Chapter 2

• “You think I don’t see it?”
• The voice echoed from behind me, sharp and accusing. I froze, my heart leaping into my throat.
• I had been cleaning the grand foyer, the only place in the packhouse where I felt some semblance of peace, but even this small respite was about to be shattered.
• I turned, eyes locking with Aiden’s. His figure leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, his gaze cold and intense. There was no hiding now.
• “You think I don’t notice the way you slip around, sneaking off to do whatever you please?” Aiden took a step closer, his boots heavy against the stone floor. “You’re always sneaking away when no one’s watching, aren’t you? What are you up to, Ava?”
• I swallowed, my hands tightening around the rag I held, knuckles white. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
• Aiden smirked, taking another step, closing the distance. “Don’t lie to me. You think I’m stupid?”
• I could feel the heat of his presence seeping into my skin, making my pulse race. I had to stay calm. I couldn’t let him see how his words affected me.
• “I’m just doing my job,” I muttered, turning back to the counter, trying to busy my hands with meaningless motions.
• “Your job,” he repeated, his voice dropping lower. “Or is it your escape? Running away from your place here, pretending you have some other life?”
• My throat tightened. He was right. I had been sneaking away—when I could—finding moments to breathe, moments to think outside the suffocating walls of the packhouse. I wasn’t allowed freedom. Not really. But that didn’t stop me from craving it.
• "I’m not running away," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “I’m just... taking a break.”
• Aiden studied me for a moment, his eyes narrowing, calculating. Then, without warning, he stepped forward, his hand catching my wrist in a firm grip. I winced, not from the pain but from the familiarity of it—this was always the way things went with him.
• “Breaks are for people who have a choice,” he said softly, his face inches from mine. “You don’t have a choice, Ava. Don’t forget that.”
• His grip loosened, but he didn’t move back. Instead, he leaned in closer, his breath warm against my ear. “And if I find out you’re planning something… something foolish… I’ll make sure you regret it.”
• I fought the urge to pull away. “I’m not planning anything.”
• His gaze softened, just for a second, but it was enough to make my breath catch. He had always been like this—cruel and distant one moment, but then there were these moments when his eyes weren’t filled with hatred, when they seemed to flicker with something else. Something I couldn’t understand.
• Before I could speak again, Aiden stepped back, his lips curling into that signature smirk. “Good. Because if I catch you sneaking off again, I won’t let you go so easily.”
• And just like that, he turned and left, the sound of his boots fading into the distance.
• I didn’t move, not right away. My mind was too busy running in circles, trying to make sense of what had just happened. The threat was obvious, but there was something else, something under the surface. Was it fear? Concern? No, I couldn’t let myself think like that.
• I had to focus.
• Aiden wasn’t the problem. He wasn’t even the biggest threat to my freedom. The packhouse, this place, was my cage. And I couldn’t keep letting it trap me.
• I was done being a servant. Done with being the "problem child." I wasn’t going to let them control me anymore.
• But that was easier said than done.
• The evening was coming, the packhouse dimming as the sun dipped below the horizon. I finished my chores quickly, making my way to the back door, the one I used whenever I needed to escape for a while.
• The cold night air hit me as I stepped outside, and I inhaled deeply, savoring the feeling of being free, even if it was only for a short while. I had no real plans, no destination. I just needed to get away, to clear my head.
• But as I walked through the trees, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being watched.
• I glanced over my shoulder but saw nothing.
• Still, the sense of unease lingered as I moved deeper into the woods. I knew I shouldn’t be out here, not alone, not with everything that had happened recently. But I couldn’t help myself. The pull for freedom, for peace, was too strong.
• And then I heard it.
• A whisper.
• My heart skipped a beat.
• “Ava…”
• I froze, my breath catching in my throat. The voice was so faint, I wasn’t sure if I had imagined it.
• “Ava, come closer.”
• This time, there was no mistaking it. The voice was real. It came from behind a large tree, and I could barely make out the figure standing there.
• A chill ran down my spine as I approached cautiously, the night air thick with tension.
• As I rounded the tree, I stopped dead in my tracks.
• It was Aiden.
• But not the Aiden I knew.
• This Aiden was different. His face was serious, his eyes intense. His usual cocky demeanor was gone, replaced by something much darker.
• “What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
• “You shouldn’t be out here,” he said, his tone sharp. “It’s dangerous.”
• I took a step back, confusion clouding my mind. “You’re the one who told me to stay in the packhouse, remember?”
• He didn’t answer. Instead, he stepped closer, his expression unreadable. For a moment, I thought he might grab me again, like he had earlier, but he didn’t. He just stood there, watching me.
• My heart raced, but there was something else now—a strange tension building between us, something that felt too raw to ignore.
• “I’ve been watching you, Ava,” Aiden said quietly, his voice low. “And I don’t think you’re just the problem child anymore. There’s more to you, isn’t there?”
• I swallowed hard, trying to steady myself.
• Before I could answer, the sound of footsteps approached. Someone else was coming.
• I barely had time to react when the figure emerged from the shadows.
• Cole.
• Aiden's expression flickered, and in that brief second, I realized something. The tension was real. It was all real.
• But the question was: who was the real threat here?