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Annalisa 34
34ANNALISAThe world narrowed to the sliver of space between the floorboards and the bottom of the heavy oak door. My heart hammered a frantic tattoo against my ribs, each beat a frantic drumroll echoing my fear. Spencer’s voice, laced with a sickeningly sweet amusement, sent shivers down my spine.“Annalise, Annalise,” he cooed, the sound as grating as fingernails on a chalkboard. “Playing hide-and-seek, are we? Not very sporting, don’t you think?”Trapped. The word echoed in my mind, a cold, suffocating truth. The woman, bless her kind heart, wouldn’t be able to hold him off for long. I had to do something.But what?A memory, a flicker in the recesses of my mind, surfaced. Self-defense lessons. Dad, his voice booming with mock seriousness, teaching me how to block a punch, how to use my body weight to my advantage.A spark of defiance ignited within me. Maybe I wasn’t completely helpless after all.As the sound of the doorknob rattling intensified, I scrambled to my feet, adrenali
Annalisa 35
35ADRIANThe scene of the accident, or rather, the staged scene, offered no clues. Where was Annalise? Where were the Duke and Duchess?Panic, a cold serpent coiling around my heart, tightened its grip. Every passing minute felt like an eternity. I couldn’t just stand there, helpless. I had to do something.Turning towards the nearest group of startled partygoers, I launched into a frantic search. “Has anyone?” I barked, my voice raw with urgency. “Has anyone seen a young woman, with lavender hair and… well, fire in her eyes?”The group exchanged bewildered glances. “Sorry, can’t say I have,” one man mumbled, fiddling with his cravat. “Haven’t seen anyone like that.”The others echoed his sentiment, their polite but clueless responses doing little to quell the rising tide of fear within me.Then, a glimmer of hope. A wizened old man, leaning heavily on a cane, shuffled forward. His rheumy eyes held a flicker of… recognition?“Young miss with purple hair?” he rasped, his voice barely
Annalisa 36
36ANNALISEFEW HOURS AGOTears streamed down my face, blurring the path ahead. My lungs burned, a searing protest against the relentless pace I pushed myself to. Escape. That was the only thought hammering in my head. Escape Spencer’s cold grip, escape the suffocating confinement of the hidden room.The woods, once a familiar playground, now loomed like menacing giants, their gnarled branches reaching out like skeletal fingers. Every rustle of leaves, every snap of a twig, sent a fresh jolt of fear through me. Was he close? Could he hear my ragged breaths, the desperate pounding of my heart?Suddenly, a flicker of light pierced through the dense foliage. Hope, a tiny ember, ignited within me. Could it be a clear patch of sky? A way out?Scrambling through the undergrowth, I emerged into a small clearing. And there, bathed in the soft glow of an oil lamp, sat a woman. An old woman, with eyes that seemed to hold the wisdom of ages, and a head adorned with fiery red hair.A fortune tell
Annalisa 37
37ADRIANDisappointment gnawed at me like a particularly persistent rat. The abandoned mines yielded nothing but dust and the unsettling feeling of being watched. The map, clutched tightly in my hand, now felt like a cruel joke. Where was Annalise?Emerging from the desolate clearing, I stumbled back onto the forest path, frustration bubbling within me. Just then, a flicker of movement caught my eye. A small figure darted behind a gnarled oak, a flash of dark hair momentarily visible.My pulse quickened. Could it be…?Approaching cautiously, I called out, “Hello? Is anyone there?”Silence. But a twig snapped nearby, confirming my suspicion.“Don’t be scared,” I said, my voice gentle. “It’s just me, Adrian.”The figure hesitated for a moment, then emerged from behind the tree. It was a girl, no older than ten, with eyes as dark as the encroaching night and a smudge of dirt across her cheek.Recognition dawned on me. “Elara, isn’t it?” I asked, remembering Annalise mentioning a girl sh
Annalisa 38
38ADRAINI made sure the physician arrived quickly. The duke was slipping in and out of consciousness, and Annalise—well, she looked as if she had been through hell. I didn’t want to think about what might have happened if I hadn’t found her in time. The thought gnawed at me like a wild beast.As I paced the room, I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She sat on the edge of the bed, her hands trembling slightly. She hadn’t spoken much since we returned to the estate, and I couldn’t blame her. The terror she’d faced, seeing Spencer kill the coachman, hiding with the duke, all of it—it was too much for one person to handle.“Are you hurt?” I asked her, my voice quieter than I intended.She shook her head, but I didn’t believe her. Not really. I could see the fear in her eyes, the uncertainty. It wasn’t just physical pain I was worried about. I wanted to reach out, to comfort her, but something held me back. Perhaps it was the way she had looked at me earlier, as if I were a stranger.“The p
Annalisa 39
39ADRAINThe moment we returned to the estate, I made it clear who was in charge. The duke and Annalise needed protection—protection from whatever vipers lurked within these walls. I couldn’t trust anyone, not after what I’d seen. So I gave strict instructions. No one was to enter their chambers apart from the physician and a few trusted housekeepers. Anyone else, and they’d have to answer to me.I turned to the head servant, a seasoned man with a face as lined as old leather. He’d been with the duke’s family for decades, but even that wasn’t enough to earn my trust now. “You understand what’s at stake?” I asked, my voice cold, my eyes locked on his.He nodded, but I wasn’t satisfied. “I need more than a nod,” I pressed. “I need your word. You let anyone near those rooms who shouldn’t be there, and it’s your head on the line.”The man swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down like a cork in rough water. “You have my word, sir. No one will get past me.”Good. I left him sta
Annalisa 40
40ANNALISEThe room was quiet except for the faint rustle of the curtains. My father was settled comfortably in his bed, his breathing steady after the physician had finished attending to him. I sat beside him, the exhaustion of the day weighing heavily on me. Adrian’s quick actions had saved us both from disaster. The gravity of his bravery was still sinking in. My heart ached with gratitude, and I knew I had to thank him properly.When Adrian walked into the room, his face showed a mix of relief and weariness. His eyes were fixed on me, and I could see the concern still etched on his features. I stood up as he approached, my hands clasped tightly in front of me, trying to steady my racing heart.“Adrian,” I began, my voice trembling slightly. “Thank you for saving us. I don’t think words can truly express how grateful I am.”He stopped a few steps from me, his expression softening as he looked at me. “You don’t need to thank me, Annalise. I did what anyone would have done in my pla
Annalisa 41
41ANNALISEAdrian stood before me, his expression a mix of hope and vulnerability that tugged at my heart. I had never seen him look so earnest, and the intensity in his eyes made my own pulse quicken.I tried to steady my breath, but the weight of the moment was almost too much to bear. “Annalise,” Adrian began, his voice steady but laden with emotion. “I need to know where we stand. I’ve told you how I feel, but I need an answer. What are your feelings for me?”His question hung in the air like a heavy curtain. I had been avoiding this conversation, hoping it would somehow resolve itself. But now, faced with his pleading eyes and heartfelt confession, I knew I couldn’t delay any longer. I had to confront my own emotions, however painful that might be.“I... I don’t know how to answer that,” I started, my voice barely a whisper. “I’ve been so confused. I thought I knew what I felt, but everything’s been so chaotic.”Adrian’s gaze grew more intense, his worry evident. “You have to kn
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