Chapter 42

SARAH

Five days. Five excruciating days trapped in this gilded cage. My reflection in the antique vanity mirror mocked me, a pale wraith in a silk nightgown Emilio had "kindly" provided.

Escape. It was the only thought that kept the suffocating fear at bay.

I traced the raised scar on my knee, a souvenir from my last, disastrous attempt at escaping. Broken ankle, busted knees, and a concussion that had me seeing double for days.

Recalling the disastrous escape attempt that had left me in the hospital with a broken ankle and an injured knee, I couldn't afford another failure.

This time, my plan would be foolproof. It had to be. Failure was not an option.

As I gazed out of the window, the moonlight danced on the edges of the curtains, casting a faint glow across the room.

Tonight, I vowed to leave this suffocating mansion behind for good. My eyes flickered with determination, and my hands traced an imaginary map of the escape route.

Over the past five days, I had become a spy in the ma