C24 Twenty Four

~Bianca's POV~

My heart hammered so hard against my ribcage, it nearly drowned out the profound silence of the house.

I pressed my back flatly against the wood, crouched low in a place I was certain Damien would never check: an old linen closet hidden behind the east wing hall. The sought of place that had the faint smell of cedar and mothballs, which was stacked with folded sheets I was a hundred percent sure had remained untouched for years.

Why here? Because it was way too obvious. He'd expect me to squeeze myself into shadows or behind drapes. But this? This felt beyond clever… to be hidden in plain sight.

At least, that's what I told myself while I tried to quiet down my rapid breaths.

I didn't know why I'd agreed to this insane game in the first place. Perhaps I hadn't been thinking clearly, or maybe I wanted so badly to prove something, to him and myself, that I wasn't just a fragile little toy of his that he could break and fix at will. Perhaps I wanted to win.

Stupid.

Considering the fact that winning meant outsmarting Damien Sinclair.

And I was certain in my bones… no one outsmarted Damien Sinclair.

The house was far too still. Empty. Earlier that morning, Martha had mentioned the staff were gone, part of some old Sinclair tradition. At the time, I hadn't thought much of it. Now, with every squeak of the floorboards echoing like that of thunder, it felt more like a curse.

There was no one around but me.

And him.

I squeezed my lids shut, forcing my breath into shallow, controlled sips.

Up until… I picked up the sound of low, soft whistling.

Ice shot fiercely down my spine. Measured and unhurried footsteps followed afterwards. A predator's rhythm.

The handle of the closet door turned, and light sipped into the darkness, grazing my legs.

"Are you hiding here, little birdy?" came a teasing, velvety, and dangerous voice that slid into the small space.

I went rigid with my lungs screaming for air. Don't move. Don't breathe. Don't…

And then the worst happened.

A fly buzzed close to my ear causing me to twitch, and my elbow brushed a shelf with a faint knock echoing.

I stilled.

So did he.

The silence stretched into one of suffocation as his shadow spilled across the floorboards, just one pull from exposing me.

God, please…

As if my plea was heard, a thump sounded from somewhere down the hall.

A low and amused chuckle came from Damien. "Hmm. Clever girl."

The door shut with a click. Footsteps shifting and fading toward the sound.

Relief hit me so deeply I nearly sagged against the shelves. Saved. For now.

But I couldn't remain there because the moment he realized that the noise hadn't come from me, this would be the first place he'd check.

I eased the door open slowly. One step. Another. Careful. Quiet.

Slippers cladded feet kissed into the polished tiles as I slipped into the hall, my heart in my throat. For a fleeting moment, I thought I'd done it. I thought I'd successfully slipped past him.

Until I lifted my head.

And the air left my lungs.

He was there.

Leaning against the wall like he'd been waiting all along. Strong arms folded to his chest. Eyes dark and merciless. That smirk, that cruel and knowing twist of his sinful lips, scissored me open.

"I thought you'd be more of a challenge," he droned.

Something hot festered inside me upon hearing those words… fear, of course but also something harsher. I wasn't prey. Never only pray.

My body bolted before my brain caught up with it, feet slammed into the floor, propelling me forward.

Low and thrilled laughter followed from somewhere behind me. "I spoke too soon!"

I tore down the corridor as my lungs burned, the thud of my footsteps, wild and panicked. My fingers skimmed off the walls, pushing off corners, the momentum of it all carrying me through the maze of his sprawling home.

Controlled, unhurried footsteps echoed behind me. Like that of a wolf letting the rabbit run, savoring the chase.

I darted into another hall as I doubled back, and slipped through an open archway into the drawing room. Chandeliers twinkled faintly overhead with the air suddenly feeling too still and too heavy. I ducked myself low, sliding behind a velvet chaise, heart scratching its way up my throat.

The silence was pregnant.

Maybe I lost him. Maybe….

"Bianca." Came his smooth voice, wrapped in the form of steel. "You're wasting my time."

I bit my lip as I forced my body not to quiver. My chest ached terribly from holding my breath.

A long and broad shadow passed across the tiled floor. Getting closer.

I bolted once again, bursting from my cover, and sprinting toward the next hall. My shoulder slammed into a doorframe and pain shot through my bones, but I didn't stop for a second. Couldn't stop.

I nearly tripped down the staircase, legs burning, hands catching onto the rail before I pitched forward. My body screamed for me to stop but adrenaline carried me on.

For a second, a split little second, I thought maybe he wasn't behind me anymore. And that I'd gained ground.

But such a thought was erased the moment the sound of his laughter drifted from somewhere above. "Run faster, little bird."

My blood turned into an ice block. He wasn't chasing. He was hunting.

I skidded into the west wing as my chest heaved furiously, sweat slicking against my palms. My vision became blurred as panic pulled me into a cold embrace. I ducked into another corridor, tearing through shadows, desperate for anywhere…. anywhere he wasn't.

And then… silence once again.

Awfully quiet.

I slowed my pace, straining my ears. Nothing. No footsteps. No whistling. Just the furious beat of my heart.

I dared a breath, dared to hope…

A hand shot out from the shadows, seizing my wrist.

I gasped, twisting myself from the iron grip, but it was useless.

He yanked me forward and spun me hard into the wall, my back slammed into its surface, my cry swallowed against hard chest. His face was mere inches from mine, blue eyes twinkling and lips curved into that of a predator's grin.

"Caught you." His whisper scorched my skin.

Before I could attempt to push him off me, strong arms hooked my waist, dragging me further into him. My body collided with his, momentum knocking me off balance.

I hit the ground with my palms stinging. Before I could scramble up, Damien was already towering and grinning mercilessly. A shadow with teeth.

"Punishment time, little Bianca."

He lifted me as if I weighed nothing, slinging me over his shoulder.

I went rigid, with every muscle of mine locking, and my breath growing shallow as his hand settled heavily on the back of my thigh.

The game was over.

Now came the price.