Chapter 320
Penelope kept her head down, refusing to fall for the trap, but the image flashed in her mind anyway.
The little girl in the white dress, hanging from the ceiling. Lucien, whipping her with a belt, over and over. The pain was unbearable. She finally broke, crying and begging him to stop, but that only seemed to excite him more.
Just when she thought she couldn’t take any more, her mother came home. But she couldn’t save her. He beat her, too.
“Lucien, you animal p>
“Hit me! Kill me! Just don’t hurt my daughter p>
She saw her mother, covered in blood, kneeling and pleading with him.
As she was lost in the past, Chasel lunged at her.
But in the next instant, she had kicked him away.
Her mind was a chaotic storm of fragmented memories. She knew she had to get out. Using Hunter as a shield, she backed toward the door, then shoved him inside and ran.
She was on the sixth floor. The stairwell was narrow, filthy, and dark, but she didn’t care. She just ran, hurtling down the steps.
Chasel and his friends were right behind her. She pushed herself harder, faster, until she finally saw the exit. She was almost free.
She burst out of the building and froze. It was pitch black. There were no lights, no people.
She remembered then: this entire neighborhood was abandoned, slated for demolition.
“Get her! Don’t let her escape p>
She ran without direction, the hulking shapes of the derelict buildings looming over her like giant, man-eating beasts. She ran and ran, but she was trapped in the darkness, with no way out.
She remembered the phone she had snatched from Hunter and quickly dialed 911.
But she couldn’t give them a precise location. The police were on their way, but finding her would take time.
Penelope tried to force herself to stay calm, but the beasts were closing in, their massive jaws open, ready to devour her.
“Ah p>
She screamed, a raw cry of terror. There was no escape. Who would save her?
Just as despair consumed her, a pair of arms wrapped around her, and a familiar scent enveloped her.
She clung to him like a drowning person to a lifeline, but she didn’t dare look up, didn’t dare speak, terrified that this, too, was a hallucination.
“Don’t be afraid. I’m here p>
At the sound of his voice, she looked up, her eyes wide with panic. She saw Theodore’s face, etched with pain and concern, and the tears finally came.
She buried her face in his chest, her body wracked with sobs.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I’m late p>
He held her tighter, trying to pour all of his strength and security into her.
She just kept crying, as if she couldn’t accept his apology.
“When we get home, you can do whatever you want to me, okay p>
She gripped his shirt. It wasn’t his fault, so why was she so angry at him? But she was, and the only way to release the overwhelming feeling of betrayal and fear was to direct it at him. She bit down hard on his hand, telling him without words how furious she was.
Theodore let her bite him, his other hand stroking her hair, his lips pressing against her forehead.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m right here. Shh, you’re safe p>
Chasel and his friends arrived, stopping short when they saw Theodore. Realizing their mistake, they turned to run, but Hamilton and his men were already there, blocking, their escape.
Hamilton shot them a look of contempt. “You idiots. You really thought you could mess with Mrs. Stapleton p>
Before the words were even out of
his mouth, Theodore gave a subtle nod, and Hamilton’s men surged forward, surrounding Chasel and his friends and beating them
mercilessly.