29. Alexis

29

Islowly blink my eyes open, my head pounding with a searing ache. As my senses gradually return, I realize with growing dread that I'm no longer in my room, but tied to a chair—much like I had been at the Carter house.

But this time, the knots are tied properly. I won't be able to unknot them. And from the way the rope is digging into my wrists, whoever tied me up did this purposefully to maximize my discomfort.

My heart races as the memories come flooding back—Scarlett bursting through my door, an inhuman grin on her blood-spattered face. A shiver of terror runs down my spine. I have to get out of here.

But how? Not only am I tied up, but this room is stark and barren. The walls are bare, devoid of any decoration or distinguishing features, and there's only one door leading out. There are no windows in this room, which leads me to believe I'm either in an interior room or in the basement.

Just then, Scarlett saunters into the room, a cruel smile playing on her lips. "Well, look who's finally decided to join us," she purrs, her tone dripping with false sweetness.

I open my mouth to speak, but my throat feels raw and parched. Scarlett seems to sense my struggle, and her smile only widens.

"Don't worry, dear," she coos, producing a knife from her pocket and pressing the blade lightly against the soft skin of my neck. "I want you nice and alert for our little chat."

I swallow hard, trying in vain to pull away from the sharp edge. "Where am I?" I rasp, hating the fear that laces my words.

Scarlett clicks her tongue disapprovingly. "Now, now, let's not worry about the details." She leans in closer, her breath hot against my face. "What's important is that I finally have you right where I want you."

My mind races as I desperately search for a way out of this nightmare. But there's no way out. Not with Scarlett standing before me with her menacing blade.

My baby's life depends on my getting out of this alive, but I know Scarlett will never let me go willingly. I have to play this carefully, keep my wits about me.

Be the wolf.

Scarlett clicks her tongue disapprovingly. "Tsk, tsk. And here I thought you'd be happy to see me." She leans in closer, her breath hot against my face. "You've done an excellent job hiding, you know. But you just had to go back to the Carter house, didn't you?"

My blood runs cold. "How did you…?"

"Find you?" Scarlett interrupts, a mocking laugh escaping her lips. "Oh, darling, we've had Brotherhood members stationed outside that house since you first slipped out of Mark's grip." She pauses, her eyes glinting with malice. "But that's not what I'm really interested in."

She pulls the knife away, only to trace the sharp edge along my jawline. It takes everything in me to not whimper in fear. "No, what I really want to know is…" Her voice drops to a whisper. "Did you kill Mark?"

I feel my breath catch in my throat as I slowly nod, unable to deny it.

Scarlett's face splits in a wide, terrifying grin. "Good girl. He was so fucking annoying." She leans in even closer, her lips nearly brushing my ear. "But you couldn't have offed your stupid foster sister, too? She's so very mad at you, Alexis." Scarlett drags the syllables of my name out.

Fear grips me, but I refuse to let it show on my face. I have to be strong for my baby's sake. Desperately, I try to recall the self-defense lessons Edo had taught me, searching for any weakness I can exploit.

Scarlett's eyes narrow as she studies me, sensing my defiance. Suddenly, her hand shoots out, backhanding me across the face with such force that my head snaps to the side. I cry out in pain.

"You stupid girl," she hisses, gripping my chin painfully, her long nails digging into my skin. "Do you know how infuriating it's been knowing you've been with Damian for all these months? Damian is mine."

I wince, both from the sting of her blow and the vise-like grip on my jaw. But I refuse to give her the satisfaction of seeing my fear.

Scarlett's lips curl into a cruel smile as she presses the knife against my neck, just hard enough to draw blood. Pain shoots up my neck as I feel a drop slide down my skin, and I have to fight the urge to scream.

"You think you can just waltz in and take what's rightfully mine?" she spits, her blue eyes devoid of any emotion. It's like looking into a black hole. "Well, I've got news for you, Alexis. This ends today."

I steel myself, determined not to beg or plead. Instead, I force myself to meet her gaze, silently daring her to do her worst. If I'm going to die here, I will do it with dignity, for my baby's sake.

Be the wolf.

Scarlett's cold eyes gleam with malice as she presses the knife harder against my neck, the bead of blood turning into a rivulet.

"You know, I've been just itching to slice open your pretty little neck, just like I did with my dear old dad," she muses, her voice dripping with sadistic delight.

My heart beats faster at the casual mention of Mario Rafa's murder. So she was the one who killed him—and now she has me in her clutches as well.

Scarlett's grip on the knife tightens. "But as much as I'd love to watch the life drain from your eyes," she continues, "you're actually worth much more to me alive."

She suddenly withdraws the knife, only to pat my cheek in a twisted parody of affection. "You see, Alexis, you're my biggest prize. The money I'll get for selling you off will make me a very, very rich woman."

