Cecelia's POV
The first slap came so fast my head snapped to the side. My ears rang. My vision blurred. I tasted blood immediately.
"Run again,"
The man hissed close to my face.
"And we will break your legs next time."
My chest rose and fell too fast. My hands shook badly, tied tight behind my back. Rough rope dug into my skin. My shoulders ached from how hard they pulled me.
The warehouse smelled awful. Rot. Damp wood. Old blood. Everything looked like pain and misery. I swallowed a bulge down my throat.
A single weak bulb hung from the ceiling, swinging slowly. The light flickered and made shadows move across the walls like something alive.
I sat on the cold concrete floor. My knees hurt. My dress clung to my skin, already dirty and torn.
Three men stood in front of me. No. Four. One leaned against a table behind them, watching like this was a game.
The man in front crouched down slowly. He grabbed my chin and forced my face up.
"Look at me."
I didn't want to. But his grip tightened. I looked. His smile made my stomach twist.
"You've been very hard to find, Cecelia."
My throat felt dry.
"I… I told you… I just need more time—"
He laughed. Loud and mockingly.
"Time?"
He repeated. The others laughed too. One of them kicked a chair across the floor.
"You've been asking for time for months."
The man in front of me leaned closer. His breath smelled terrible.
"Your debt didn't stay the same, sweetheart."
My heart dropped.
"What… what do you mean?"
He stood up slowly and pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket. He opened it and pretended to read.
"Interest, To be precise your step father's interest"
He said simply.
My stomach twisted harder.
"How much?"
He looked down at me. Then smiled wider.
"More than you can ever pay."
My chest tightened.
"No… no, that's not possible—"
"It is,"
Another man cut in. He stepped closer.
"You owe more now than you're worth."
My breathing became uneven.
"It's not fair, how come I'm forced to pay for his debts?"
I said with a strain in my voice.
"Are you asking us? Do we look like him?"
They mocked me as they let out a sharp quick laughter. They paused as the man in front suddenly slapped me again.
Harder. My head hit the ground. Pain shot through my skull.
"Stop talking like you have options,"
He snapped. Tears filled my eyes instantly.
"I'm trying"
"You're done trying."
Silence fell for a second. Then one of the men behind them spoke. Slow. Cold.
"There is… another way to settle this."
Something in his voice made my body freeze. The man in front looked back at him. Then smiled.
"Oh, right."
He looked down at me again. His eyes changed. Darker. My chest started pounding.
"What… what do you mean?"
No one answered immediately. One of them cracked his knuckles. Another walked slowly toward me. Step by step. I tried to move back. My hands were tied. My legs felt weak.
"Please…"
I whispered. He kept coming.
"Don't please—"
"Relax,"
He said flatly.
"I'm not going to hurt you."
But his eyes said something else. Something worse. Panic exploded in my chest. My breathing turned fast and sharp.
"No, no please—"
My back hit the cold wall.
I had nowhere to go. The man crouched in front of me. Too close.
Way too close. I shook my head quickly. Tears spilled down my face.
"Please don't—"
His hand reached toward me. Something inside me snapped. Everything went loud. Then silent.
I didn't think I was too anxious to even come up with a plan. I just moved. My eyes caught something beside me.
A broken bottle. Jagged and sharp. I grabbed it with shaking fingers. And swung.
Fast. The glass cut deep into his neck. For a second, everything froze .Then blood, It poured out fast.
Too fast. The man's eyes went wide. He grabbed his throat. Choking and falling back.
"SHIT!"
Someone shouted and chaos exploded. The other men rushed forward.
"What did you do?!"
I pushed myself up and ran. My legs felt weak but I forced them to move. I ran out of the warehouse. The cold rain hit my face immediately.
It was heavy. The sky was dark. Thunder rumbled loudly.
"GET HER!"
Someone screamed behind me. I ran faster. My feet slipped on the wet ground but I kept going. My heart pounded like it would burst.
My lungs burned. I didn't stop. I couldn't stop. Footsteps pounded behind me. Closer. Too close.
"She's heading for the road!"
"Don't let her escape!"
I turned a corner sharply. I almost fell butI kept running. My dress clung to my legs. My hair stuck to my face.
Rain blurred my vision. I didn't know where I was going. I just ran. Then, I saw it.
Huge iron gates. They were tall, dark and terrifying. Everyone in Stoneville knew that place. Everyone avoided it. But I didn't think so.
I ran straight toward it. I pushed through the half-open gate and stumbled inside. The estate was massive. Everything looked expensive.
My feet hit the stone path. I ran toward the large doors ahead. Almost there. Almost. Strong hands grabbed me from behind. I screamed.
"Let me go!"
Two guards held me tightly. Their grip was firm.
"Stop struggling,"
One said sharply.
"They're chasing me!"
I cried.
"Please, they're going to kill me!"
They didn't respond. They dragged me forward. Through the large doors. Inside. The building felt even colder. The floor shined under dim lights.
Everything looked too clean. Too controlled. I was dragged across the floor. My knees hurt again. My body shook badly.
"Please,just let me go—"
No one answered. Then they stopped.I was pushed forward. Hard.
I fell. Right at someone's feet. My breath caught. Slowly, I lifted my head. A man sat in front of me. Calm. Still. Powerful.
Even sitting, he looked dangerous. Very dangerous. The room felt heavy because of him. His eyes moved down to me.
Like he saw everything. I froze. I couldn't speak. Couldn't move. One of the guards spoke.
"She ran into the estate. She claimed that some men were chasing her."
There was silence. The man kept looking at me. Rainwater dripped from my hair onto the floor.
My hands shook badly. My whole body trembled. I felt small. Helpless. Like I didn't belong there.
Then he spoke. His voice was so deep and powerful.
"Let them in."
My heart dropped. The guards hesitated.
"Sir?"
His eyes didn't leave mine.
"I said… let the men chasing her inside."
My breath stopped. The doors behind me began to open. And instantly I didn't feel safe anymore.