“Vengeful? For me spitting his cum in his face?”
“Raya, it’s not just that. You humiliated him and you constantly defy him. Sooner or later, he’s going to have enough and he will break you.”
“Well, I will not surrender to him. I can’t.”
“Raya, you may not have a choice.”
At that moment, West comes barging into the room and rushes toward us.
I jump up out of the bed, “West, what are you doing here?”
West clears his throat, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you. Between all of your auctions and him clearing out the cellar, he’s clearly up to something. What did you do to him?”
I shake my head, it doesn’t matter now, “I’ll just get through whatever he throws my way. I’ve done it before.”
Trish stands up and turns to West, “Wait, did you say he cleared out the cellar?”
“Yes, that’s what I said.”
Confused, I glance at them, “What’s the cellar?”
Suddenly, the door opens and West reaches over to grab my arms, cuffing them behind my back. He whispers, “Relax.”
I nod my head as Derrick enters the room. He stops at the sight of West and arches his brow.
“What are you doing here, West?”
With confidence he responds, “I was just coming to collect the girl, Sir. Do you want me to follow you?”
Derrick walks over to us and pulls me out of West’s grip, “No, I’ll take the girl. Go stand watch at the north corner.”
West accepts the order, “Yes, Sir.”
As West turns to exit, he looks at me, his eyes offering a glimmer of hope and strength. Derrick turns to Trish and tells her to lock up behind us. He grabs my arms and drags me out of the room. I allow him to lead me deeper into the tunnel and farther away from everyone else.
The cold, hard floor cuts into my bare feet as we make our way to the cellar. As we travel deeper, I notice that the wall lamps are cut off, no longer providing the light needed to guide our way. Derrick pulls a flashlight from his back pocket, clicks it on, and continues the hike.
After several twists and turns, we arrive at a wooden door. Derrick unlocks the door and pushes me inside. The room is pitch black—nothing is visible. He releases my cuffs and brushes up against my body, smelling my hair.
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He snickers behind me, “Enjoy your company, Angel. I’ll come for you when you’ve learned your lesson.”
I spin around to stop him from leaving, but it’s too late. He’s already shut the door and locked it tight. Complete darkness fills the cellar and all I hear is my own heartbeat pounding against my chest. I reach my arms out to try and find the adjacent wall, but I can’t even see them out in front of me. I start to tremble as I’m on high alert for anything and everything.
I inhale a deep breath and take a small step, hopefully toward the wall. I stick my hands out in the air in front of me, trying to grasp anything in reach. As I continue to take one step at a time, my right foot catches on something on the floor and I trip, unable to brace my fall in the darkness.
I crash, hitting my head as I yell out in pain. I lie still for a few seconds to gather my surroundings and inspect my head, feeling for any cuts or signs of blood. All clear. I slowly sit up and crawl on my hands and knees, trying to trace my steps before the fall.
I softly tap my hands on the floor in front of me, searching for whatever I tripped over. Soon, my right hand touches something on the floor. I crawl closer and continue to move my hand up further and realize it’s a person’s arm. What the hell?
I rush closer and reach out to the touch the body that’s on the floor. My hands roam over the soft fabric as I try to decode the mystery. Is this a dress?
My heart drops and my eyes grow wide in horror as the realization hits me.
I reach up to touch her face, “Layla!!!”
Her long hair falls flat on the hard floor as I lift her head and cradle it in my arms.