The escape

Chapter 3: The Escape

The house was suffocating.

Every corner, every inch of space felt like it was closing in on her.

Eloise sat on the edge of the bed, her knees drawn up to her chest. The silence of the room was oppressive, making her feel like she couldn't breathe properly. Her mind raced, the fragmented memories of what Adrian had said replaying over and over again in her head.

Daniel killed your sister.

She felt sick just thinking about it.

The man she had trusted with everything. The one who had promised to always protect her. The one who made her laugh and held her when the world felt too heavy.

Was he the same man who had taken her sister's life?

The realization was like a gut punch. It knocked the wind out of her and left her feeling hollow.

Why would he do that?

Her mind swirled with questions, none of them making any sense. She remembered the good times, the love they shared. There were flashes of his warmth, his kind gestures. But now, all of it felt tainted, like it was built on a lie.

She had to get out.

It was the only thought she could hold onto, the only way she could keep herself from drowning in uncertainty.

The house had become a trap, and she had to escape.

But how?

Her gaze fell on the clock by the bedside table. The second hand ticked slowly, its rhythmic ticking a constant reminder of the time she was wasting.

She glanced at the door. Daniel hadn't come to bed yet. She could hear his footsteps downstairs, the soft murmur of his voice. He was making dinner, just like he always did, pretending like everything was normal. Pretending like she didn't just learn the most devastating thing of her life.

Eloise stood up, her body moving almost instinctively. She needed to act fast. If she hesitated for even a moment, she might lose her nerve.

She tiptoed to the dresser, opening the drawer where she kept her things. Her fingers brushed over the clothes, the little mementos of her life—things that no longer felt like they belonged to her. She grabbed a few things—just enough to survive.

Her heart pounded as she moved through the house. She avoided the creaky floorboards, making sure not to make a sound. Every moment felt like it was stretching into eternity, the air thick with tension.

The front door was just ahead.

She reached for the handle, her fingers trembling.

Suddenly, she heard it.

A soft creak.

She froze.

Footsteps.

She quickly yanked the door open, praying she wasn't too late.

As she stepped outside, she barely noticed the cold night air brushing against her skin. She was too focused on putting distance between herself and the house. Too focused on running.

Her shoes hit the pavement with a soft thud as she moved down the street.

She didn't know where she was going.

She just knew she couldn't stay there.

But even as she ran, she could feel the fear creeping in. What if Daniel caught her? What if he was waiting for her, already knowing what she was going to do?

A chill ran down her spine at the thought, but she kept going. She couldn't stop now.

She needed to find Adrian.

Adrian.

The man who had warned her, the man who had told her the truth when no one else would. The man who had offered her a way out.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she quickly pulled it out, her hands shaking.

It was a message from an unknown number.

WHERE ARE YOU?

Her stomach twisted.

It was Daniel.

He knew.

Her heart thudded loudly in her chest as she quickly typed back, trying to keep her cool.

I'm fine. Just needed some air.

It was a lie, but she had to do it. She couldn't let him know what she was really planning.

Another message came through.

You don't have to do this. You don't have to run.

Her breath caught in her throat. She could feel his presence in the message. His voice, calm but laced with something darker.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard. She could tell him the truth. She could tell him she knew. That she was done.

But that would put her in more danger than ever before.

She had to get to Adrian.

The message sent. She pocketed her phone and quickened her pace, her mind racing with everything she had to do.

And then, as if on cue, her phone buzzed again.

This time, it was a call.

She didn't answer.

She couldn't.

Her hands were too shaky. Her thoughts too scattered.

She kept moving.

The world felt like it was closing in, but she didn't look back.

She couldn't.

All she could think of was finding Adrian. The only person who could help her now.

And when she found him, when she finally found the truth—

Maybe, just maybe, she could start rebuilding the pieces of her life.

If it wasn't too late.

Eloise didn't know how long she had been running.

The city had blurred around her, the flashing lights and the sound of tires on wet streets a distant hum in the background. Her thoughts were a whirlwind, a chaotic spiral of fear, confusion, and desperation. The cold wind sliced through her thin jacket, but the chill was nothing compared to the icy terror that had settled in her chest.

She wasn't running from just Daniel. She was running from the truth—a truth she wasn't sure she could handle.

The streets seemed endless. She passed familiar landmarks, places she used to walk to with Daniel, hand in hand, laughing about trivial things. The memories clung to her now like a sticky film, suffocating her as much as the cold night air. She couldn't afford to look back. She couldn't afford to remember.

