Captive in Plain Sight

Douazecisitrei || Territory

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If you like this book, please vote for this chapter! I'm needy :-) My work is free, and your votes give me a boost!

- Shar

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Mila felt both rested and deeply disturbed. Turns out, sleep was the answer. Until recently, she hadn't had a decent night. Not since she stepped foot in Laurent Manor.

Turns out, living in constant fear had adverse effects on your health. According to the internet, (she'd done a quick search at work) it was impressive she'd kept it together this long.

While it had become easier to focus on her job, her mind was now preoccupied with a new set of problems. Work gave her temporary relief from said thoughts, and she used it to fixate on every task that came her way.

It was starting to pay off, and she was performing better. Consistently showing up early gained her coworkers' respect, and a few weeks in she was finding her footing.

Mila put her packed lunch in the refrigerator and waited for the coffee machine to brew her favorite beverage. That morning the office was dead quiet, exactly how she liked it. As the brown, bubbly liquid filled her cup, her mind reeled.

It had been some time since she'd slept in bed with a man, and she couldn't help thinking how warm and comfortable his body felt. How she'd pliantly fallen asleep, as if under some spell. To make matters worse, he'd actually started being nicer. Even showing her a video of her dog.

Hating Alec was easier when there was space between them. It gave her hate room to grow, like a plant sprouting in the wild, versus being confined indoors. She could view him as a dark entity instead of a human being.

But lately, with every sniffle, yawn, and breath she felt from his chest, she viewed him differently. Dangerous thoughts were seeping in, like what if she stopped desiring escape? Could she eventually be content with Alec? Happy even?

Most importantly, how long could a person last before going crazy?

Shortly after her accident, she'd been diagnosed with anxiety. She'd been prescribed medication for it, but refused due to the many, many others she'd been on at the time. She was regretting that decision.

For now, she relied on calming down organically, reading her notes and sipping her hazelnut-flavored coffee before everyone else got in. She'd found a reading nook next to the lunchroom with a nice view of the city. It was her favorite place to unwind, and part of her morning ritual— the only time of day that was truly hers. The other day, she's even thought of a way to possibly sneak the USB into the building. Yep, Mila did a lot of thinking in that nook.

It was peaceful.

It was quiet.

Until it became clear she wasn't the only one with an affinity for the space, or rising early. Before she could take a sip of her caffeine, she had company. Daniel, her boss's nephew and Bonnie's mysterious brother.

She couldn't shake him. It didn't matter what time she arrived, he would always show up at some point. Or more annoyingly, already be there, sitting in her spot. Mila felt she had every right to be territorial. The time was invaluable to her.

To make matters worse, Daniel loved carbs. Mila was secretly dying to know how he stayed in such good shape. He was constantly eating scones, muffins, pork buns, you-name-it. Always something delectable she could never partake in. It wasn't fair.

It had all been a mild inconvenience, maybe even entertaining—until now.

It was the earliest she'd ever arrived, 6:30 a.m., and the corners of her eyes still stung from waking so early. She figured she had at least 30-45 minutes before Daniel came in. But as she soon found out, her sacrifice was in vain. Daniel was already there. Sitting in her spot, eating a breakfast burrito, her favorite breakfast food!