Page 45 of Kidnapped Prisoner By the Bratva
She stared at me in silence, almost unconvinced, but she didn’t push further. She didn’t pry.
“And you?” I asked her. “Howareyou?”
“Other than the feeling of being in prison, I think I’m fine,” she replied, a small grin tugging at the corners of her lips.
It wasn’t broad or elaborate. But that smile was just what I needed to make my dark day seem bright. Seated across from her, we held each other’s gaze and said nothing for a while. A moment later, she broke eye contact and returned to reading her book.
I placed my legs on the coffee table before me, leaned into the couch, and drew a deep breath. Wren was mine, and I’d be damned if I let anyone take her from me. She was my wife, my responsibility. It was my duty to keep her safe—to protect her at all costs.
That was exactly what I intended to do—protect her. It didn’t matter who I had to put down to keep her safe. I was willing to do so—to go the extra mile for my family.
Chapter 17 – Wren
These walls were thin, and whispers had been floating —whispers of my life being in danger. No one had told me anything to my face, but I heard the words they murmured when no one was listening.
Rumor had it that on the night of the attack, Val wasn’t the target. I was. Even though I already suspected it, finding out from one of the maids’ lips made my chest tighten. She didn’t know that I heard her the night she was gossiping with her colleagues in the garden.
So apparently, this maid, Julia, was having an affair with one of the guards. I didn’t know what his name was, so let’s just call him Mike. It turned out that Mike had told her about a secret ongoing investigation. From what I gathered, Val was the one spearheading this said investigation, and it had to do with a mole in the house.
When I realized that I was the target on the night of the attack, and not only that, the person behind it was also within these walls, I panicked. I wish I didn’t, but I did. I fuckin’ panicked.
The rumors had been floating around for about two days now, but I only found this out late last night. No wonder Val seemed off when he joined me in the living room. He’d been busy with the issue of the mole amongst his own people.
He didn’t say a word to me about the dangers lurking in the dark. Maybe it’s because he didn’t want me panicking, but I couldn’t help thinking that he should’ve just told me. At least, that way, I’d stay indoors all day and all night and only open up the door to him alone.
The voices in my head had been debating about this since I found out last night. One was of the opinion that Val cared so deeply for me, and that’s why he kept me in the dark.
Another voice said that was bullshit. Crap. If Val cared about me, he would’ve let me in on the current situation, seeing that it was my life that was on the line and not his. The voices in my head wouldn’t keep quiet, and the more they argued, the closer I came to fuckin’ losing my mind.
I hadn’t stepped out of my room all day. How could I, after finding out the real culprit behind my near-death experience was probably someone who greeted me every day? It could be any of the guards—hell, it could even be a maid for all I knew.
It’s true what they say, “Ignorance is bliss.”
Before I found this out, I was already starting to feel safe and comfortable around the house. I would even wander the halls like a ghost in the middle of the night without fear.
Right now, I couldn’t even leave my room because everyone was a suspect. Everyone. It was clear that I was surrounded by wolves and could be attacked again—perhaps when I least expected it this time.
I was afraid to even eat, lest the meal be poisoned. If the traitor was within these walls, why hadn’t they attacked me yet? I mean, I always roamed the hallways, visited the library and the gardens alone. If I were their target that night, why didn’t they just finish me off, considering that they’d had so many opportunities to do so?
It didn’t make any sense. Actually, none of this did. To make matters worse, I overheard the guards outside my door saying that Val had left the mansion to take care of a private problem.
A private problem, seriously?!
The man had the guts to leave the mansion during such a time? Why would he abandon me when I needed him the most? He was the only person that I was certain didn’t want me dead.Now, he’d disappeared to handle a private problem, leaving me at the mercy of this secret mole.
I refused to let anyone in, not even the maid who came to check on me. I just told her that I wanted to be alone, and when she asked if I was hungry, I replied that I was fine. She didn’t seem convinced, but she had no choice, so she left my door.
Fear crippled me the whole day, and each time I heard footsteps outside, I’d hug my pillow or reach for the knife I’d stolen from the kitchen last night. I kept it on the nightstand, easily accessible in case of any sudden danger.
I made up my mind to leave the mansion at midnight. I didn’t care what the outcome would be; there was no way in hell that I’d sit back and wait for death to come find me. I had to help myself stay alive since my so-called husband had decided to abandon me.
I’d grown familiar with the building, and I believed that I could at least find my way to the back gate. Taking the front was too risky, but there was a passage I stumbled upon two days ago. It was a hidden pathway underneath the staircase leading to the basement.
I had no idea where the passage led to, but tonight, I’d find out. I was willing to do anything, try anything, just to get the hell out of here.
As I lay in bed, that voice of fear whispered in my head,What if there are more hounds down there?
Then we’ll take our chances with them,the voice of courage replied.
