Chapter five

Seraphina's POV

The moment Dante left, I exhaled a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. My whole body trembled, a mix of anger, fear, and something else I refused to name. He thought he was winning—that he had me cornered, broken.

But he was wrong.

I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to steady my breathing. My room was luxurious, yet it felt like a cage. No windows. Only a single lamp casting long shadows across the walls. The weight of Dante's presence still lingered, thick and suffocating.

I had to get out of here.

I paced, my mind racing. Janet had been taken because of me. She had risked herself trying to help me, and now she was in the basement—God only knew what Dante planned to do with her. Guilt clawed at my insides. I couldn't just sit here and do nothing.

I needed a plan.

I turned toward the door, testing the handle. Locked. Of course. Dante wouldn't be so careless. My eyes flicked to the hinges—solid, reinforced. The vents were too small to crawl through. The only other exit was the one Dante had just walked through.

I let out a slow breath. Fine. If I couldn't escape, I could still fight back in other ways.

I moved to the nightstand and picked up a small glass of water, staring at it. My fingers tightened around it before I threw it against the wall, shattering it into jagged pieces. I knelt down, carefully picking up the largest shard, its sharp edge catching the dim light.

A weapon.

It wasn't much, but it was something.

I heard the faint shuffle of footsteps outside my door. My heart pounded. I quickly tucked the glass shard under the pillow and climbed back onto the bed, forcing my expression into one of calm. If Dante thought I was giving in, he would lower his guard.

The lock clicked.

The door didn't open, but someone was checking. Watching.

I clenched my fists beneath the covers.

Good. Let them think I was trapped. Let them believe I was losing hope.

They wouldn't see it coming when I struck back.

Hours passed, or maybe it was minutes. I had no way of telling. The silence of the room pressed down on me, and I fought to keep my mind from spiraling.

Janet. I needed to get to her.

I shifted on the bed, my fingers brushing over the shard of glass beneath the pillow. It was sharp enough to do damage if used correctly. But even with it, my chances of escape were slim.

I needed more.

I needed a distraction.

A sound outside my door made me stiffen. Footsteps, heavier this time. The lock turned again, and this time, the door creaked open.

I forced myself to stay still, feigning exhaustion.

Dante stepped inside.

He looked at me, his dark eyes assessing, calculating. "Did you sleep?"

I didn't answer.

He let out a soft chuckle and moved closer. "Silent treatment? That's cute, tesoro, but it won't change anything."

I clenched my jaw, keeping my eyes averted. Let him think I was fragile.

He sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, too close. "I know what you're thinking. You're plotting, aren't you?"

My breath hitched.

His fingers brushed against my wrist, his touch deceptively gentle. "You should stop. It's pointless."

I jerked away, my voice sharp. "You can keep me locked up, Dante, but you can't break me."

His smirk deepened. "Oh, I don't need to break you, Seraphina. I just need you to realize that fighting is useless."

I glared at him. "And if I never do?"

He leaned in, his lips just inches from my ear. "Then I'll make sure you have nothing left to fight for."

A chill ran through me. The unspoken threat hung heavy between us.

Janet.

He was warning me. If I didn't submit, if I kept resisting, he would make her suffer.

Anger surged inside me, hot and blinding. I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms. I wanted to lash out, to scream, to make him bleed.

But that wouldn't help Janet.

I swallowed my rage, forcing my expression to smooth. "You really think you can keep me like this forever?"

Dante tilted his head, watching me. "Forever? No. But long enough."

A flicker of amusement danced in his eyes, as if he was enjoying my frustration.

I gritted my teeth. "You can't control me."

He smirked. "You keep saying that. And yet, here you are."

I hated him.

I hated the way he spoke, the way he looked at me like I was already his. Like I belonged to him.

I would never belong to him.

He stood, adjusting the cuffs of his shirt. "Get some rest, Seraphina. Tomorrow, things change."

I swallowed hard. "What does that mean?"

He didn't answer. He just turned and walked toward the door.

I waited until he stepped out, until the lock clicked behind him, before I let out a shaky breath.

Tomorrow, things change.

That meant I had less than twenty-four hours to act.

I reached under the pillow, gripping the glass shard tightly.

If tomorrow was the day things changed, then I would make damn sure they changed in my favor.

No more waiting.....:No more fear.

Dante thought he was in control.

He was wrong.

Because tomorrow....Tomorrow, I was going to make my move.

Dante's footsteps faded down the hallway, the sound growing fainter until it was swallowed by the oppressive silence of my room. My fingers tightened around the glass shard, its sharp edges biting into my palm. The pain grounded me, sharpened my focus. I couldn't afford to hesitate now.

I slid off the bed, my bare feet silent against the cold floor. My heart pounded in my chest, but I forced myself to breathe steadily. Panic wouldn't help me. I needed to think—to act.

The room was still a cage, but I wasn't helpless. Not anymore.

I moved to the door, pressing my ear against the cool wood. No sounds from the other side. No guards. Dante's arrogance was his weakness. He thought I was broken, subdued. He thought I wouldn't dare to fight back.

He was wrong.

I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was late—or early, depending on how you looked at it. The mansion would be quiet, most of its inhabitants asleep. If I was going to make a move, it had to be now.

I turned back to the room, scanning for anything else I could use. The lamp on the nightstand was heavy, its base solid metal. I unplugged it and hefted it in my free hand. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.

My mind raced, piecing together a plan. I needed to get to Janet. She was in the basement, and if Dante's threat was anything to go by, time was running out. But getting there wouldn't be easy. The mansion was a labyrinth, and Dante's men were everywhere.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself. I couldn't afford to fail.

I moved to the door again, my hand hovering over the handle. If I was lucky, Dante hadn't bothered to lock it again. If I wasn't… well, I'd find another way.

I turned the handle slowly, carefully, holding my breath.

It clicked.

The door opened.

I froze, waiting for an alarm, for someone to shout, for anything. But nothing happened. The hallway beyond was dark, empty.

I slipped out, closing the door softly behind me. The glass shard was clutched tightly in one hand, the lamp in the other. My bare feet made no sound as I moved down the hallway, sticking to the shadows.

The mansion was eerily quiet, the only sound the faint hum of the air conditioning. I knew the layout—Dante had made sure of that during my first few days here. The basement was two floors down, accessible through a service staircase at the end of the east wing.

I moved quickly but carefully, my senses on high alert. Every creak of the floorboards, every distant sound made my heart skip a beat. But I couldn't stop. I wouldn't stop.