Page 154 of Bound By Crimson

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“Screw her,” she whispered.

With sudden resolve, she gripped the edge and peeled.

One long, ripping hiss.

Then another.

The wallpaper curled onto the floor like discarded skin.

And there it was.

A door.

Tall. Arched. No knob. Just a flat piece of metal with a keyhole where a handle should have been.

When she touched it, it was smooth. Cold. Untouched by time.

She stepped back.

Breath caught in her throat.

The door was directly across from her bed.

Which meant every night—every night she had laid here—it had been there.

Watching her too.

Now it stood exposed, silent and waiting.

Her fists were still clenched.

She didn’t know what lay beyond it.

But somehow, she knew…

It was never meant to be found.

Chapter Fifty-Five

What Are You Hiding, Editha?

She took a few steps back from the door, her breath caught somewhere between her lungs and her throat. Her heart pounded so violently she could hear it in her ears—feel it in her skull. A high-pitched ringing buzzed through her head, her vision pulsing slightly at the edges.

Something deep in her gut screamed:Don’t.

It felt ancient. Primal.

But she had come this far. There was no going back. Even if she wanted to glue the wallpaper back on—what would that fix? Mrs. Thornwick would know. She’d find some new way to twist it, punish her, anyway.

Her hand hovered near the edge of the doorframe. She hesitated.

What are you hiding, Editha?

A long, shallow breath left her. Her hand trembled.

Then she pressed her fingers into the thin crack between the door and the frame, gripping the rough wood. She pulled.

It didn’t move at first.

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