Escape

Just as suddenly as it had begun, Liam pulled away, his eyes locking onto mine with a gleam of triumph. His lips and nose were red and swollen from the passionate kiss, and his sharp canines glinted in the light as he smiled.

I stared at him, confusion etched on my face. Why did he stop? What is going on?

I furrowed my brows, trying to make sense of it all, but Liam just chuckled and said, "That's enough." His gaze seemed to bore into my soul, and I felt a flush rise to my cheeks.

I looked away, nodding mutely, too embarrassed to admit that I hadn't wanted him to stop.

But before I could escape, Liam grasped my wrist, pulling me back onto the bed. "What?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant despite my racing heart.

"I could go on," he whispered, his eyes burning with intensity, "if you admit your feelings for me." My heart skipped a beat as I stuttered, "F-feelings?"

Liam's gaze never wavered. "You feel the same way I do, don't you?" he asked, his voice low and husky, pulling me closer until I sat on his lap once more.

I avoided his eyes, my hands on his chest, trying to push him away, but he held me fast.

"Uhm...no, what're you talking about?" I protested, trying to sound convincing. "We don't have feelings for each other."

But Liam just pulled me closer, his arms wrapping around my waist.

"I'll go on," he whispered, his hands caressing my back, "if you simply just tell me you love me." My mind raced as I tried to think of a way to escape, but my body seemed to betray me, responding to his touch despite my protests.

"I-i...don't l-love you," I stammered.

But Liam just chuckled, his hands roaming my body, making my skin tingle.

"You don't?" he asked, his touch becoming more insistent, more pleasurable.

"N-no," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

"Say it," Liam urged, his hands never leaving my skin, his touch sending shivers down my spine.

"You know what you want. I'll give it to you more than you want. Just say it already."

I hesitated, my mouth opening and closing without a sound. I could almost let out a moan, but I sealed it back in, my eyes almost closing in surrender to his touch, But I resisted.

"say you love me," Liam insisted, his hands roaming my skin, making my heart race.

"I'm also finding it difficult to resist, so tell me now."

I stammered, my voice barely audible, "I...d-don't."

But Liam's face fell, his eyes clouding over with disappointment. He let go of me, his hands resting on the bed as I sat in his lap, my eyes wide with surprise.

For a moment, we just stared at each other. Deep down, I felt something for him, but I couldn't bring myself to admit it. I hated him, or at least, I wanted to. But my feelings had become muddled, and I couldn't deny the spark that had ignited between us.

I stood up from Liam's lap, and couldn't help but notice the disappointment etched on his face.

"I'll take you back to your room now," he said, his voice laced with a hint of sadness.

I felt a pang of guilt as I rose to my feet, my eyes locked on his. He stood up too, his movements slow and deliberate, and took my hand in his. But unlike those times before, his grip was loose, almost hesitant.

As we walked back to my room, the familiar surroundings enveloped me once again.

Liam released my hand, his eyes avoiding mine, and turned to leave without a word. I watched him go, feeling a mix of emotions swirling inside me. I had come here for a reason, but now I couldn't shake off the feeling that I shouldn't have.

I sat down on the bed, my gaze drifting up to the ceiling as my mind raced with thoughts. I didn't know how to process what had just happened. Why did I let him touch me?. Why does my heart race when he touches me?, Why can't I just resist?.

I lay on my back in the bed, my thoughts slowly began to blur, and sleep started to creep in. I let myself drift off, hoping I'd be able to free myself from thoughts of Liam.

💤💤💤💤💤💤💤💤💤💤💤💤

I slowly awaken by the constant calling of my name. Who could that be?.

"Layla, Layla. Wake up" the voice continued.

I opened my eyes, squinting against the bright light that enveloped the room.

"It's me, Mariam. We need to go." That's Mariam?. How did she... what is she doing here?.

I immediately got up from the bed, taking in the worried expression on Mariam's face.

"Mariam" I flung my hands around her neck, pulling her in for a warm embrace.

I hadn't seen her since I left that place, and getting to see her again is making me feel really emotional.

We finally pulled away, both our cheeks stained with tears.

"I really missed you Mariam. How did you get in?" I held her hands in mine.

"I snuck in. Nobody saw me, so you don't have to worry. Let's just leave, the others are waiting" she released herself from my hold, pulling me towards the door.

I pulled my hand away, causing Mariam to turn to face me with a mix of confusion and anger in her gaze.

"Jackson was right, you've really changed" tears slid down her cheeks as she spoke. "It's up to you. If you're not willing, you're proving to be one of our enemies." She paused "I'll be on my way now" she Instantly turned to leave, wiping her tears as she reaches for the knob.

"Mariam, wait" I held her by her shoulder.

She turned to face me, her eyes filled with tears.

"Uhm... I'll come with you" I said to her, waiting to see her reaction.

I've made up my mind. I swore to avenge the deaths of our people. And that's what I'll do, disregarding the feelings in my heart for someone.

