That night, I paced the halls of my mansion, my mind racing. I had to get away from Heron and Vivien, but how? If I left without a plan, they’d find me. They’d win.
A sharp knock at the door startled me.
I opened it to find Heron standing there, a bottle of wine in one hand and that disarming smile plastered on his face.
“Dinner?” he asked.
Every instinct screamed at me to say no, but I couldn’t risk arousing suspicion. “Sure,” I replied, forcing a smile.
In his car, Vivien sat in the back seat, her eyes glinting with malice. My stomach twisted as the air grew thick with tension. Heron drove silently, his hands gripping the wheel tighter than usual.
“What’s going on?” I asked, my voice shaky.
Vivien leaned forward, her lips curling into a smirk. “We know you heard us, Calla.”
My blood ran cold.
Heron parked the car at the edge of a cliff, the city lights twinkling in the distance. He turned to me, his face devoid of emotion. “You should’ve stayed clueless, Calla. It would’ve been easier for everyone.”
“What are you talking about?” I whispered, trying to feign ignorance.
Vivien shoved a document into my lap—a marriage certificate. “Sign it,” she ordered.
“No,” I choked out, tears streaming down my face.
Heron leaned in close, his voice a dangerous whisper. “Sign it, or we’ll make this more painful than it needs to be.”
With trembling hands, I signed. My mind raced for a way out, but the moment I set the pen down, Heron grabbed the wheel, and Vivien pushed the gear into neutral.
“No!” I screamed as the car lurched forward.
Heron and Vivien stepped out, watching with cold satisfaction as the car rolled toward the edge.
“Goodbye, Calla,” Vivien said with a wave.
The icy wind rushed past me, and the world blurred. My heart pounded, and just before everything went black, I heard a voice—soft, firm, and unfamiliar.
You are not alone, Calla.
My eyes fluttered shut, the words echoing in my mind as the darkness swallowed me whole.
Calla's POV
I gasped, struggling to breathe as if I’d been underwater for hours. My body ached, and when I opened my eyes, reality shifted. The room was vast, bathed in a golden glow, with intricately carved stone walls and towering windows revealing a vibrant blue forest beyond. The scent of wild earth filled the air, unfamiliar yet captivating.
Where was I?