Chapter 23 

Katrina’s POV 

I turned toward the path where they had just driven in from, the opened gates staring at me. 

I had been searching for this exact route earlier, the day he had caught me in the woods. But the thick canopy of leaves had 

hidden it from view. 

If you didn’t know it was there, you’d easily miss it. 

What need was there to hide the gates? And who would bring up such a crazy idea? 

But that wasn’t what I should be worried about, I should be worried about leaving here.. 

Phillip had given me a chance and I should be smart enough to take it. 

The guards were scattered around the courtyard, their attention diverted, none of them noticing the way I hovered by the 

entrance. 

They were all worried about Silas, they wouldn’t bother with what I was doing now. 

This was my chance. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat louder than the last and it urged me forward. 

I took a step toward the gate, then another. 

Blinking out rain from my eyes, I wiped with my face with my lands as the rain fell in never ending drops 

Come on, Katrina. This is what you’ve been waiting for. 

My body felt pulled in two directions, toward the promise of esclipe back home and towards Silas who was currently fighting 

for his life. 

But something held me back. 

I didn’t 

idn’t run out of the gates like I should have, instead I walked slowly. 

Like I was waiting for something or someone to stop me. 

How different was this place from the home I had known all these years. 

I came to a stop just a few steps from the gate, my body frozen in place. I glanced over my shoulder, back toward the house. 

And there, staring at me from one of the upstairs windows, was Phillip. 

His eyes were cold, calculating. He stared at me as he waited for me to leave. 

It seemed as if he had even been waiting for this moment, waiting to see me run. 

Because he wasn’t going to stop me. 

His gaze sent a chill down my spine, and for a brief moment, I felt an irrational surge of guilt 

But why? What did I have to feel guilty for? I wasn’t the one torturing people in basements, wasn’t the one playing judge, jury, and executioner. 

He keeps saying that was what they did, but still. 

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Chapter 23 

Shaking my head, forced the thought away, turning back to the gate. 

Just go, Katrina. Leave. 

Silas isn’t here to stop you. 

But I didn’t. 

I hesitated once more, the weight of everything pressing down on me. 

I was kidnapped, forced into a marriage I didn’t want. And yet, when I get the chance to leave, I find it hard to 

No matter how hard I tried to convince myself, something inside me refused to let go. 

My feet didn’t move, as if they were lasted to the ground. 

Move you foolish body, move! 

With a frustrated sigh, I turned back to the house, ignoring Philip’s penetrating stare as 1 headed inside.. 

I couldn’t do it. Not yet. Not like this. 

The house felt colder than usual. the heavy atmosphere chokingas I climbed the stairs to my room. 

1 needed to change. 

My clothes were dripping water as I walked up, the heaviness pulling me down. 

Once in my room, I peeled off my skirtand shirt, the fabric sticking to my skin. 

My reflection in the mirror looked foreign–pale, shaken. 

al tried to push the thoughts away as I quickly pulled on fresh clothes, something loose and comfortable. 

Then, before I could talk myself out of it. I headed down the hallway toward Silas’s room. 

I had never been there before, but when I saw the maids rushing in and out of the room, I knew Silas just had to be there. 

I had to know if he was okay, 

Earlier before he was bleeding out in the courtyard, his life hanging by a thread. 

Phillip told me he was going to be stable, but that wasn’t enough 

I needed to see him. 

But when I reached his door, two guards stood in front of it, their arms crossed over their chests, blocking my path. 

They both stared me down with a hard look on their faces, wondering what actually gave me the nerve to try and see Silas. 

“I need to see him,” I said, my voice firmer than I expected. 

The guard on the left shook his head. “No visitors.” 

“I just want to check on him,” 1 insisted, trying to push past them, but the other guard stepped forward, his expression Jnmoved 

‘Orders are orders,” he said, his voice flat. “Go back to your room 

Chapter 23 

I knew the orders were from Phillip and I couldn’t do anything about that 

I couldn’t even use the Tin his wife card Beach truly, I was Lisy prisoner with the decorative title of a wife. 

Frustration and wony gruwed at me, but there was no use arguing 

Π 

I wasn’t getting through them. With a huff of annoyance, I turned and walked away, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. 

Why wouldn’t they let me in though 

Was Silas worse than they were letting on? The thought came to the, making my heart race with panic. 

I spent the rest of the day in a dare, wandering aimlessly through the house, waiting for any news 

Rachael hadn’t asked about me all through the day, so I figured there was no point going to her. 

But no one said a word about Silas. No updates, no reassurance 

The silence was ambearable, and my thoughts spiraled, jumping from one dark possibility to the next. 

If jumping to conclusions were a sport, I would be an Olympic Gold medalist. 

As the hours dragged on, the sky outside shifted from dull gray to deep indigo, the sun falling 

1 found myself in the kitchen at one point, staring blankly at a cup of tea I hadn’t touched. 

That’s when Alisa bounced in, her usual cheerful energy filling the room like sunlight breaking through clouds 

“Katrina“” she chirped, her voice bright and entirely too chipper for how I felt. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. What’s Wrong” 

1b 

blinked, my 

throat tight. Was I the only one that knew of what happened to Silas, or did they not care? 

But it was impossible for her to not be aware since she was there when he was carried in 

“Silas, I muttered, barely loud enough for her to hear. 

“They won’t let me see him. I don’t know if he’s okay.”” 

Alisa’s face softened, and she reached out, placing a reassuring hand on my arm. 

“Oh, Katrina. Don’t worry. It wouldn’t be the first time that something like this happened. And I heard from one of the medics that he’s going to be fine. It’s just a precaution, keeping hiin isolated like that. He’s healing 

Her words were meant to comfort me, and they did, at least a little. 

But I couldn’t shake off the unease that I was feeling 

wanted to see him with 

mile 

my 

own eyes. To hear him tell me he was fine. But all I could do was nod at Annie and force a 

never liked seeing people die, and the image of him smiling at me with a pale face kept replaying in my head over and 

Ver. 

didn’t care about him, I just hated the idea that he would die after talking to me. 

eah, that’s just it 

Thanks,” I said, my voice hollow. 

Chapter 23 

She gave me a sympathetic–look before skipping off, leaving me alone with my untouched tea and my racing thoughts. 

Eventually, exhaustion overtook me and I made my way back my room. 

As usual, Silas‘ room had guards stationed outside preventing me from sneaking in 

I climbed into bed. I had done nothing today, but I still felt tired 

Wrapping myself tightly in the blankers, I tried to shut out the world, to quiet my mind. 

i’s words played on a loop in my head–he’s going to be fine, he’s healing–but it wasn’t enough to quiet the turmoil 

Alisa’s 

inside me. 

I forced myself to close my eyes, to let the exhaustion win. Slowly, I drifted off, my mind slipping into a restless sleep. 

I wasn’t sure how long I had been asleep when a noise startled je awake. 

My eyes shot open, my body instantly tense as I listened, my heart thurding in my chest. 

What was that? 

There it war again. A soft creak, like the sound of a door being pushed open 

I bolted upright, my breath catching in my thr 

oat as I stared at the dark shape standing in the doorway. 

There was someone in my room. 

My mind raced panic flooding through me before I recognized the familiar figure. 

Silas 

What was he doing here?