Rose's PovThe air in the basement was thick, suffocating, as we huddled together in the small, dimly lit corner. My mind raced, heart pounding in my chest, but every time I thought we were making progress, every time I thought we had a chance to escape, it was ripped away from us. The feeling of being trapped was more than just physical—it was suffocating, the walls closing in, the weight of knowing that no matter how hard we tried, we were always just one step away from freedom.Janelle, her eyes filled with fear yet burning with a stubborn resolve, stood beside me, her hand gripping mine tightly. Richelle, still dazed and weak but nevertheless was trying her best to stay on her feet. Her breath came in ragged, shallow gasps, and I could see the exhaustion etched in every line of her face. The strength in her had almost been completely drained, but I refused to let her break. I refused to let them take her from us.“We can’t stop,” I whispered to Janelle, voice trembling, but steady
Rose’s POV:I sit there, barely able to focus as I nibble anxiously on my lip, the sound of Jace and Michael’s laughter swirling around me like a fog I can’t escape. Their voices, light and carefree as they talk about wedding speeches, feel like a mockery of everything I’m drowning in. Each chuckle, each casual joke, twists my gut into tighter knots. I want to scream, I want to run, to drag Richelle, Janelle, and myself far away from this suffocating nightmare—but the walls are closing in, and there’s no way out. Not yet."So what do you think about this one, sweetheart?" Sasha’s voice cuts through my dark thoughts, her tone too bright, too forced."Hm?" I hum, blinking as I look up at her, trying to shake off the suffocating weight of everything that’s pressing in on me.She smiles softly, a look of sympathy I can barely stand, and gestures to a dress in the magazine she’s holding. "What do you think of this one?"I glance at the dress. It’s nice enough, but it’s as if the magazine it
Rose's PovThis is who Jace has always been. This is what he does. He doesn’t just inflict pain on his victims; he twists and contorts everything around them, making sure everyone who loves them suffers too. He drags us into his hell, making us part of the torment. I should’ve known. I should’ve seen it sooner. Ever since his father took him away for those two weeks—I hadn’t seen him, hadn’t heard from him. When he came back... he wasn’t the same. He was darker, crueler. It was like a switch had flipped inside of him. And everything about him had become a weapon, pointed straight at anyone who cared enough to get close."Well, this is going to teach you to not defy me," Jace sneers, his words venomous. He’s so cold, so far gone, that it’s like he’s not even human anymore. The sickening sound of his voice cuts through the air, and I can feel the weight of it pressing down on me. As I try to get to my feet, a wave of helplessness crashes over me. My chest tightens, but Richelle’s voice c
Rose's Pov; I sit there in silence Shocked about everything that I've just read from the letter, Richelle's mouth is moving but I can not hear her is this what it feels like to be in shock?, she looks at me with pity on her face an emotion I know all too well."How long have you had that letter?" I questionedShe replied guilty "A couple of hours...."Richelle's PovFlashbackRichelle’s heart pounded as she stood in the dim, cold basement, the faint smell of mildew heavy in the air. The stone walls, that have now become familiar, now felt oppressive, like they were closing in on her. As if fate had led her here, to this forgotten corner of the mansion, to uncover something she never expected.Her eyes scanned the shadows, the flickering light from a lone bulb casting long, distorted shapes against the walls I could still hear roses piercing screams from above as Janelle was pacing in worry. It was then that she saw it—a small, leather-bound envelope tucked beneath a loose floorboard.
Rose’s POVThe room still smelled like cold sweat and fear, lingering in my nostrils even though I was free of it now. After being locked away in that torture room for what felt like eternity, I was finally allowed to roam the house without his watchful eyes hovering over me. But something was wrong. It felt like I was still trapped, only now, the cage was invisible, its bars woven in the lies and secrets surrounding me. For three weeks, I thought I’d escaped, but I was still bound by something much darker.Three Hours Before:Janelle rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Really, Rose? Oh my god," she groaned, facepalming in frustration.I threw my arms up in the air dramatically. "Well, what else do we do, Einstein?" The words tumbled out, sharper than I intended, but everything felt so heavy in that moment—like the walls were closing in on us.Richelle, who had been quietly observing, sighed deeply, clearly exhausted from the weight of everything. "I hate to say it, Janelle, but Rose is rig
Rose’s POVI grip my hip, wincing as the bruise from my fall continues to throb. “Good job, Rose,” I mutter bitterly, voice laced with sarcasm as I shuffle forward, pain biting at every step. “Really know your reflexes.” My body screams in protest, but I can’t stop now. I have to keep moving.With a trembling hand, I push open the door, the hinges creaking in protest as I step into the cold, dark hallway. The rain outside is pouring relentlessly, beating against the windows like an angry army trying to break in. I glance back at the door, slowly easing it shut behind me, praying that the sound doesn’t alert anyone to my escape. The darkness of the hallway stretches before me, eerie and suffocating. It feels like the house itself is watching, waiting for something to happen.I pull out my phone, flicking on the torch. The weak light bounces around, casting strange shadows on the walls. The air is heavy, thick with something unspoken, and every creak of the house sends chills crawling up
