Claire's pov
I kept the note tucked under my waistband. Didn't eat. Didn't move too much. Just watched.
A second guard came by later, younger, less disciplined. He didn't lock the door properly.
I waited five minutes after he left.
Then I took advantage of the fact that he didn't lock the door, pressed my ear to the door before cracking it open, the hallway was empty.
My heart was racing, but my steps were light. I went down the hall Into the side storage where I'd hidden the screwdriver I used two nights ago.
It was still there. Wrapped in the rag, behind the loose brick.
I knew Sergio was meeting someone outside the estate this afternoon. I had heard him yelling on the phone hours ago. I heard "thirty minutes" and "don't make me wait."
I moved faster.
Got to the laundry room, shoved on the black hoodie hanging by the door. Luckily It was big enough to cover most of me.
I slipped out the back just as I heard steps in the kitchen. They were preparing lunch.
My hands were steady. My steps were quiet.
I headed toward the far garage. Two cars usually parked at that exact spot. Only one had been used today. The second, a Mercedes maybach s 680, sat untouched. I had the key. A guard slipped it to me through the food tray two days ago. Hidden inside a boiled egg.
I believe Sergio wouldn't have noticed his missing keys because he's got too many cars and he rarely uses this particular one.
I reached the door. Checked behind me. No one.
I unlocked it, slid inside then turned the engine.
I didn't move yet because the front gate was the goal and I was studying it with my eyes.
But the moment I turned the wheel and the tires shifted against the gravel, I heard a voice behind me.
"HEY!"
I slammed the gas.
The car jerked forward, wheels spinning.
Shouts exploded behind me. Then bullets.
The rear window shattered instantly. Glass sprayed into my hoodie. I ducked but kept driving.
I hit the gate hard but not necessarily hard enough to open a normal gate, but luckily enough the gate had already been weakened by whoever was helping me.
It cracked open and I was out.
Dust exploded around me as the tires hit the road. I floored it. No looking back.
The rendezvous point was barely a kilometer ahead. Just past the gravel turnoff, behind a stretch of fencing.
Then I saw a black Bentley bentayga in the side mirror.
I knew it was Sergio Lucian himself.
He was faster than expected.
I sped up. Swerved hard into the narrow side road.
I was told a car would be waiting for me somewhere, the waiting car was parked exactly where it should be.
I jumped out while the Mercedes was still rolling. "Go! Go! Go!"
The driver, a man in black with a ball cap pulled low yanked open the door. I dove into the backseat.
We peeled off as Sergio's car came into view, just a few seconds too late.
Gunfire erupted behind us.
"Drive faster" I screamed.
The driver didn't respond. He just swerved, took the next corner too fast. We hit a bump, then straightened out.
"They're gaining," the man in the passenger seat said. "Shit."
A second car, an SUV joined the chase.
I ducked as more bullets slammed into our rear window.
The driver veered onto the main road, tires screaming. "Hold on"
We broke into a tiny road. Swerved past trees.
Gunshots kept coming.
"We can't outrun them like this," the passenger said.
"We don't have to." The driver gritted his teeth. "Reinforcements are coming."
Just then out of nowhere another car came from the left and slammed into Sergio's car.
Both cars spun.
It was James Parker, my dad.
He didn't waste time. He stepped out already firing.
Sergio rolled out from his side, firing back.
Neither spoke. They didn't even look at each other for more than a second.
Just bullets.
Gunfire ripped through the road. Trees swerved. Two of Sergio's men got hit. One went down.
Parker ducked behind a tree. Sergio's response was instant, grenade launcher from the back seat.
The explosion was loud enough to rattle everything.
Our driver didn't stop. "We keep going."
"No," I said. "Stop the car."
"What?"
"Stop it, I'm not running while they kill each other"
"You'll die out there"
I yanked the handle and jumped out.
My knees hit the pavement hard, but I rolled and got up. Limping, running.
Sergio's men had regrouped.
Parker was trying to flank. But he was alone.
Too many of them. One of them circled. Came behind him.
I tried to yell. "Dad, behind you"
I was a little too late.
Parker took a bullet to the side.
He staggered. Tried to return fire. Got another shot at the same spot.
Sergio walked toward him slowly.
Gun still raised.
Parker aimed one last time but he seemed weak already.
I knew he was going to kill my father, I can't watch my father die just like that.
I screamed. "NO!"
Sergio turned to me, his dark eyes locked on mine. My dad took that opportunity as he shot him at the back.
Before he could react properly, my dad's men had pulled him to their car, and they sped off without me.
I smiled at Sergio, his face said everything,rage, betrayal, and something worse.
I knew I was done for, but at least I didn't watch my dad die, I have decided to accept my fate as a prisoner. I had given a note to the driver earlier.
It says "if today's escape turned out to be a failure, don't bother trying again, I am not maltreated by him, I am just a bait and don't fall for it again."
Two of his men grabbed me before I could move.
I kicked, clawed, screamed, but it was over.
They threw me into the back of his SUV.
Sergio stepped in after me, blood splattered on his sleeves, looks like he was wearing something and my dad's bullet didn't actually penetrate deep.
He didn't speak.
Didn't need to.
The door slammed shut.
I was back.
Everything blurred for a second. My body hurt, my chest burned, my ears were still ringing from the gunfire.
Then Sergio spoke coldly.
"Twice."
I didn't look at him.
"Twice you tried."
I stayed quiet.
He leaned forward. "You saw him, didn't you?"
Still nothing.
"You watched me shoot your father."
I flinched.
"I warned you."
"You're a monster."
"I'm what your father made me."
I turned sharply. "He didn't kill your sister, you have no solid evidence"
Sergio didn't answer.
He stared at me, cold.
"Get us back to the compound," he told the driver.
He turned back to me. "We're done playing now. You want to act like a soldier in a war, fine. But don't cry when the war hits back."
"You lost men today."
He smirked. "I can replace men."
I leaned back, wincing at the pain in my knee. "You'll never break me."
Sergio leaned in close. "I don't need to break you. I just need you to stop running."
I met his gaze. "That's never happening."
His eyes twitched slightly, but he didn't answer.
We rode in silence the rest of the way.
Back at the compound, Sergio didn't take me inside. Not even to the cellar.
Instead, they led me to the bunker. Reinforced. No windows. One way in, one way out.
The chair was bolted to the floor.
He sat across from me.
"You're going to tell me who helped you."
"No."
"You're going to tell me who gave you that note."
"No."
"Then you'll sit here until you do."
I smiled faintly. "That'll be a long time."
He stood. "I have time."
As he walked away, he paused at the door.
He looked back at me once. Just a glance.
And then he shut the door.
Although I was acting tough, I was weak inside. Tears streamed down my face, I was tired of this kind of life, I needed my freedom back.