Chapter 167
“You can’t escape, Aubrey!” he shouts, his voice booming, reverberating through the empty space. “You’re mine, do you hear me? Mine!”
I push myself faster, the weight of his words twisting in my stomach like a knife. The idea of being his, of being trapped and used, is more terrifying than anything. I reach the top of the stairs and burst through the door, slamming it shut behind me. My eyes scan the hallway–a dusty, dimly lit corridor stretches out before me, lined with more doors, each one promising yet more twists in this nightmare maze. I spot a chair leaning against the wall and jam it under the handle of the door, hoping it will buy me precious seconds though I doubt it. That chair looks on the verge of crumbling any second but it’s all I have right now.
For a split second, I pause, heart pounding, trying to get my bearings. Where the hell am I? It feels like I’ve been running in circles, deeper into the building instead of out of it. The air is thick, stale, pressing down on me, and every shadow seems to pulse with hidden threats.
A furious roar erupts from the stairwell, shaking me from my thoughts. Rhett’s frustration reverberates through the metal door, followed by a loud, brutal bang as he slams his fists against it. “Aubrey!” he bellows, the door rattling under his assault. I can hear him fumbling with the handle, then a crash as the chair I wedged there topples to the ground. Shit.
Bianca’s voice joins the cacophony, her tone dripping with yenom. “You idiot! How could you let her escape?”
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“Me? She ran straight fucking past you!” Rhett snarls, punctuating his words with another bang on the door, each one sending tremors through the frame. The sound is close, too close, and I know I don’t have long.
I dart down the corridor, which opens up into another vast, open space-a sprawling storage area filled with rows of rusted metal shelves, stacked with dusty boxes, forgotten junk, and old equipment. The lights here flicker weakly, casting a dim, sickly yellow glow that barely reaches the far corners of the room. Shadows pool in the alcoves between the shelves, creating dark nooks and crannies that seem to press in on me.
To my left, stacks of broken furniture create shadowy alcoves, piles of old armchairs and splintered tables arranged
haphazardly, as if abandoned in a hurry. The air is thick with the smell of mold and rot, tinged with the faint metallic scent of rust. I force myself to stay calm, to think clearly despite the terror clawing at my mind. If I can just stay hidden, if I can stay quiet long enough, maybe they’ll give up. Maybe I’ll have a chance to slip away.
Footsteps echo down the corridor, growing louder, closer, each one sending a jolt of fear through me. I duck behind a moldy armchair, pressing myself into the shadows, my back against the damp concrete wall. My chest heaves, but I clamp a hand over my mouth, desperate to quiet my breathing, to still the ragged gasps that feel too loud in the suffocating silence.
“When I find you, Aubrey,” Rhett’s voice booms through the room, closer now, thick with anger and a dark, possessive edge, “you’ll wish you’d never tried to run.”
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I press myself harder against the wall, willing myself to become invisible, to blend into the shadows. My heart is racing, each beat loud in my ears, and my skin prickles with cold sweat. I can hear their footsteps now, steady and slow, methodical, as if they’re savoring the hunt, knowing there’s nowhere for me to go.
“She’s here somewhere,” Bianca hisses, her voice low but sharp, filled with venom. “Find her, Rhett. We can’t let her ruin everything we’ve worked for.”
Everything they’ve worked for? The thought sends a chill down my spine. Whatever Rhett and Bianca are planning, it’s bigger than just me. If they’re willing to go this far, to trap me, to hunt me, then they must have something huge at stake- and I’m the one thing standing in their way. The realization only strengthens my resolve. I won’t let them win. I won’t let them turn me into a tool in their twisted game.
