Page 81 of Inferno

“But will she? Will she find the one she loves again?”

“Yes. She will search for the rest of eternity for her soulmate. I promise. It’s my story, remember?”

I swallow the lump in my throat. I will find him.

I just hope it’s before it’s too late.

“But, you’ll have to wait for another day to see what happens. It’s time for you to go to sleep, baby,” I whisper, picking her up in my arms and taking her over to her bright pink bed.

I smile, a quiet contentment settling over me, as I tuck her in, listening to her soft breaths.

She’s healthy, she’s happy, and she has no clue what goes on past her own little world here.

Drago and I protect her, and I take the brunt of all the pain.

And I’d do it every day for the rest of my life to ensure Vlad never touches her.

“Night, night, my gorgeous girl.”

I press my finger on the tip of her nose, and she giggles, melting my heart.

As I stand, she grabs my wrist and I flinch, wincing in pain from the fresh cuts from the chains under my sleeves. Despite the stinging pain, a smile stretches across my face. I will be her shield.

“Mommy, do you think the Queen and the Princess will escape? Maybe live on their own one day?”

She looks so deep into my soul. She’s a clever little thing. No matter how much I shelter her, she will know there is a world beyond these walls.

It’s what she gets taught every day.

“Yes. The Queen will make it happen. I promise.” I squeeze her hand, and she sniffles.

“Good.”

She cuddles her unicorn teddy and closes her eyes, and tears stream down my cheeks.

“I love you,” I whisper and walk to the door, taking one last look at her before heading to my room.

Tonight is an escape for me. Vlad and Emil are away on business for the night. It means I can sleep in peace and heal my wounds.

Before Isabella, I might have seen this as a chance to escape. Now, I’ve learned not to. There are guards everywhere and I am monitored constantly. One foot steps out of line, that sick son of a bitch will take Isabella.

The chains aren’t used to actually keep me here. He knows the threats against my daughter do that on their own.

The chains are to break me down. Make me weak, vulnerable, and exposed.

Wiping away the fresh tears streaming down my cheeks, I open the laptop, staring at the blank document. Any search history is monitored, but I doubt he’d check a document saved in between Isabella’s homeschooling folders. And if he does, it’s simply a story.

Maybe I can rewrite my story and get lost in the words on the pages.

An escape so I can forget the nightmare I’m living in.

I can tell the story of Charlotte that was meant to be. The story where she isn’t sold and forced into a life of murder.

No. This can be my happily ever after, where I find my Prince again. Where our story doesn’t end after three days.

This is my “what if”.

What if I save myself and find Jimmy again?

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