Chapter 28 Caroline, Stay Alive
The abandoned woodland on the western edge of the city had once been a millionaire's vanity project—a sprawling botanical maze built to be the most difficult in history. Its tangled paths and towering walls of greenery were meant to dazzle and confound.
But the fortune collapsed, the family fell, and the maze was left to rot. For years, no one maintained it. Trees grew wild and high, blotting out the sky. Vines knotted across every surface. Paths vanished under weeds and fallen brush.
The original layout had become a death trap. Rumors spoke of wild animals roaming inside. Those who ventured in rarely returned. Only trained rescue teams could navigate it. Some explorers never even had time to call for help before being torn apart.
The car stopped at the outer edge. Two bodyguards dragged Caroline out of the back seat. Her eyes stayed shut, her body limp, her weight hanging between them.
Her thin coat was no defense against the deep-night chill. The wind cut through the trees, making her shiver despite herself. Her face stayed expressionless.
"Ma'am," one of the guards murmured, voice low, "once you're inside... be careful. Don't go too deep. At sunrise, try to follow light or sound—"
A sharp look from the other silenced him.
"Mr. Hamilton said no hints," he said flatly, eyes on Caroline. "This is your punishment. Whether you make it out depends on your skill and luck."
They hauled her between them into the maze. Then, without warning, they let go. She crumpled to the ground. They turned and walked away.
Darkness swallowed the maze whole. The air was still, broken only by the wind slipping through the walls of trees and the occasional shrill cry of some unseen bird.
Caroline stayed on the ground for a long time. The cold seeped into her limbs until they were numb. Only then did she open her eyes.
Blackness closed in from all sides. Ancient trunks blocked even the stars. Leaves shifted overhead, shadows moving like silent watchers.
She flexed her stiff fingers, pushed herself upright. The motion sent a dull ache through her wound and a burn through her lungs. She coughed twice, the taste of blood rising in her throat.
It took effort to stand. Her eyes adjusted slowly, enough to make out two narrow paths, each half-buried under weeds, curling deeper into the dark.
This was his punishment? To see how long a hated woman could last?
Her mouth curved into a faint, bitter smile.
With no supplies, no direction, and the cold closing in, she wouldn't last until morning. Fine. Let the beasts have her. Let her turn to dirt. Quiet. Clean. Forgotten.
She began to walk, unsteady. The vines and sharp grass sliced at her bare ankles and calves, leaving thin cuts she barely felt.
She kept moving, searching for a place to die.
Her strength bled away fast. The world tilted, her lungs rasping like broken bellows. Each breath rasped, each step heavier. Her head swam.
Finally, she stopped. Leaning against a stone wall furred with vines, she fought for air.
She couldn't go on. Maybe she would die here, under the cold stone.
A low growl rolled from the distance, cutting through the night like a blade.
Her body went rigid. She lifted her head toward the sound.
Two green points of light glowed in the dark, locking on her. The crunch of heavy paws through dead leaves followed, slow and deliberate.
She pressed her back to the wall. No way out.
The green lights drew closer, the air thickening with the musk of a predator.
A shadow emerged from the tangle—large, teeth bared, throat rumbling.
Instinct told her to move. Her body didn't listen. Even if she could run, she'd never outrun a beast that knew this maze.
The shadow seemed to sense her weakness. It growled, coiled, then sprang.
She closed her eyes.
It would be quick. Maybe it wouldn't play with its prey. Maybe it would kill her clean, then feed.
It might hurt once. She could bear that. Then it would be over.
She whispered, "Edith... wait for me. I'm sorry. I couldn't live well after all..."
But just as the claws were about to tear into her, a voice cracked the air.
"Caroline! Run!"
Edith's voice.
It cut through five years of time and death, sharp and clear in her ear.
Her eyes flew open.
There was no Edith before her, but the voice was thunder.
"Run, Caroline! Don't stop! Go!"
"You promised me you'd live!"
"You're not allowed to give up! Run!"
It came from everywhere, surrounding her.
Edith wanted her to live.
Something broke loose inside her chest. A spark of survival flared.
She sucked in a breath, threw herself sideways, rolling hard across the ground. The beast lunged and missed, snarling, its claws raking empty air.
It spun, green eyes locking on her again.
She didn't look back. Pain tore through her body, but she scrambled to her feet and bolted down a narrow path.
Her lungs burned into agony. Every step dragged more blood into her throat. Her heart slammed against her ribs. Still, she ran.
She didn't know how far or how long. At last, the growls faded.
She collapsed face-first into the cold mud, coughing up blood.
The Hamilton family estate.
Alexander stood at the tall window of his study, throwing back the last of his whiskey. The burn in his throat did nothing to numb his thoughts.
Over and over, he saw Caroline's eyes—the way she had looked at him. That look was a thorn lodged deep. Not pain, exactly... but impossible to ignore.
He reached for the bottle, drinking straight from it. The memories only sharpened.
With a curse, he kicked the chair hard.
Why was he still thinking about her?
She deserved everything. She had hurt Celeste. She had almost destroyed the hands that loved the piano as Edith once had.
Punishing her was right.
But the old maze... he knew exactly how dangerous it was. Abandoned for years, treacherous even in daylight. At night, the cold could kill.
In her state, sending her there was almost the same as signing her death warrant.
Did he really want her dead?
The thought hit hard, tightening his chest.
Hating her, watching her suffer—that had kept him from breaking for five years.
But if she actually died...
A knock broke his thoughts.
"Come in," he said, voice hard again.
His aide stepped inside, tablet in hand, face unusually grave.
"Sir, forgive the interruption," the aide said, bowing slightly. "We've found... something new in the investigation of the apartment fire."