Chapter 64

My hands ball into fists as I pace the room, the plush carpet beneath my feet doing little to soothe my nerves. My mind races, a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions threatening to overwhelm me. But beneath it all, there's a kernel of determination that won't be extinguished.

"Next time," I promise myself, even as tears prick at the corners of my eyes. "Next time, I'll get away."

ChapterEight

With a heavy sigh, I slide back into the driver's seat of my sleek black car, the irritation coursing through my veins. Lulu's incessant escape attempts - as futile as they are - have me spending far too much time in this godforsaken mansion. My penthouse in the city beckons to me, but she refuses to cooperate.

"Damn her stubbornness," I mutter under my breath as I drive up the curving driveway, the tires crunching over the gravel. The guy carrying her back to her room follows closely behind.

As soon as I step out of the car, the grandiosity of the mansion looms over me, its imposing presence a con