Sergio has been keeping a close eye on me since the incident at the beach.
"I think he knows something is off." So I thought to myself.
He had been making sure I'm within his sight since we left the beach.
"Claire I feel something is off" He broke the silence.
"Do I look like I care? You should figure it out if you got a problem." I replied without looking at him."
"Oh really?"
I didn't bat an eyelid.
"I sense betrayal, just pray this negative aura isn't coming from you, else I'll...."
"If your usual nightmare is here you can get lost to your room instead of speaking gibberish to my face." I cut him short, I didn't let him finish his speech because I was getting scared already.
"One more word about my nightmares and 'll kill you."
I hissed, his phone rang and without another word he strode out of my room.
I finally let out a sigh of relief.
The night was thick with silence.
I wasn't sure what "the process from my dad's note " was, but I'd clung to those words like a lifeline. If I failed tonight, there might be no second chance.
I snicked outside
The house behind me was mostly dark. Sergio's men had retired to their rooms, except for the guards posted at the front gate and one who usually paced near the back garden. I had watched their routine for two days before, pretending to be bored, distracted, weak.
And I've memorized everything already, as if I had been waiting for a day like this.
I moved through the hedges, knees brushing against thorns. I reached the back gate, an old service entrance no longer in use. Rusted, barely hanging on its hinges.
My fingers were shaking, but I managed to unlatch it.
And that's when I heard a click, soft but deliberate sound. Not from the gate.
From behind me.
I froze.
Then a whisper came from the shadows. "Claire."
I turned fast, I was scared stiff.
It was the boy from the kitchen. Quiet. Unremarkable. I'd seen him once or twice carrying trays, always with his head down.
"Don't speak," he whispered, holding up a finger. His eyes darted left. "Just follow me. We don't have time."
I hesitated. Just a second.
Then nodded.
We moved in sync, almost soundless. He led me behind the small guest house, past the garden shed, then to a narrow slope behind a line of trees. The path was nearly invisible in the dark. We followed it down toward the cliff's edge.
I wonder how Sergio managed to get this whole place together, like an empire in ancient movies, his taste is ridiculous.
Below, I could just make out the shape of a dock.
And a boat.
It was real. The escape was real. My heart jumped in excitement.
A knot twisted in my throat. I almost cried, but I couldn't risk a sound.
We were maybe sixty feet from the dock when the guy stopped. He turned, pressing a tiny torch into mmmy hand, I clicked It and it turned on, but barely bright enough to light the path ahead.
"There's a rope ladder down the side," he whispered. "Climb fast. They won't wait long."
I nodded. "Thank you. Thank you so much."
He held my gaze for a moment. "Tell your father… I paid my debt."
And just like that, he was gone vanishing into thin air like a ghost.
I turned and moved. Fast. My shoes slipped on the sand, but I kept going, eyes locked on the dock, the boat. I had no time to think about him.
The boat was sleek and black, engine humming low. I could see two men aboard, both in dark clothes, their faces hidden under hoods. One waved at me.
Thirty feet.
Twenty.
Fifteen.
A shout tore through the night.
"Stop her!"
A floodlight snapped on. Blinding white light exploded across the sand.
I dropped flat behind a pile of rocks, I knew I was doomed.
Footsteps thundered behind me. Voices half a dozen.
I was so close. The boat revved louder, preparing to leave.
I had seconds.
"No you can't give up, not now, not ever." Those were the voices in my head.
Pushing to my feet, I sprinted toward the edge. Gunshots cracked behind me, one hitting the rock near my leg, it sprayed sand into the air.
I didn't stop.
I reached the edge of the dock and threw myself forward, grabbing the rope ladder. My foot slipped, but I caught the next rung.
Just then, pain exploded through my shoulder.
A hand yanking me backward.
I screamed, struggling, kicking wildly. I landed hard on the sand, the flashlight tumbling into the waves.
Oops, I thought Adrenalin was enough to save me.
"Sergio Lucian?"
His face above mine, twisted with fury.
