before kissing me on the forehead.
That would have felt comforting before I knew who he truly is, but right now, it’s irritating watching him pretend to care.
He straightened up and glanced at his brothers, then walked toward his car. The lingering look he gave me as he left made my pulse throb—a heat that I struggled to resist.
I looked at Jacob and Aiden. They stood there, comfortable, rich, and protected, knowing they ran a business that bought and sold human beings. I fought the urge to scream at them.
Aiden stepped forward, his face full of worry. "Elsie, you are badly hurt. You need to come into the house so I can look at those cuts. You can’t just stand here."
I shook my head, my voice quiet. "I’m fine."
“You don't need to act tough or strong right now. Your wounds are deep. How did you get them? Did you see the person who took you? What do you know? And how did Caleb even find you?"
How could they pretend not to know the person behind everything? Are they trying to know if I’ll talk?
I looked at the waves, giving them the simple lie. "I didn’t see anyone. I was blindfolded. I escaped my kidnappers and ran into the forest to hide, and that’s where I called Caleb. That’s all."
They looked at each other, still doubtful, but they let it go.
You can't talk back, a voice screamed inside my head. You have to be at their mercy. You have to let them believe they have tamed you.
But deep inside, I wasn't tamed. I saw the faces of the girls, the fear in their eyes. I remembered Mariana, the way she was shot. I was the reason they had run; I was the reason they were in danger now. I blamed myself for every bad thing that happened.
I have to go back to the casino, I told myself fiercely. I have to find every secret path, every hidden room. I have to get those girls out before they get hurt.
The fear I felt for them turned into a burning resolve. I knew I had to find a way to crush everything the Lancasters had built underground. And the deepest, coldest thought was this: I couldn't shake the feeling that the casino, that dark place, was connected to my sister Clarita's death. Maybe that was where she was taken before the accident.
I took a sharp breath, trying to steady myself. I would go with them. I would let them use their protective gaze on me. I would play the role of the damaged maid. But while they thought I was resting, I would be planning how to walk back under the ground and dismantle their empire, piece by piece.