Chapter 81 That voice

Chapter 81 That voice

Elara’s Pov

Sleep refused to come.

I lay on the narrow, lumpy bed with my eyes fixed on the cracked ceiling above me, listening to the steady breathing of the girls sleeping around us. Raye had finally drifted off beside me, her face still etched with worry even in sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, Vincent’s voice returned, replaying itself over and over until I couldn’t tell whether it was memory or my own desperate imagination.

“Trust me.”

Those had been his last words before I left his room.

The memory of our kiss crept into my mind before I could stop it — the way his hand had gripped my waist, pulling me closer, the heat of his mouth on mine, the way I had risen onto my toes like I was trying to disappear into him. My cheeks warmed in spite of myself. I buried my face in the thin pillow with an irritated groan, angry that I was thinking about him at all. After everything that had happened, after believing he’d abandoned me, I had no right to let one conversation undo my anger. Yet no matter how much I argued with myself, my heart refused to listen.

Morning came too soon, followed by another long, exhausting day of endless work.

The hours crawled by as though time itself had decided to torture us. Servants hurried through the endless hallways carrying trays, polishing silver, changing linens, and preparing rooms while guards watched every movement with cold, suspicious eyes. No one spoke unless spoken to, and every mistake was met with a punishment harsh enough to remind the rest of us never to repeat it.

By evening, the entire mansion had fallen into controlled chaos.

“The Master is receiving another guest tonight,” the chief housekeeper announced, her sharp voice cutting through the servants’ hall. “Every room must be spotless. Every corridor must shine. If anything is out of place, the person responsible will answer for it.”

Immediately, everyone scattered.

Some hurried toward the kitchens while others rushed upstairs carrying fresh flowers, expensive wine, and polished cutlery. Even the guards seemed more occupied than usual, moving quickly between corridors as though preparing for someone important. Watching the sudden confusion unfold around me, I exchanged a glance with Raye. Without saying a word, we both understood exactly what the other was thinking.

This was our chance.

We waited until the chief housekeeper disappeared around the corner before quietly slipping away from the stream of servants. My pulse quickened with every step as we turned into the narrow passage leading toward the underground pathway. Raye and I had planned this in the morning — to visit her mom, check if she was okay, and try to find any possible way out. Waiting for Vincent to do something was slowly killing me, but I also couldn’t just sit still while Raye’s mother suffered down there.

The farther we walked, the quieter the mansion became until the cheerful sounds of preparation were replaced by distant footsteps and the occasional clatter of metal echoing through the stone corridors.

“I don’t like this,” Raye whispered, her voice trembling.

“You don’t have to,” I replied softly, squeezing her hand. “Just stay close.”

She nodded, although I could hear the fear in her breathing.

We moved carefully through the maze of passageways until we reached the heavy iron gate where I had last seen the guards dragging her mother away. Tonight, only one guard stood watch, his attention fixed on another corridor where several servants hurried past with crates of wine. Taking advantage of the distraction, we slipped behind a row of old storage shelves before quietly making our way deeper inside.

We almost thought we’d gotten lost for a moment when a familiar voice stopped us cold.

“Raya…”

Her mother stepped forward from the shadows behind the bars.

For a moment, none of us moved.

Then Raya rushed to the cell. “Mom.”

Her voice broke as she held her hands tightly against the iron bars. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you too, my baby,” her mother whispered, tears already filling her eyes. She cupped Raya’s face with trembling hands as though reassuring herself her daughter was truly standing before her. “How did you come here? Isn’t this risky?”

“It’s just for a while, Mom,” Raya said, her voice thick with emotion. “Are you hurt?”

Raya quickly shook her head. “No… not really. They’ve made us work, but we’re alright.”

“And you?” Raya asked, desperately searching her mother’s face. “Are you eating? Are they treating you badly?”

A tired, heartbreaking smile crossed the older woman’s face. “I’ve survived worse.”

“You won’t have to survive much longer,” Raya said firmly, gripping both of her mother’s hands. “Elara and I are going to get us out of here. I promise.”

Her mother’s expression changed instantly. She lowered her voice, eyes wide with fear. “Listen to me carefully.”

Raya and I stepped closer, pressing ourselves against the cold bars.

“You mustn’t come here again. If you’re caught, you’ll be dead. If there’s anything he hates, it’s disobedience.” Her eyes flicked between me and Raya before settling on her daughter. “You don’t have to always worry about me. As long as you obey the rules here, you live.”

The look on our faces must have said everything. She wanted us to adjust to this life. Before I could speak, Raya already did.

“What are you talking about, Mom?” Raya asked, confusion and hurt thick in her voice. “You literally just told me you would get me out of here. Why are you changing your mind?”

“I’m not about to put my only child at risk. I love you so much, and I can’t lose you over a silly mistake.”

“What are you saying?” Raya asked, her voice cracking.

“Raya, listen to me…” Her mother’s voice trembled as she released her hands from Raya’s grip. “I had planned on escaping before you came, and every single one of them was killed. I was always the lucky one escaping. I can’t risk telling you how you can escape because you’ll never make it past anywhere and you’ll be killed.”

We were both speechless. Raya didn’t know what to say. Tears welled up in her eyes as she stared at her mother in disbelief.

“Please,” I begged, my voice low but urgent. “There has to be something. Anything. We can’t just stay here and wait to be used or broken. Please… help us.”

Raya joined in, her voice breaking. “Mom, I can’t leave you here. I won’t. Please… tell us something. We have to try at least.”

It took a whole while before she even reacted to our plea. Raye hàd or remind her of the life she wanted to live, what she had planned to be in the future and how she would make her proud.

Her mother looked between us, her face torn with fear and love. After a long, painful silence, she finally whispered, “There is an old servants’ passage beneath the west wing. The room next to Zachariah’s. Most people think it’s been sealed.”

“But?” I asked quickly, hope flickering inside me.

“I don’t think all of it has. No one enters the room except the master. There are a series of guards there which you have to be very careful.”

She swallowed hard, her frightened eyes locked onto mine. “If you go looking for it… be careful.”

“Someone’s coming,” I whispered suddenly, my face going pale as I heard footsteps approaching.

I looked around desperately before spotting a narrow recess between two crumbling stone pillars. “Raye,” I whispered urgently. “Hide.”

The space could only hide one person. I shifted quickly. “What about you?”

Her eyes widened. “Elara—”

“I can't put us both at risk at the same time.”

Reluctantly, she disappeared into the narrow space just as the footsteps reached the corner.

I stepped into the middle of the corridor.

Three guards rounded the bend.

Their eyes landed on me instantly.

One of them narrowed his gaze. “You.”

His hand immediately went to the weapon at his side. “What are you doing down here?”

Before I could answer, another pair of footsteps echoed from behind them.

Slow.

Measured.

Confident.

Every guard in the corridor immediately straightened.

Then a familiar female voice, smooth and unmistakable, drifted through the silence.

“So…”

“I was wondering who had wandered where they didn’t belong.”

My blood ran cold.

I knew that voice.