"You really thought you'd get away?" he hissed, grabbing me by the jacket and dragging me up.
The boat roared, before leaving. I saw one of the men aboard raise a hand then drop it.
No rescue. Not tonight.
Sergio slammed me against the rocks. "Who helped you?"
He hasn't treated me that bad lately
I didn't speak.
"Who helped you?" he shouted again , spittle hitting my cheek.
I stared at him. "Go to hell."
He backhanded me. Not hard enough to knock me out but hard enough to make the world spin for a moment.
Behind him, his men were scanning the trees, shouting at each other.
"Someone was with her"
"She didn't get this far alone"
"No tracks, she must've used the rocks….."
Sergio grabbed my face, forcing me to look at him. "Was it Matteo?"
"No."
"Lorenzo?"
I let out a laugh, blood trickling from my lip. "You're paranoid."
"Don't test me."
I shook my head. "You'll never find them."
He froze.
The calm in my voice scared him more than anything else I could've done.
He threw me to the ground. "Get her up. Take her back."
Two of the guards dragged me to my feet. One of them who was tall, bald, reeking of sweat snatched the flashlight from the water's edge.
"Where's the signal light? She had something."
Sergio was still watching me. He seemed betrayed.
"She had help," he muttered to himself. "There's no way she could've reached the dock without being seen."
He turned to his men. "Check the cameras. Check every room. I want everyone accounted for in the next hour."
One of them with a stutter, said, "The cameras on the south side went dark fifteen minutes ago. Might be a glitch….."
Sergio's face hardened. "It wasn't a glitch."
They dragged me back up the slope, flashlight beams bouncing through the trees. I looked at the sky above, stars, blinking beautifully.
I wish I had escaped successfully.
When we reached the house, Sergio didn't take me to my room.
He took me to the cellar.
Cold. Damp. Smelled like old wine and iron.
They shoved me into a chair, tied my wrists, then left.
Sergio stood in front of me, his arms crossed.
"You think this is a game."
"I think you're scared," I said quietly.
He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "No. But you should be."
"Then why haven't you killed me?"
He kept quiet.
"You think keeping me alive gives you power. But it doesn't. You're not in control anymore, Sergio. I promise you, I'll leave this place sooner or later"
He stepped forward. "You think your father is coming for you? That note could've been a trick. Could've been a setup. Funny how I knew about that note at the beach but still played along to see if you'll really betray me."
"Maybe it's a set up," I said. "But you're still panicking. You don't know who the mole is. And that's killing you."
He glared at me, then turned and punched the wall hard.
"Start talking," he said through gritted teeth. "Give me a name."
I said nothing.
His facial expression became more furious, like he was holding back.
"You'll never know who the mole is, trust me...."
Pah
I couldn't believe my eyes, he didn't let me finish my statement before landing me a hot slap on my face, I expected it but not so sudden.
"Don't you dare me Claire Parker. I own you, you are at my disposal, don't you dare lie to me." He yelled loudly.
I opened my mouth to talk, but nothing came out except from blood, I can feel his palm print on my face.
"Do it again Lucian….if you're a man hit me again." I screamed out with what seemed like the last energy in me.
Pah
Another slap landed on the other side of my face.
Ahh…this was unbelievable, he seemed to have lost his mind.
Beads of sweat dropped from my forehead while I sob quietly, with my hair covering my face.
He stormed out.
I exhaled slowly, slumping in the chair. My shoulder ached. My lip was split. My legs were still shaking.
But I was alive.
And the plan wasn't over.
It was morning before they untied me. A guard brought food. It was bread, water, and a boiled egg. He didn't speak, but he watched me for a sec or two before leaving.
I waited an hour before opening the plate, I surprisingly felt something at the bottom and I tactically turned it to avoid it been caught by the cameras.
I had a second note…..
"There's still a way. Wait. He's unraveling. You'll get another chance."
No signature. But I knew it was from the same person.
The mole hadn't been caught.
Sergio had failed.
And that gave me hope, I always know that where there's life, there's hope.