Page 144 of Cruel Knots

“Sexy,” he says with a grin. “I’m Morgan. Which school do you go to? I can’t tell whether you’re a senior or a freshman at college.”

I’m already too old to be either of those but I play along. “I’m a senior at Knightswood University.”

“I could tell just by looking at you,” he says, scratching the back of his head. “You’re all classy and shit.”

I smile at him, pretending to agree with him.

A car soon comes to a stop beside us.

“That’s my ride,” I say, glancing at Morgan’s phone. “Thanks so much for your help.”

“No problem,” he says as I hand him back his phone and climb into the car.

“Let’s go,” I instruct the driver.

Within seconds, I’m being driven away from the restaurant’s front gate. My heart still beats hard and my senses remain hyper-alert.

I can barely believe I’ve successfully escaped Volkov Manor without a hitch. Thoughts of Damien, Leon, and Mikhail probe me from time to time but I suppress them.

Dad needs me right now. I can think of a way to return to them after sending my dad to the hospital.

They’ll never trust you again, my mind whispers.

The thought sends a cold shiver through me. Am I going to lose them over this?

You didn’t have a choice, I tell myself. You could never be happy if you sacrificed your father to be with them.

Within half an hour, the car drops me at my requested location.

I feel a tiny glimmer of guilt for fooling Morgan. The young man paid for my ride and would receive nothing in return for his kindness.

You’ve got far more important things to worry about right now, I remind myself and suppress my guilt.

The straps of my stilettos cut into my skin as I get out of the car. Ignoring the pain, I hurry toward home.

A different kind of emotion comes over me when I see Baldwin Mansion in the distance. Absolute calm steals through me at the familiar sight.

I’m finally home.

Approaching the mansion cautiously, I make sure Laura hasn’t lied to me. If any of the guards see me, they’ll inform Callum immediately. No matter what, I can’t allow myself to get caught by him.

Getting closer to the property, I see no signs of the guards. Feeling relieved, I reach out and push the tall, heavy gates aside. It swings free, surprising me.

Laura hadn’t lied.

I look up at the dark windows of the mansion. My searching gaze roves all over the shadowy grounds. It truly looks like Callum has abandoned the place. Even though it’s dark, I notice the overgrown bushes and untrimmed grass that rustles against the hem of my dress.

Calm steals through me. It’ll be much easier to shift Dad somewhere safe without having to dodge my brother. Thanks to Marco, I have enough cash to hide with Dad. Once he’s well enough, I’ll try to go back to Damien and his brothers.

I try not to think of their reaction when I see them again. My only focus at the moment is to get Dad to a hospital and then sneak him away somewhere safe where we can both be free from Callum’s oppression.

Hope flares in my chest. Despite the burning pain in my feet, I run down the path that leads up to the house.

Pushing open the front door, I barge in.

The entrance hall is dimly lit. A layer of fine dust coats every surface. Dried flowers stick out of vases. It looks like it’s been a while since anyone bothered cleaning in here.

The cleaners come once a week, Laura’s voice replays in my head.

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