Rose’s POV:I sit motionless on the edge of the bed, my mind a whirlwind of confusion, disbelief, and heartbreak. Everything feels surreal, like I’m watching my life unravel from a distance. Nothing feels real anymore, least of all the man I thought I knew—the man I let myself care for, Ryder. The one who made me feel safe, at least for a moment.But that safety was a lie. Ryder… he’s not who I thought he was. He’s a murderer. And he’s a part of a world that I can’t even begin to understand—a world where violence, betrayal, and death are just part of the game. My heart aches as the weight of the truth sinks in. He killed Felicity. My cousin. My family.My thoughts swirl, crashing into each other like violent waves, and I can’t breathe. The shock of it all is suffocating, too much to bear. The man I let myself start to trust has blood on his hands. How could I not have seen it? How could I have been so blind?Janelle’s voice shatters the silence. "Rose! Rose, talk to me!"But I can’t. I
Rose’s POV:I sit in the room, locked away from the world. The air is thick, suffocating, but it’s the only way I can breathe right now. I feel as though the walls are closing in on me, pressing in on every side, but I can’t move, can’t escape. Not from the memories, not from the reality of what’s happening.I can’t even look at myself in the mirror anymore. The girl I was—the one full of hope, love, and trust—is gone. She died the moment I found out the truth about Ryder… the truth about everything.I stand up, pacing the room, anything to try and stop this storm that’s raging inside me. My hands tremble as I reach for the wardrobe, pulling it open, desperate for something to distract me from the chaos in my head. But as I reach up, my elbow knocks something from the shelf. The sound is jarring in the silence, and I flinch as the album falls to the floor at my feet.I blink, confused, then slowly bend down to pick it up. My hands are still shaking as I open the album, my heart hammeri
Rose’s POV:I stood there, staring at the dress hanging on the wall in front of me. It shimmered in the dim light, the lace and silk almost mocking me as I tried to focus on its intricate details, the beauty that should have been the highlight of a joyous occasion. But all I could think about was how wrong everything felt.“I never saw myself doing this, Sasha… getting married to Jace.” My voice was barely a whisper, the words slipping out in a way I couldn’t stop.Sasha, ever the composed one, smiled faintly as she placed a delicate hairpin into my hair. She did her best to mask the worry in her eyes, though I could see it clearly. She knew. She understood the turmoil inside me."I know," she said softly. "If your mum and dad could see you now, they would be so proud of you. You look beautiful, Rose." Her hands gently pressed on my shoulder blades, trying to ease some of the tension that I couldn’t release, but nothing could truly comfort me.“I wish they were here to see me," I said
Rose’s POV:I woke up in Jace's room, the sterile, heavy air around me suffocating. The echo of last night—the cold blade against my skin, the dark thoughts I couldn't escape—still lingered, as if they were an uninvited guest haunting me. I hadn’t wanted to survive, but here I was, still breathing.Jace didn’t want to leave me alone, of course. Because controlling me is his only way of loving me, right? Richelle and Janelle weren’t allowed to see me, the only comfort I had left. They’d been pushed away until after the wedding—after I was married off to this life I didn’t ask for, didn’t choose.I closed my eyes, feeling Jace’s arm around my waist, and I swallowed the rising bile in my throat. I was supposed to marry him today. Today... as if it would fix all the cracks in the broken pieces of me. But how could it? How could it ever?I’m trapped, I thought bitterly. I don’t even know if Kaiser can save me this time."Roselle, are you awake?" Jace’s voice cut through the silence, soft bu
Rose's Pov:I couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, couldn't even focus on anything without the knot in my stomach growing tighter. My thoughts were a whirlwind, and nothing felt right. My family was a mess, and I was starting to wonder if maybe my whole life was too. It wasn’t just the chaos; it was the suffocating realization that this wasn’t what I had imagined for myself. I wasn’t sure what I expected anymore, but it wasn’t this.I turned on my side, staring at the ceiling, unable to ignore the heaviness pressing down on me. I'm getting married tomorrow. The words slipped out of my mouth, but they didn’t sound real. They didn’t even sound like they belonged to me. At eighteen, I never could have imagined my life heading in this direction. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I had dreamed of it—my life, my future—but it never looked like this.I had spent years in my head, planning my life. First date, then boyfriend and girlfriend, maybe a couple of years of growing together, then marriage
