"Don't make a scene. When the time is right, I'll let you go see him."
In that moment, something inside me died.
No matter what reason I gave, Charles refused without wavering.
He was going to keep me here. Trapped in this invisible cage.
But my grandfather was still waiting for me.
"Abigail, didn't you always want to sketch me?"
He suddenly changed the subject, his voice softening.
"There's paper and pencils in the study. I'll go get them."
A few minutes later, he sat carefully across from me and struck a pose.
When we were dating, I used to draw his portrait almost every month.
Maybe it was because he was so handsome. Maybe it was because I loved him. Either way, my sketches of him always seemed to come alive, as if they had souls of their own.
"Why haven't you started?"
His voice pulled me back from my memories.
I forced myself to focus.
By the time I finished, I was drenched in sweat.
He studied the portrait, then looked at me, his eyes crinkling with warmth as he leaned in to kiss my cheek.
The phone on the nightstand suddenly buzzed.
I glanced over. It was Freya.
He got up and stepped outside to answer.
"Alright, I'll be there soon. But I only have two hours—I need to get back to Abigail."
Once he was sure I was asleep, he slipped out quietly and closed the door behind him.
The sound of the car engine faded into the distance before I finally struggled to sit up.
After getting dressed, I went straight to the study.
I searched every corner meticulously. Any chance to gather evidence against Freya—I wasn't going to let it slip away.
Finally, beneath the safe, I found the USB flash drive from that day.
My fingers trembled as I plugged it into the computer. The footage loaded bit by bit.
A few seconds of video stretched into an eternity.
On the screen, Grandpa stood guard by the machinery—and was brutally beaten.
Tears streamed down my face.
I hid the evidence inside my clothes and hurried out.
The truth deserved to see the light.
But the moment I stepped through the front door, I ran straight into Charles and Freya.
"Where do you think you're going this late?"
He frowned and walked toward me, his gaze sweeping over me with cold indifference.
"Still haven't given up? You're all alone. What could you possibly do to fight me?"
My voice was steady.
"As long as there's even a sliver of a chance, I won't give up. I will make you pay for what you've done."