She Instantly wrapped her arms around me, sobbing uncontrollably as she held me tighter.

I hugged her back, mirroring her actions. I don't mind loosing the love of someone for the oath I made. Everything I'm going to do is totally worth it, I won't ever go back back on my words like I did with Jackson.

I don't think I hate Liam anymore, but I'm still going to do what I'm here for, and that's final.

We pulled away, wiping our tears as I reached for the door knob, twisting it open.

I crept out of my room, my heart racing with excitement and a hint of fear. Mariam was by my side, her eyes fixed on me as we made our way to the living room.

The darkness enveloped us like a blanket, the only light coming from the faint rays that seeped through the windows. The maids and guards had retired for the night, but I knew the exterior doors were still heavily guarded.

Mariam's whisper was barely audible as she clutched my hand. "What do we do?" I shook my head, my mind racing.

"I'm not sure. How did you even get in?" I whispered back, curious about her daring move.

Mariam's voice was barely above a whisper. "I snuck in when the guards were distracted. But that won't work now. Our only chance is to jump out a window." My eyes widened in hesitation. "What if there are guards waiting there too?"

"We won't know unless we try." With that, she pulled me toward a window.

As I approached the window, my heart sank. A burglar bar blocked our escape route. "Oh no," I whispered, frustration etched on my face. "Let's check another one." But every window in the living room led to the same dead end. We were trapped.

Suddenly, a sound echoed through the room, making us freeze.

"What's that?" Mariam's grip on my arm tightened.

I peeked around the wall, trying to locate the source of the noise. "I don't know," I whispered back, my eyes scanning the darkness.

The voice drew closer, its owner hidden from view. "Anyone there?" it called out, the words sending a shiver down my spine.

Mariam's panic was palpable. "Oh no, this is bad. I should have brought my gun."

"Well why didn't you?" I whispered.

"Many reasons."

The voice called out again, its owner now just a few feet away. "Hello?" I pressed myself against the wall, holding my breath.

The lights flickered on, but the person was still out of sight. I could tell it was a man, though.

He took another step closer, and Mariam's grip on my arm tightened. "Oh no, what do we do?" she whispered.

I shook my head, my mind racing. "I don't know either."

I cautiously peeked around the wall, our eyes locking for a brief moment. I quickly pulled back, my heart racing. Did he see me? I covered my mouth, trying to silence my ragged breathing.

I held my breath as the man's footsteps drew closer, pressing myself against the wall with Mariam, our hands clasped tightly together.

The guard's surprise was evident as he stood before us, his eyes fixed on me. "Layla? What are you doing here? Why are you still up? And who's she?" he asked.

"It's none of your business. Go away," I replied, trying to sound confident. But the guard wasn't easily deterred.

"His Highness isn't home at the moment. Go back to your room, or he'll be upset. And you know you need his permission to bring someone in," he reminded me, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Uhm...well, it's none of your business...she's my friend, not yours. We were just going to my room anyway." I grabbed Mariam's wrist and hastily led her to the elevator, my heart racing with every step.

Once we reached my room, I bolted the door, to prevent any unexpected encounter.

I paced around the room, my mind racing with thoughts. "What do we do now?" I asked Mariam, who sat on my bed, her eyes fixed on me.

"I don't know. You seem to have mastered some things in this place. That's good," she replied, but I knew it wasn't the time for compliments. We needed to act fast.

Just then, we heard a sound. "What's that?" Mariam asked, standing up.

I rushed to the window and peered down, my heart sinking as I saw Liam entering the mansion with guards by his side.

"He's the man from earlier,"

Mariam whispered, standing close to me.

My eyes widened in fear as I stared at Liam. What if he comes here? Oh no, no, no, no, no.

Mariam's voice snapped me back to reality. "Look, your window doesn't have a burglar bar. Let's use it." I nodded, realizing she was right. But how would we get down? The window was too high.

"It's too high," I said, "We can't just jump down."

Mariam's eyes scanned the room, and then she spotted something. "The bed sheets! We can tie them together and climb down."

I nodded, hope rising in my chest. We quickly got to work, tying the sheets together and securing one end to the window frame.

I went first, my heart pounding as I climbed out the window and began to make my way down. Mariam followed close behind, her hands shaking as she grasped the makeshift rope.

As we descended, I couldn't help but think of Liam and his guards, wondering if they would discover our escape route.

We finally reached the ground, our breathing labored and our hands sore. But we didn't stop to rest. We knew we had to keep moving.

"Come on," Mariam whispered, pulling me along as we sprinted across the grounds, our feet pounding the ground. We didn't dare look back, fearing what we might see.

Finally, we reached the safety of a garden far from the mansion, our lungs burning and our legs aching. We collapsed on the ground, our bodies trembling with exhaustion and fear.

But we knew we couldn't stay there for long. Liam would surely send his guards to search for me if he found out I eloped from his mansion. We had to keep moving.

I looked at Mariam, her eyes wide with fear.

"Where do we go now, what of the others?"