The rustling of footsteps fell on her ears. Realizing something was wrong, Ariana stumbled toward the area where the masked man had been lying on the floor. However, he was no longer there.

ALL she could feel on the floor was the residual warmth of his body. The man must have been saved and taken away by his subordinate through the other exit in the room!

Ariana grew anxious and angry. This freak was quite cunning and even had a backup plan. But it was too late to chase after him.

In the darkness, her heart beat faster with each passing second.

She leaned against the chair, breathing heavily, her forehead soaked in sweat. She did her best to calm herself down, but the surrounding darkness didn't help.

“Could someone turn on the light?" Ariana asked, her voice trembling. She couldn't control her body. As much as she tried to stand up, her legs were too weak.

Not a single sound was heard throughout the room except for her heavy breathing. Apart from that, nothing but a deathly silence filled the area.

Like a blind person unable to see what was in front of her, Ariana fumbled around before using the chair before her for support to stand up. But in the process, she knocked over a glass of red wine on the table. The brisk sound of glass shattering on the floor caused her to tense up further, her throat nearly as dry as a desert. Unable to utter a sound, all she could do was sob.

The strong smell of wine permeated the air as her eyes welled up with tears.

She sobbed like a trapped animal as she began to slowly move her feet to find the door, But then, she tripped over the chair beside her and slammed her forehead against the chair's firm back.

This was the last straw. She didn't hold back her tears anymore and let them flow freely. She squatted on the floor defeated, hugging her knees close, and murmured, “Stop messing around! Whoever you are, say something. Please don't do this..."

At that moment, her mind pulled her back to her childhood. Her stepmother had just married into the family, and her father had been so occupied with work that he was seldom at home. Glenda had always locked her inside that empty, dark basement, with the excuse that Ariana had made a mistake. Nothing else but the endless darkness and the deathly silence accompanied her.

No one would come to save her. Ever...

Ariana trembled violently. She reminded herself to never be afraid over and over, and yet she broke out in a cold sweat all over. Her breath came faster and faster until her mind went blank.

She didn't dare to move a single inch, fearing that she would be swallowed by and lost in the all-consuming darkness.

Just when she was about to reach the deepest depths of desperation, the door suddenly burst open.

The dazzling light that suddenly shone into her eyes made her more uncomfortable, causing her to raise her hands in resistance and her tears trickle down faster

Amidst the blinding light, the familiar sound of a wheelchair moving could be heard. Confused, she looked at the man sitting in it and cried out his name in disbelief.

"Theodore?"

And, indeed, it was him! Theodore slowly rolled into the room in his wheelchair. His handsome face was cold, his deep eyes devoid of all emotion. Anyone could tell just by looking at him that he was in a bad mood.