Twisted love

Beneath the Bars

Chapter Thirty-one
Present
Oliver’s POV
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The cell was cold, a biting kind of chill that sank deep into my skin, but I barely noticed it. All I could think of was Katherine—her face, her trembling hands as she’d looked at me with an expression I’d never wanted to see on her face. She’d been terrified, betrayed. She was walking away from me, right into Andrew’s arms, and I was stuck in here, powerless. My fists clenched so tightly my knuckles were white, blood pounding in my ears. Every passing second made the walls feel like they were closing in on me.

What was happening to her right now? What lies was he feeding her, twisting the truth even further? Or worse…what if this was the moment Andrew lost all control?

The possibility made bile rise in my throat. The thought of  Katanya’s lifeless body besides Andrew when he couldnt get what he want...Was Katherine about to be next? Andrew had already proven how far he would go. He’d taken everything from me, ripped away every last piece of happiness, every last ounce of trust I had, and used it to turn Katherine against me. But I hadn’t realized until now—until this moment—that it wasn’t just about me. Katherine was in real danger, and if something happened to her, it would be on me for letting it get this far.

I slammed my fists against the bars, my voice breaking as I yelled, “Someone, please! Let me out! I’m not supposed to be here!” My voice echoed, bouncing off the walls, swallowed by the empty silence. Outside, the guards were talking in hushed tones, too preoccupied to even glance my way.

“I’m innocent!” I shouted again, desperation twisting my voice into something unrecognizable, raw and desperate. “She’s in danger! Katherine’s with him, and he—he’s dangerous! You have to believe me!”

A couple of heads turned, indifferent, barely acknowledging my outburst before going back to whatever mundane conversation seemed more important than my cries for help. Rage surged through me, twisting in my chest, and I grabbed the bars, rattling them violently. “Please! Just listen! Let me out!” My voice cracked, fraying with the sheer force of my panic.

But they didn’t even look at me this time.

I slammed my fist against the wall in frustration, a searing pain shooting up my arm, but I didn’t care. How could I explain this to them? How could I make them understand that Katherine was with someone who had every reason to hurt her, who had already destroyed one life to get what he wanted?

My thoughts spiraled back to Katanya, I didn’t know her besides from what Andrew told me but I could imagine the disbelief and horror that had swallowed Katherine's world when she found out her sister was gone. And the worst part—the thought that made my skin crawl with dread—was that Andrew hadn’t cared. He’d shown no remorse, no grief. It was as if her life had been a minor inconvenience in his path as he just erased her from his memory. And if he hadn’t cared about her, his own obsession, then what was Katherine to him? Nothing but a twisted delusion, another fixation he’d break if she didn’t bend to his will.

“Someone, please,” I begged, my voice barely a whisper now, hoarse and raw. I felt myself sliding down against the cold metal bars, slumped on the floor, breathing heavily, my head in my hands. Every second that ticked by felt like a lifetime, a countdown I was powerless to stop. And I could see her in my mind, her fear, her confusion—how lost she must feel. She thought I was a monster, all because of him.

I couldn’t lose her.

I surged to my feet again, bracing myself against the bars, slamming my hands against them with renewed force. “Please! This isn’t right! Katherine is with him, and he’ll hurt her! He’s done it before, and he’ll do it again if you don’t let me go!” I could hear the hysteria in my own voice, the frantic edge that came from knowing no one would listen.