She kept her head down, clutching her phone like a lifeline, scrolling frantically through her contacts until she found Adrian's name. She had to reach him. Adrian was the only person who could help her now. But the reality of calling him felt like an admission—an admission that she was trapped, that she had allowed herself to be deceived for so long.

Her thumb hovered over the call button.

The ringing in her ears drowned out everything else, the emptiness inside her growing. When he finally answered, the relief was almost overwhelming. For a moment, she forgot to speak.

"Eloise?" Adrian's voice was strained, like he had been waiting for this call.

"Adrian…" she whispered, her voice breaking. "I— I don't know what to do. I don't know who to trust anymore."

"Breathe, Eloise," Adrian said softly, though she could hear the urgency in his tone. "Listen to me. You're doing the right thing. But you have to stay focused. I'm coming to get you."

"I can't go back to him. I can't—"

"You don't have to," Adrian interrupted. "I promise you. We'll figure this out. But you need to trust me, okay?"

His words gave her a sliver of hope, but the dread still clung to her, suffocating her lungs with each shaky breath. How had she ended up here? How had she allowed herself to fall so completely under Daniel's control?

"Where are you?" Adrian's voice cracked through her spiraling thoughts.

"Just… I don't know. Somewhere near the city center. I— I can't keep running. I'm scared, Adrian."

"I'm coming, Eloise. Just stay where you are. Don't move, okay? Just wait for me."

"I can't. He's going to find me. He's—he's already—" She broke off, gasping for air.

"I know. That's why we need to move fast. Trust me, Eloise. I'm on my way."

The call ended with a click, but the weight of his words lingered in the air around her. She stumbled to a nearby bench, collapsing onto it with a choked sob. Her hands shook as she wiped her tears away, not caring who saw her in that vulnerable state. She was no longer the person she had been a few days ago. She was broken, fractured in ways she couldn't yet understand.

The ringing of her phone snapped her back to reality. It was Daniel. She could feel his presence through the screen—his control, his grip tightening. But she couldn't pick up. She couldn't answer.

Her phone vibrated with another message.

Don't do this, Eloise. Don't make me come after you. You're only making this harder for yourself.

The message felt like a physical blow, her stomach twisting painfully at the thought of what Daniel might do if he caught her. But she wasn't going back. Not now. Not ever.

A low voice inside her whispered that she was running out of time.

She didn't know how long she had sat on the bench, but when she finally looked up, Adrian was there. His face was filled with worry, but his eyes held a certainty she needed in that moment. He rushed to her side, kneeling down so they were at eye level.

"You're okay now," he said gently, his hand resting on her shoulder, warm and steady.

Eloise nodded, feeling the faintest flicker of hope spark in her chest. "I don't know where to go from here. I don't even know who I am anymore."

"You're Eloise. The same person I've known for years," Adrian said, his voice firm but kind. "The same woman who has fought through so much. You've already made it this far. You're not alone."

She met his gaze, the vulnerability and rawness in her eyes making her feel exposed. "I thought I was safe with him. I thought I could trust him. I don't know what to believe anymore."

"You don't have to believe him. Not anymore."

Adrian's words hit her harder than she had expected. She hadn't realized how badly she had needed to hear them until now.

The tears that had been bubbling beneath the surface broke free, and she let them flow freely. She didn't care anymore. She didn't care who saw her fall apart. She needed to. She needed to mourn the loss of everything she thought was real.

And Adrian… Adrian was here, a steady anchor in a world that had tilted upside down.

He pulled her into a tight hug, and for a moment, Eloise allowed herself to lean into him. The comfort of his arms was a balm for her tortured soul, a quiet solace in the midst of her chaos.

"We'll figure this out," he murmured into her hair. "We'll get you out of this."

But as she felt his warmth, a new fear crept in, something she hadn't dared to admit before. What if she was too far gone? What if she couldn't escape from the web Daniel had spun around her, a web so tightly wound she couldn't even see the threads anymore?

Her grip tightened on Adrian's jacket, the fear overwhelming. "What if he finds us, Adrian? What if he—"

"He won't," Adrian said firmly, pulling back to look her in the eyes. "He won't find us. Not as long as you stay with me."

The sincerity in his voice cut through the fog of her fear, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Eloise let herself believe it.

Maybe she could fight back. Maybe she coul

d rebuild her life.

Maybe, just maybe, she was stronger than she had thought.