Chapter 13 Turn Them Off

Chapter 13 Turn Them Off
~Liora~

My world tilts. Nikolai could hear me? The cameras in the mansion were capable of producing sound too?
I look around the room, at the chandelier, the vent, the mirror , and every reflection suddenly feels like an eye. Watching and listening.

My pulse hammers against my ribs as I press a palm to my forehead. The more I stay in this mansion, the more I feel I’m losing my mind.

“What is your name?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Hannah,” she answers quickly, biting her lower lip, her eyes fixed on the floor.

“Take me to the control room,” I say evenly. “There’s something I need to see.”

Her shoulders stiffen. “Miss, I—”

“Now,” I cut in, sharper this time.

She hesitates for a long moment before nodding. “Yes, ma’am.”

I follow her through the hallways, my heart thudding harder with every turn. 

We pass a few guards, and Hannah lowers her head, muttering something about 'special orders.' No one questions it. Of course they don’t. Everyone here is trained not to.

We stop before a door. Hannah glances around before pressing a small code into the keypad. The lock clicks.

She opens the door and steps aside.

My breath catches.

The room is dimly lit, humming softly with machines. Screens cover the walls, dozens of them, each showing a different angle of the house. Corridors. Stairwells. Gardens. Bedrooms. My bedroom.

“How long?” I whisper.

Hannah doesn’t answer. Her hands tremble slightly.

“How long has this been going on?” I ask again, my voice breaking this time.

She swallows hard. “Since the day you arrived, ma’am. Master said it was for your protection.”

A bitter laugh escapes me. Protection. That’s what he calls it.

I move closer to the monitors, my reflection flickering across the glass. “He hears everything?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Hannah murmurs. “Every word.”

The weight of that truth crashes over me. 

I turn to her slowly. “Turn them off.”

Her eyes widen. “I can’t. He’d—”

“Turn. Them. Off.”

Her fingers tremble as she presses a few buttons, but the screens remain stubbornly alive. The cameras blink red, unbothered.

“He locked the system,” she says faintly. “Only he can shut it down.”

I bite my lip, the taste of frustration filling my mouth. Once again, Nikolai is ahead of me. Always a step beyond what I can see. Every time I think I’ve found a corner of freedom, I realize it’s just another cage he’s already built.

Just then, the thought hits me suddenly. My heart stutters, and I turn to Hannah. 

“If he really hears and sees everything whenever he wants to…” I pause, swallowing hard. “Does that mean he saw you take me to Adrian?”

The color drains from her face. For a moment, she doesn’t even breathe. Then her hands start to tremble, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her apron as though the simple movement could anchor her. Her eyes stay fixed on the floor, lashes fluttering like fragile wings about to tear.

A heavy silence settles between us. I can almost feel him in it. Watching.

A wave of nausea hits me. 

“Oh God…” The words fall out in a whisper. “He punished Adrian. He had him dragged away and thrown into prison like it meant nothing. But he didn’t say a word about you.”

I start pacing, the hem of my dress brushing against my legs, the air around me thick and suffocating. Every step makes the truth sink deeper. 

“He knows,” I murmur, my voice barely audible now. “He has to know. And if he knows…” I stop abruptly, turning back to her, my pulse pounding in my throat. “What if he’s planning something? What if he’s waiting? What if he decides to hurt you because of me?”

Hannah’s breath catches. Her trembling grows worse, but she doesn’t lift her head. “Miss, please, don’t—”

“No.” My voice comes out sharper than I intend. “Don’t tell me not to worry. You helped me when no one else would. You risked everything. Your job, your life, just to help me out.”

I can feel the panic rising, my chest tightening as my thoughts spiral faster than I can stop them. What kind of man watches silently while deciding when to strike? What kind of man waits for the perfect moment to remind you that you’re never safe?

Hannah finally looks up, and for a brief second, something deep flickers in her eyes. 

"Miss…” she says softly. Her voice trembles, but there’s a strange composure beneath it, as if her fear is something she’s learned to live with. “You shouldn’t worry about me.”

I frown, breath uneven. “What do you mean?”

Her lips press together tightly before she answers. “He… he doesn’t always act how people expect.”

A chill creeps down my spine. I study her face, the nervous flicker in her eyes, the way her hands knot together as if holding in something she can’t say aloud.

“What do you mean by that?” I ask, my brow furrowing. “He’s vile. Wicked. Twisted.”

Hannah flinches at the words, glancing briefly toward the corners of the room, as though even saying such things aloud might summon him.

“If… if he wanted to hurt or punish me,” she says after a moment, her voice trembling, “he would have done that already. I don’t know why he spared me. But like you said… he’s a twisted man, Miss. You can’t tell what goes on in his head.”

Her words hang between us. I stare at her, trying to find some comfort in what she’s saying, but there’s none. If anything, it makes me feel worse. The idea that Nikolai’s mercy is unpredictable, that it could vanish without warning terrifies me more than his cruelty.

“I still don’t feel better,” I murmur, dragging a palm down my face. My pulse refuses to slow, and every instinct screams that we’re being watched. “Let’s leave here. I don’t want to get you into any more trouble.”

She nods quickly, almost in relief, and moves toward the door. I follow her, my steps light, my heart pounding like a drum against my ribs.

As we near the hallway that leads back to my room, the low hum of a car rolling into the driveway breaks the quiet. My chest tightens, and my heart skips a beat. No. It can’t be…

A cold shiver crawls up my spine. Nikolai is back.

What now? Another one of his twisted words? Another cruel game? My insides tighten at the thought, a mixture of fear, frustration, and something darker I don’t want to name. The mansion feels smaller and tighter suddenly.

I turn to Hannah, my voice brittle with urgency. “Go now. I’ll be fine on my own.”

She hesitates for the briefest moment, a flicker of worry passing over her features. Then she nods sharply and scurries away.

The instant she disappears, the air shifts and the silence presses down on me. Every instinct tells me to run, to hide, to prepare myself for whatever twisted game he’s about to unleash. I press my back against the wall, trying to steady my ragged breathing.

And yet… I know it won’t be long.

Nikolai is here.

The thought twists in my chest like a knife. He’s back not just to observe, but to dominate, to play with my mind, to make me tremble even when I try to act strong. I can already feel it. The way his presence will fill the room before he even steps through the door, the way every sound, every shadow, will make me flinch.

I close my eyes for a heartbeat, trying to gather courage, though I know it’s useless. He’s coming. And soon, I’ll have no choice but to face him.