Chapter 106
Elizabeth's POV
I was stunned to realize Aiden's idea of my boundaries was actually way more generous than I had expected.
But I didn't dare relax. Not really. Because right then, I was still trapped with him in that room, my freedom stripped away, every second under his control.
Even after I had treated him so roughly, Aiden didn't show the slightest hint of irritation.
"Elizabeth, you really should be more obedient," he said.
He finally put a little distance between us and straightened his clothes.
Then he stood up. "I'm going out for a bit. Is there anything you want me to pick up for dinner? Any ingredients you're craving?"
Was he actually leaving?
The first flicker in my chest was pure, sharp relief, but I forced my expression to stay flat, to look as calm as possible.
It was indeed a good time for me to take action now that Aiden had left, but I shouldn't rush because of this. I had to see everything clearly before I did anything.
I looked at him without answering, deliberately putting on a sulky face, even turning my head away so I didn't have to look at him.
Aiden suddenly laughed, stepped toward me, and reached out like he wanted to ruffle my hair, but I dodged him with practiced ease.
"Then I'll just decide for you, okay?" He said with a smile before walking out of the room under my watch.
A few seconds after the door clicked shut, my heart was still racing too hard to settle.
Did he really leave? Or was he just trying to bait me into doing something?
I stared at the door and purposely waited a good long while, only letting the tension drain from my shoulders when I was sure Aiden was really gone.
Even with him gone, I couldn't move too fast. I had no way of knowing if he had cameras hidden in there somewhere.
For all I knew, he was sitting in front of a monitor watching my every move, so I had to be careful with everything I did.
I got to my feet and headed straight for the kitchen, taking a quick inventory of the fridge.
For the past couple of days, Aiden had been the one cooking, but he hadn't stocked that much food. If he didn't go out and buy more, we would be out of groceries by tomorrow.
Which meant this little trip of his was probably just a grocery run, nothing more.
I circled back and headed straight for the study.
If there were cameras in that place, checking the electronics was the fastest way to find them.
For the past two days, Aiden had been in and out of the study a lot, and I had made a point of never showing the slightest interest in what he did in there.
This was actually my first time stepping inside.
The setup was pretty standard at a glance—nothing that screamed secret lair or anything.
What stood out instead were the files spread openly across the desk, not hidden at all, as if he wasn't even worried I might snoop.
I picked them up and flipped through them carefully, realizing they were the latest project documents for the Smith Group.
At the company, this stuff would be locked down like it was top secret, yet here it was, just laid out where I could read it.
It was impossible not to read into that.
I drew in a long breath, my mind going oddly blank.
I couldn't shake the feeling that Aiden had me completely in the palm of his hand, that I was reactive instead of proactive in almost everything.
The sensation was deeply, intensely uncomfortable.
I had never cared about these project proposals, so I closed the folder and let my gaze slide to the computer.
Aiden had messed with my phone and the TV in the living room, but that didn't mean he had done anything to the desktop in his study.
There might actually be something useful on there. If I could use it to contact the outside world, that would be the best possible outcome.
With that thought, I hurried to power up the computer.
The password screen popped up. I inhaled, then typed in Bianca's birthday first.
Incorrect. I tried a few other possibilities, one after another, and every single one was rejected.
In the end, I was left with only one option: I punched in my own birthday.
The computer unlocked instantly.
I frowned at the screen, almost unable to believe what I was seeing.
He seriously set his password to my birthday? Did he do that on purpose?
Did he already guess I would come snooping on his computer?
The thought hit me like a bucket of ice water, surging up out of nowhere. My fingers trembled as I forced myself to steady my breathing.
If that was true, then Aiden had already run through every move I might make.
The idea that he had predicted me so completely made my skin crawl. I swallowed the discomfort and kept digging anyway.
Whether he did this intentionally or not, what mattered most right now was finding out if there was anything useful on that machine.
Once the desktop loaded, I immediately checked the internet connection, and the second I saw that it was online, I sped up.
I found a messaging app and decided to try reaching Alexander through it.
The moment I logged into my account, my inbox exploded with notifications, Charles's name appearing over and over more than anyone else's.
Charles had sent me a ridiculous number of messages, all of them trying to get a response, trying to reach me.
Seeing that long column of bright red notification dots, something warm stirred in my chest, and to my own surprise, I felt almost…happy.
This was good…
It meant Alexander wasn't really cutting me off. He had been trying to find me this whole time. All that hurt and doubt? That was because of Aiden, because he twisted everything and made me misunderstand.
I took a deep breath and messaged Alexander first, then tried to send my location and explain what I was planning to do.
Once I logged out of that account, I was going to try to get out of there.
With Aiden gone, this was the best chance I was going to get. If I could escape that building and meet up with Alexander's people, I would finally be safe.
I had barely hit send when my screen lit up with his reply, almost instantaneous.
Alexander: [Where are you?]
I dropped him my location. [Aiden's not here right now. I'm going to see if there's a way for me to get out. If I make it, please have your people waiting for me nearby.]
Then I added one more line: [Aiden messed with my phone, so I never got your texts.]
I stared at the "typing…" indicator blinking on the screen, feeling his hesitation even through the pixels.
After a while, his next message finally came through. Just one short word: [Okay.]
I logged out of the app and immediately wiped all traces—history, messages, everything—then changed into something light and easy to move in and headed straight for the front door.
Aiden had walked out pretty casually earlier, and I didn't see him do anything weird to the lock. I tested the handle, and to my shock, the door swung open without resistance.
I stared at the open doorway, at the exit that was suddenly so easy, a prickle of unease crawling down my spine. Something felt off, but I didn't dare waste time. I bolted.
All I had to do was get outside, make it to the street, and I could call for help. Once I was on a busy sidewalk, there was no way he could drag me back.
I repeated that to myself over and over, and my strides grew faster, more desperate, until I was inside the elevator, watching the numbers count down.
As the floors dropped, a strange unreality settled over me.
Did I really make it out?
Aiden had to know I wouldn't sit quietly and wait for him. If he left, he must have guessed I would try to escape—yet he hadn't put any kind of safeguard on the door.
Was it that easy?