Page 49 of Cruel Deception

God. He’d locked someone here. Someone who had screamed so long, so hard, that her voice had corroded into a ghost.

I whispered through the wall, “I’ll help you. I swear, I’ll help you get out.”

But her voice faded. Quiet sobs. Then silence.

I pressed my hand to the cold wall and slid to the floor.

He was a monster.

No—he was the monster.

How had I ever believed I could survive this?

Vincent was right. Cassian had killed Nico without blinking. Had kidnapped his own brother at a wedding and planted a bomb. And now—now I was here, thrown into his prison like livestock.

I sank onto the concrete, curled in on myself.

I’m his wife, I reminded myself.

He can’t leave me here.

I’m his wife.

He has to come back for me.

But hours passed. Maybe days. I lost track of time. The narrow window high above gave no light. No clue of day or night.

I grew thirsty. Starving. Weak.

I tried to exercise—anything to stay sane. I stretched my legs, did slow squats, even weak jumping jacks—but every movement drained me. I couldn’t last. My head throbbed, my lips dried. I begged for water.

I screamed again. Hit the walls. Slammed my fists until the skin split.

No one came.

Eventually, I passed out. Then woke in panic. Then passed out again.

The cycle repeated—over and over.

I told myself: I’m his wife.

But even that began to lose meaning.

I started counting the cracks in the wall.

One.

Two.

Ten.

I don’t remember stopping. My mind itched. My lips cracked. The silence started talking back.

Sometimes I thought I heard footsteps. But it was just my heartbeat pounding in my ears, begging me to stay awake. Begging me not to slip.

I forgot my name at one point. Whispered it to the wall just to make sure it was still mine.

Then, one night—if it was night—I saw it.