My heart races as the full implication of her words sinks in. She doesn't want to kill me. She wants to sell me, carry on what her father intended. The thought of it makes bile rise in my throat.

"Damian will never let you get away with this," I spit, mustering as much defiance as I can.

Scarlett lets out a cruel laugh. "Oh, I'm counting on his trying to save you, darling." Her eyes gleam with malicious intent. "That's when I'll have him right where I want him—under my thumb."

I swallow hard, the reality of the situation dawning on me. Scarlett not only wants to get rid of me, but she also wants to take down Damian as well, making him into her puppet.

As Scarlett's fingers trail along my jaw, I have to resist the urge to flinch. "Soon, you'll be out of my hair, and I'll have Damian all to myself," she purrs. "We'll be the most powerful crime family in the country."

The thought of Scarlett and Damian together again, ruling over a criminal empire, makes me sick to my stomach. I have to find a way to stop her, to get back to Damian and protect our child. But trapped as I am, with no way to escape, I feel utterly helpless.

I stare at Scarlett in disbelief, my heart pounding. "You're insane," I whisper, my voice trembling.

Scarlett's eyes flash with fury, and before I can react, she seizes my jaw, forcing my mouth open. I feel the cold edge of the knife scraping against my tongue, and terror grips me.

"You know, I'm tempted to just cut out that pretty little tongue of yours," she hisses. "That way, you won't be able to talk back to your new master."

The mention of being sold off like property makes my stomach churn. I fight back the tears that threaten to spill, refusing to give Scarlett the satisfaction.

But this defiance only seems to enrage her further. Suddenly, she begins lashing out, her fists raining down on me. I cry out in pain, my vision blurring as the blows rain down.

Just as I feel myself slipping into unconsciousness, the door opens and a familiar voice cuts through the chaos.

"Scarlett, do calm down," Vincente drawls. "How can you expect anyone to want to buy her if she's black and blue?"

Scarlett pauses, chest heaving, and turns to the older man. "She needs to learn her place," she hisses.

Vincente raises a hand, silencing her. "And her new master will do that for her. We need her in one piece, remember?" He fixes me with a cold, calculating gaze. "After all, she's our most valuable asset."

As their discussion continues, the truth hits me. I'm nothing more than a bargaining chip to them—a prize to be sold to the highest bidder.

Something about Vincente is bothering me. Where have I seen him before? I take a closer look at his face.

Suddenly, a vivid flashback assaults my senses.

I see it all again—the closet door being wrenched open, my mother's terrified face as she's dragged out by a younger version of the man now standing before me. His features are unmistakable, even with all the years that have passed.

And then, the door closing, leaving me alone in the darkness as the sound of her screams faded away. When the closet door opened again, my mother was gone, and Vincente stood there, his eyes cold and unyielding as he stared me down.

The realization hits me like a punch to the gut. "You…" I whisper, my voice trembling. "You killed my mom."

Vincente pauses before he crouches down before me, an odd smile playing on his lips. His smile then widens, a twisted sense of satisfaction in his gaze.

"Yes, my dear Alexis. I killed your mother." He leans in closer, his breath hot on my face. "And now, as you're about to be sold off to a very rich man and leave this country forever, it's only fitting that you should know the truth. Damian's father never ordered the hit against your mother. It was me."

My heart races, a whirlwind of emotions flooding through me. Rage, grief, and a bone-deep terror grip me as the full weight of his confession sinks in. All this time, the man responsible for my mother's death had been right under my nose. And even worse, Damian trusted this man.

"And even better," Vincente continues, his eyes gleaming with malice. "It was I who eliminated my own brother, sister-in-law, and niece to pave the way for my rise to power. It was too easy."

I stare at him, utterly shocked by this revelation. The man who had taken everything from me is now poised to take even more. My child, my life with Damian—all of it is in jeopardy because of Vincente's twisted machinations.

"How could you?" I whisper, my words laced with anguish and disbelief. "Damian trusted you, and you betrayed him like this?"

Vincente lets out a cruel laugh. "Damian is a fool, just like his father. They're both weak, unfit to lead this Family." He leans in close, his breath hot on my face. "But with you out of the picture, I'll have Damian right where I want him. And soon, I'll be the one calling the shots."

The realization of Vincente's endgame sends a chill down my spine. He had orchestrated all of this—from my mother's murder to the attack at the mansion—all of it in a twisted bid for power. And Damian, the man I love, is completely unaware of the danger that lurks so close to him.

Before I can even process it, I feel a sharp pain in my neck, and the world around me begins to blur. Vincente's face swims before my eyes, his twisted smile the last thing I see before darkness claims me.

As consciousness slips away, one thought echoes through my mind—I have to get back to Damian. I can't give up, not when my baby's life is at stake. But with Vincente and Scarlett closing in, I have never felt more helpless.

The last thought that crosses my mind before the world goes black is a fervent prayer that somehow, some way, Damian will find me in time.