The escape

Anderson Estate, Connecticut — 2:13 A.M.

The mansion was silent.

Shreya stood near the eastern staircase, her handbag clutched tightly against her chest. She had spent nearly an hour waiting for the security patrol to move towards the western side of the estate.

Now, finally, the corridor was empty.

Her heart hammered against her ribs.

She glanced over her shoulder.

Nothing.

Taking a shaky breath, she hurried down the stairs and crossed the enormous entrance hall. Moonlight spilled through the glass walls, illuminating the polished marble beneath her feet.

The main entrance was out of the question. The electronic security system had already denied her access twice.

But she remembered another way out.

A glass door near the conservatory opened onto the rear gardens. Beyond them lay a service driveway that connected to the road outside the estate.

She didn't know whether the door would open.

She had to try.

Shreya slipped into the conservatory and carefully turned the handle.

The door opened.

Relief flooded her chest.

Outside, the night air was bitterly cold. She hurried down the stone steps, holding her dress above the damp grass.

She could see the distant outline of the perimeter gate.

Just a little farther.

She could do this.

She had to.

She ran.

Her shoes slipped on the wet pavement, and her breath came in short, frightened gasps. She didn't stop to think about what would happen if she were caught.

She couldn't think about Kai.

Not his expression.

Not his voice.

Not the way everyone in this house seemed to obey him before he even finished speaking.

She only wanted to get away.

The service driveway appeared between two rows of tall hedges.

Shreya turned towards it—

And collided with something solid.

A startled cry escaped her.

Two strong arms caught her around the waist before she could fall.

For one brief second, she thought it was one of the guards.

Then she smelled the faint, familiar scent of his cologne.

Her entire body went rigid.

No.

It couldn't be.

Slowly, terrified, she lifted her head.

Kai Anderson stood behind her.

He had caught her from behind, one arm secured around her waist while his other hand steadied her shoulder.

His expression was unreadable.

Shreya stopped breathing.

He looked down at her.

"Going somewhere?"

His voice was so quiet that she almost wished he had shouted.

She immediately began struggling.

"Kai—let go!"

She twisted in his arms, trying to break free, but he held her firmly enough to prevent her from slipping away.

"Please!"

She pushed against his chest.

He didn't move.

"Let me go! Please, I didn't—"

Her words broke apart when she looked at his face.

There was no anger in his expression.

No surprise.

He looked as though he had been expecting her.

That realisation frightened her more than being caught.

Had he known she was planning to escape the entire time?

She struggled harder.

Kai's jaw tightened.

Then, without warning, he bent down and lifted her into his arms.

Shreya screamed.

"KAI!"

Her handbag slipped from her fingers and struck the pavement.

She grabbed his shoulder, desperately trying to push herself away from him.

"Put me down! Put me DOWN!"

He didn't answer.

He simply carried her away from the driveway.

Shreya kicked her legs, twisting desperately in his arms. Her fingers caught the fabric of his shirt, and she tried to pull herself free.

"Please! I'm begging you!"

Kai glanced down at her.

"Stop moving."

She shook her head frantically.

"No! No, please—"

He adjusted his hold, preventing her from slipping out of his arms.

The movement brought her closer to him.

Shreya recoiled as far as she could, her back arching away from his chest.

She was terrified of him.

Terrified of how easily he had caught her.

Terrified that he wasn't even breathing heavily while she struggled with everything she had.

And terrified that he seemed completely unaffected by her fear.

"Kai, please," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I won't do anything. Just put me down."

He said nothing.

She looked over his shoulder.

The driveway was disappearing behind them.

The gate was getting farther away.

Her chance was gone.

A fresh wave of panic swept through her.

She began struggling again, hitting his shoulder with her trembling hands.

"LET ME GO!"

Kai stopped walking.

The sudden stillness made her freeze.

He looked at her.

Shreya stared back at him through tear-filled eyes, breathing so quickly that her chest hurt.

For several seconds, neither of them moved.

Then he spoke.

"Are you finished?"

She couldn't answer.

Her lips trembled.

He waited.

A tear slipped down her cheek.

Kai's gaze followed it for a fraction of a second before returning to her eyes.

There was no tenderness in his face.

He looked at her as though her tears were irrelevant.

Shreya's hands slowly fell from his shoulders.

Not because she had stopped being afraid.

Because she had run out of strength.

Kai resumed walking.

She turned her face away from him, squeezing her eyes shut as more tears escaped.

The mansion's rear entrance opened before he reached it. A security officer stood aside without asking a question.

Kai carried her through the doorway.

Shreya kept her face turned away, ashamed of how badly she was trembling.

Inside, the lights illuminated the vast entrance hall.

Kai's footsteps echoed across the marble.