Rose’s POV:I hate this place. I hate everything about it—the suffocating walls, the constant reminder that my life is no longer my own. I can't even leave for a damn trip to the mall because Jace doesn’t trust me. What a joke. After that phone call—God, after everything—he hasn’t even bothered to come back. He’s just gone, leaving me here, locked away, as though I’m some fragile, easily-breakable object.I glance at the rack of wedding dresses in front of me. If there was any doubt in my mind before, it’s gone now. I want to rip them all apart. Tear them into tiny pieces, burn them, stomp on the ashes. Don’t judge me. I know it’s irrational. But I’m desperate. I’m suffocating, and my anger is the only thing that makes me feel alive.Sasha’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts. “This was the one you pointed out in the beginning, wasn’t it?”I look at the dress, the one that I’d been pushed into choosing. The one that’s supposed to symbolize the new chapter of my life. Marriage. The word
Rose's POV:I wake up with Jace’s arm wrapped around my waist, and I can already feel the weight of this day pressing on me. Tomorrow’s the wedding. I can’t even begin to wrap my head around it. This is what my life has come to? Forced into a marriage with a man I barely recognize. A man who has turned into a cold-hearted monster. I’m stuck, surrounded by lies and betrayal, and there’s only one thing I want—freedom.I glance at the ring on my finger. The stupid, shiny symbol of the cage I’m trapped in. It’s as if my heart is screaming to rip it off, but I don’t dare. Who would I even be without it?Sighing in desperation, I feel the ache of missing someone I can never have—Ryder. Ryder, the one who’s haunted my dreams and my thoughts, even after everything. I want to be in his arms. I want him to hold me, tell me everything is going to be okay, but that's a fantasy I can’t afford to indulge. He killed Felicity. My cousin. My flesh and blood. My heart knows that I shouldn’t want him, th
Rose’s POV:Oh, wonderful. Another rehearsal with Jace. Isn’t my life just one big, thrilling Broadway production? I could practically hear the applause as I plop back down on the bed in my less-than-glamorous room, my hands awkwardly folded in my lap. Yep, this is my life now: rehearsing a wedding, while my future husband—who I barely know—stands there and pretends to care. Meanwhile, I can't even find a comfortable position on this damn bed. The pillows are too fluffy, the sheets too... pristine. Doesn't it feel perfect, Rose? Just like you always imagined your wedding night to be.I glance out the window, because clearly staring at the ceiling isn’t going to solve any of my problems. Outside, the world seems to be just... existing, like it has no clue about the mess I’m stuck in. And then there’s him.“Ryder,” I whisper under my breath, like saying his name will somehow make him appear outside my window and sweep me away from this insanity. I let out a dramatic sigh, my chin resting
Rose's POV:I stumble forward, the queasy feeling in my stomach intensifying. The sharp, bitter taste of bile rises in my throat, and before I can stop myself, my body rejects everything inside me. I lean into the bushes, my stomach heaving painfully. The world spins around me as I retch, the hot bile spilling from my lips. I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, the faint trace of humiliation hitting me like a brick. That’s disgusting, I think to myself, my mind spiraling into shame. I mutter the words under my breath, as if the shame might just dissipate if I could hide it well enough.I stand up slowly, still dizzy, and turn around, hoping I can escape the reality of the situation. But as I do, I almost collide with him.Jace’s concerned face is staring at me, his dark eyes full of worry. “Roselle, you okay?”I swallow hard, forcing the bile back down, but my throat burns with the effort. I feel like I’m suffocating under the weight of it all. “I’m fine. I just need some rest...”
Ryder’s POV:The moment my phone hits the coffee table, the room goes dead silent. All eyes are on me—waiting, expecting, hoping. And God, I want to give them an answer that will make this all stop. I want to tell them that this nightmare is over, that everything is going to be fine. But I know it won’t be. The weight of what’s coming crushes my chest, and for a moment, I’m paralyzed. I can’t breathe. Can’t think. But I have to say something.“It was Winston. He’s helping get the girls out,” I finally say, my voice shaky as the words fall from my lips, heavier than I expected.Brad looks up at me, his face contorting in disbelief, his hands balling into fists. “That guy tortured me while I was in there,” he says, his voice venomous, like just saying the name makes him sick. “What the hell would make him want to help?”I close my eyes briefly, swallowing down the anger that threatens to rise in my chest. I don’t get it either. None of this makes sense. But I can’t afford to waste time w
Rose's Pov:I stand up, my legs weak beneath me, as I reach for the doorknob. The cool metal under my fingers sends a jolt through my body, but it does little to calm the anger surging inside me. Don’t go back to old habits. Just stay calm, I tell myself, my voice a quiet whisper that barely reaches my ears. But it’s not enough. My thoughts are a whirlwind—fueled by frustration, guilt, and a deep sense of dread I can’t shake. It feels like I’m being swallowed whole by everything I’ve been trying to push down.As I open the door, the world shifts, and I don’t even have time to react. I run into Michael—literally. My heart skips a beat as our bodies collide, and I scramble for my balance. "Sorry, I didn’t see where I was going," I say quickly, my words coming out in a rush, too fast, too shaky. My mind is scattered, my body on edge.Before I can gather myself, his hand shoots out and grabs my arm. It’s sudden, forceful, and I freeze, caught in his grip. My pulse spikes as he drags me dow