The next morning, the sun struck my face with merciless brightness, a sharp contrast to the darkness swirling in my mind. I was still awake. My eyes wide, red, and raw from the tears that refused to fall. Sleep had abandoned me, as if even it knew I was no longer safe.
I couldn't pretend anymore. Not to myself. Not to anyone. The illusion of peace had shattered, and I was left with nothing but the truth: I was living in a gilded cage, one soaked in secrets and blood.
If escaping meant forfeiting wealth, comfort, or even Levi... then so be it. Safety had become my only currency, and I was willing to spend everything else to buy it.
Lost in a haze of panic and whispered thoughts, I didn't even notice when Levi stirred beside me. His breath shifted. A soft yawn followed. innocent, almost childlike. He stretched, the sunlight catching the sharp line of his jaw as he rose like it was just another beautiful day.
That terrified me more than anything else.
How could someone sleep so soundly after what happened? After what he did?
How could he wake up like that, with no remorse, no hesitation and so full of grace and quiet charm, like he hadn't just ended the world of another?
My thoughts betrayed me.
Was it true?
Was his empire built in blood?
The question echoed in my skull like a warning bell, still ringing when his voice broke through the silence.
"Good morning," he said, warm and smooth, like velvet wrapped in thunder.
I flinched.
His voice was rich, deep yet too calm. Too normal. The same lips that had ordered death now wished me good morning like a lover, not a monster.
"Morning," I replied, though the word barely escaped my throat. My voice trembled, cracked with confusion and fear.
Was I imagining things? Was my mind playing tricks on me? Could this really be the same man from last night?
Levi, as if nothing had happened, ignored my hesitation. He rose, walked to the bathroom, took his time in the shower. I listened to the water running, every drop making me feel more distant from reality.
When he emerged, dressed in an immaculate dark suit, he didn't even meet my eyes.
"I'll be heading to work now," he said casually, like we were some old married couple in a normal life. "Make yourself comfortable. Don't wait up... I might be home late."
And then, just like that, he was gone.
The door closed softly behind him. But to me, it might as well have been the clang of a prison gate.
My breath caught.
Now was my chance.
A single heartbeat passed before I moved. I summoned Sara. my maid. My only potential ally in this place.
She arrived moments later, her usual warmth in place.
"Ma'am, you called me?"
"Yes, I did," I answered quickly, lowering my voice. "And I told you to call me by my name."
"Sorry, Aurora." She smiled gently. "What do you need?"
I looked into her eyes, trying to mask my desperation as curiosity.
"Just wondering… if I wanted to go shopping alone, you know, without anyone knowing—say, as a surprise—how would I do that?"
My eagerness must've been obvious, but I didn't care.
Sara frowned, hesitating.
"Well… I see no reason for secrecy, but… there's a path through the garden. There's a gate there. Old, barely supervised. No one really uses it anymore."
My heart fluttered.
"Okay," I nodded.
"But…" she paused, tilting her head. "Who exactly are you planning to surprise?"
I forced a smile. "That's a secret."
She chuckled softly, clearly unconvinced, but said no more.
Hours passed like ghosts through the hallways. I waited until late afternoon, until the sun had begun its descent, painting the sky with amber and shadows.
Then I packed. Just a few clothes in a small bag. Nothing too obvious. No farewells, no second thoughts.
The house was quiet. Almost too quiet. I crept along the hallway, every step screaming in my ears. I moved through the garden like a whisper, heart thudding louder than my footsteps.
And just as Sara said, the gate was there. Unwatched. Waiting.
I didn't even look back.
Freedom stood just beyond it.
I stepped onto the main road, trembling, scanning for a bus—anything that could take me away from the madness.
Then it happened.
Boom.
A van screeched to a stop in front of me.
Before I could move—before I could even think—men in black masks leaped out. I screamed, but it was too late. One of them slammed something over my eyes, plunging me into darkness. Hands grabbed me, rough and unyielding. I kicked, I thrashed, but my limbs felt like paper.
They threw me inside. The door slammed. The van roared to life and sped off, taking with it every ounce of hope I had.
I couldn't breathe.
I couldn't think.
I was being kidnapped.
The thought rang in my head like a siren, louder than my heartbeat.
Just when I thought I had escaped hell, I realized I had only stepped into a deeper level of it.
Minutes passed. Or maybe hours, I couldn't tell. My mind was a mess of panic and disbelief.
Finally, the van stopped. The door flung open.
"Get out!" one of them barked.
They yanked me like a rag doll, dragging me out into a space I couldn't see. I was still blindfolded, still bound.
I screamed, breathless, every nerve on fire. They shoved me into a chair. Wooden, rough and tied me tight. Then, at last, they ripped the blindfold away.
Four men stood in front of me. All masked. All silent.
I broke.
"I don't know what I did, please....please just let me go!"
They said nothing. Not a single word.
Instead, one by one, they turned and left me alone in the room.
Time melted. The walls closed in. I couldn't stop crying. Couldn't stop shaking. I didn't know how long I sat there. Tied, hopeless, defeated.
Then night fell.
A car engine.
Voices.
"Boss."
"You're welcome, Boss."
Footsteps approached. Heavy. Rhythmic. My heart nearly exploded.
And then he appeared.
Levi.
I froze.
No.
No, no, no.
It couldn't be. My mouth fell open. My eyes widened in disbelief. The same Levi I had left that morning. Elegant, cold, unreadable. was now here, surrounded by armed men.
I was trapped.
And he was their leader.
He walked in like royalty, every step measured, calculated. His presence filled the room like thunderclouds before a storm.
I didn't know what to feel. Fear. Betrayal. Heartbreak.
Or all of them at once.
Each man around him had a weapon. Levi did too.
And then… he looked at me.
Not the way a man looks at a lover.
But the way a king looks at something he owns.
That night, Levi showed me a version of himself I never knew existed.
And what happened next…
I wouldn't forget it for the rest of my life.