Chapter 37
Not wanting to miss a single footstep, Mila laid in bed as still as possible. She screwed her eyes shut and listen to the steps outside. She counted them in her head until they could no longer be heard. When she was sure no one was around, Mila pushed back the worn blanket and tip-toed to the window.
Mila knew that she had to be incredibly careful and quiet. As she moved to the window, she made sure to move as silently as possible, avoiding any creaky floorboards or loose objects that might make noise. She didn't want to alert anyone.
Reaching the window, Mila carefully checked to see if it was locked. Fortunately, it wasn't. She slowly opened it, praying that it wouldn't make any loud squeaks. The night air rushed in, and Mila could feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins.
She glanced outside, assessing the situation. It was dark, and the moon provided just enough light for her to see the outlines of nearby trees and the ground below. It was a risky move, but she knew she had to take it. She took a deep breath and began to lower herself out of the window, making sure to keep a tight grip on the window frame to control her descent.
As she hung from the window sill, she tried to gauge the distance to the ground. It was farther than she had hoped, but she had no other choice. Slowly and carefully, Mila let go and dropped to the ground below, landing as softly as she could manage. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she stood up and assessed her surroundings.
Mila knew that she needed to get as far away from her captors as possible. She started to move cautiously through the darkness, staying close to the shadows and making as little noise as possible. Her escape had begun, and she was determined to regain her freedom.
But just as she reached the wooden fences, a hand reached out and grabbed her arm, yanking her backward. Mila let out a scream, struggling against her captor's grip. Two more figures emerged from the darkness, surrounding her.
"A very poor decision," Aiden hissed in her ear as he covered her mouth and began to drag her back towards the house.
Mila dug her heels into the soft ground and grabbed the closest fence post to her. She used all her strength to pull away from Aiden just as he grabbed a fist full of her hair and jerked her back.
"Lisen, listen!" Aiden ordered. "Listen, or it'll get real ugly."
"Please," Mila couldn't stop the sob that came out of her. "Let me go."
"Please," Aiden mocked her. "Let me go."
"Let me go," Mila cried.
"Soon," Aiden rolled his eyes. "Now, let's go."
"No," Mila pulled away again. "No, no."
Irritated, Aiden scooped Mila over his shoulder and turned towards the house. Cain's men looked over from the shadows and the trees as Mila banged her fists against his back and yelled for help.
But there was nothing around them for miles and miles. No one would hear her scream.
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In the darkness of the night, Anjali quietly entered Giovanni's office, her footsteps barely making a sound on the plush carpet. The whole house was quiet and asleep. Anjali had been tossing and turning in her room when she heard Giovanni's car drive into the driveway. She struggled to keep herself in her room for a while before giving up and making her way downstairs.
As Anjali entered the dimly lit room, her heart immediately skipped a beat. Giovanni sat and leaned back in his chair, his eyes closed and his strong features bathed in the soft glow of the desk lamp.
