Chapter 24: A Narrow Escape

Emilia

I don't know what made me move faster—fear or instinct. Maybe a little bit of both. When I heard Damien's footsteps echoing in the hallway behind me, I knew I had no time to waste. I couldn't let him find me in the servants' corridor. I couldn't let him know that I'd overheard his brother and my half-sister discussing their twisted plot to destroy me.

I ducked into a narrow alcove just in time, pressing myself against the cool stone wall, my breath coming in shallow gasps. I heard Damien's boots nearing, and I held my breath, praying that he wouldn't see the small, fleeting shadow I cast in the dim light.

Seconds dragged into eternity as I waited, crouching behind a vase, my heart pounding in my chest. I strained to hear his footsteps as they faded into the distance. He hadn't stopped, hadn't even looked my way.