Ella stirred, disoriented, her senses slowly coming back to her. **As consciousness enveloped her, she felt the rough texture of the rope biting into her wrists and ankles, binding her tightly to a chair.** Panic surged through her as she tried to move, realizing she was not in control of her surroundings.
She blinked against the dim light, trying to gather her thoughts. **The room around her was barren, with peeling paint and an unsettling silence that sent chills down her spine.** It was a stark contrast to the warmth and safety she felt when she was with Lucien.
"**Welcome back, Ella,**" a voice purred from the shadows. It was James, stepping into the light, a smug smile plastered across his face. "**I was starting to worry you wouldn't wake up.**"
"**What do you want, James?**" Ella demanded, trying to sound braver than she felt. **Her heart raced, and her mind raced even faster, plotting an escape.** "**Let me go! You can't keep me here.**"
James chuckled, his demeanor unsettling. "**Oh, but I can. You see, I've waited a long time for this moment. You belong with me, Ella. Not with that... mafia monster.**"
"**Lucien is not a monster!**" she shot back, her voice shaking with anger. "**He cares about me, unlike you! You're obsessed!**"
"**Obsessed? No, Ella. I'm devoted,**" James corrected her, stepping closer. "**You just don't see it yet. I'm doing this for us.**"
Ella's stomach turned at his words. **The intensity in his gaze made her skin crawl, and she fought against the ropes that held her captive.** "**This isn't love, James. This is sick!**"
He ignored her protests, leaning in with an unsettling smile. "**You'll understand soon enough. I've made arrangements for us-just you and me. No interruptions.**"
"**You're delusional,**" she snapped, adrenaline coursing through her veins as she continued to struggle against the ropes. **Desperation fueled her movements, but the bindings were too tight.**
James stepped back, watching her with amusement. "**You can fight all you want, but no one is coming to save you. Lucien won't find you here. This is our secret.**"
Ella's heart sank at his words, but she refused to show weakness. **She couldn't let fear consume her.** "**You're wrong, James. Lucien will find me. He will come for me. You can't keep me here forever!**"
"**We'll see about that,**" James replied, his expression darkening. He turned away, leaving her in the dimly lit room, her mind racing as she contemplated her next move. **She had to find a way to escape before it was too late.**
With every fiber of her being, she clung to the hope that Lucien would come for her. **She just needed to hold on a little longer.**
Ella glanced around the dimly lit room, her heart pounding in her chest. **The walls were bare, save for a few rusted metal shelves that held nothing but dust and cobwebs.** Her eyes narrowed as she searched for anything that could help her free herself from the ropes binding her wrists.
She wiggled her hands, trying to ease the tension of the ropes, and as she moved, she noticed a small shard of broken glass on the floor near her feet. **Hope surged within her as she carefully maneuvered her body, inching her chair closer to the glint of the glass.**
"Come on, Ella, you can do this," she whispered to herself, her voice barely audible above the sound of her own heartbeat. She strained against the ropes, trying to position the chair just right.
**Finally, she felt the rough edge of the glass beneath her fingers.** Ella leaned forward, slowly and carefully, trying not to make any noise. **Her wrists throbbed as she used the shard to scrape against the rope, desperation guiding her every movement.**
YOU ARE READING
Whispers in Secret
Dragoste*** A Steamy Romance *** Ella Montgomery is a fiercely determined law student at Oxford University, juggling her ambitious studies while harboring an undeniable secret crush on Lucien Storm, her father's charismatic best friend. From the moment she...
