Chapter 475: I can’t...

Anabel.

Vincent’s chilling words were still echoing in the back of my head like a bad dream. ’If you stay, you die. If you run, you’re mine.’

He might not have really said this, but that’s how I interpreted it.

A cold sweat washed down my spine, making my skin prickle under my heavy cloak, but I squeezed my eyes shut and forced the fear down into the pit of my stomach.

I gripped Valerie’s trembling hand tight in mine. I wasn’t going to let him control me. I wasn’t going to let my brothers lock me away like a prize or a burden either. For the first time in my life, I was making my own choice. I was running for my child, and I was going to survive.

"Lady Anabel..." Valerie whispered, her voice shaking so badly her teeth were practically chattering. She pulled her hood low over her face as we slipped down the narrow, dimly lit servant passageway. "Are you sure about this? If the guards catch us—"

"They won’t," I cut her off softly, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. "The main guards are all distracted." I said confidently. "Nobody is watching the side exit right now, so we just have to reach the old laundry doors."

We kept our boots quiet against the rough stone floor, sticking to the shadows where the wall torches flared and flickered. Every creak of the ancient estate felt like a scream. My stomach twisted with a sharp spike of anxiety, my hand reflexively coming up to rest over my lower belly.

’Just a little further,’ I prayed silently. ’Just get us past the gates.’

We reached the heavy wooden door leading to the outer courtyard. Valerie took a deep, shaky breath and reached for the iron latch, gently lifting it so it wouldn’t make a sound. She pulled the door open an inch, letting the crisp, cold night air rush into the warm corridor.

"It’s clear," Valerie breathed out, a tiny sliver of hope in her voice. "We can make a run for the treeline."

"Let’s go," I said, taking a firm step forward out into the threshold.

"Going somewhere, Anabel?" A cold, smooth voice cut through the darkness like a blade.

I froze dead in my tracks. My breath hitched in my throat, and Valerie let out a tiny, stifled gasp, stumbling back a step.

Daniel stood right at the edge of the courtyard shadow, holding a lantern in one hand and his other tucked casually into his coat pocket. He didn’t look angry. He looked surprised, his dark eyes sweeping over my heavy traveling cloak, the packed leather satchel slung over Valerie’s shoulder, and the sheer panic written all over my face.

A terrifying silence stretched between us. The cold wind howled softly around the stone walls, but all I could hear was the frantic pounding of my own blood in my ears. I felt cornered. Trapped like a wild animal.

Daniel took a slow, deliberate step closer, his sharp eyes narrowing as a mocking, curious smile touched his lips. "Well, well. What is this?"

"Daniel..." I managed to say, my throat so dry the word came out as a quiet rasp. I forced myself to stand tall, stepping slightly in front of Valerie to shield her, though my knees were trembling under my dress. "What are you doing out here?"

"I could ask you the exact same thing," Daniel replied smoothly, his tone light, almost conversational, though his eyes were as cold as ice. He tilted the lantern up a fraction, illuminating the exhaustion and terror on my face. "It’s late. The estate is under high alert. And here you are, slipping out the back doors with your little maid in tow, carrying traveling bags."

"We were just... getting some fresh air," Valerie blurted out, her voice squeaking with pure terror.

Daniel didn’t even look at her. His gaze remained locked on me, sharp and calculating. "Fresh air? With luggage, Valerie? Don’t insult my intelligence."

I swallowed hard, clutching my cloak tighter around my body to hide the nervous tremor in my hands. My mind was racing, trying to find a lie, a distraction, anything to get us out of this. "I don’t owe you an explanation, Daniel. Move out of our way."

Daniel let out a low, dry chuckle, taking another step forward until he was standing just a few feet in front of us. "You’re escaping," he stated flatly, the amusement disappearing from his voice, replaced by a dark, dangerous edge. "Your brothers are up in that bedroom tearing themselves apart over Maria, trying to figure out how to save this pack... and you’re running away like a thief in the night."

"My brothers don’t care about what happens to me!" I snapped back, a flash of genuine anger breaking through my fear. The words came out sharper than I intended, but once they were spoken, I couldn’t take them back. My chest rose and fell unevenly as I fought to keep my voice from trembling. "They’re obsessed, Daniel! They’re blind! I am not going to stay in this house and wait for everything to burn down around us!"

My hands curled into tight fists at my sides, frustration burning hotter than the fear that had been holding me back moments ago. I couldn’t understand how everyone could act as though everything was fine when it clearly wasn’t. And I couldn’t understand why my brothers seemed so determined to make decisions for me.

"Do they know you’re leaving?" Daniel asked, raising an eyebrow, as his question immediately made me hesitate. "Does Aidan know his sister is sneaking out into the forest alone?"

I swallowed hard, feeling my confidence falter under the weight of his words. I knew exactly what he was trying to imply, and I didn’t want to think about it.

"He doesn’t need to know," I whispered defensively, taking a small step back toward the open doorway.

My voice softened, but the determination behind it remained.

"Just let us go, Daniel. Please. It doesn’t concern you. You don’t have to say anything to them."

I held his gaze for a moment, silently hoping he would understand. I didn’t want another argument. I didn’t want him questioning me or forcing me to explain myself. I just wanted him to move aside.

Daniel stared at me for a long, suffocating moment.

The silence between us seemed to stretch endlessly.

He adjusted the silver cuff of his sleeve with deliberate calm, his fingers moving slowly as though he had all the time in the world. His face remained entirely unreadable, giving me nothing to hold onto and no indication of what he was thinking.

I waited, barely breathing, for his response.

"You really don’t get it, do you, Anabel?" Daniel said quietly, taking a slow step to block the path toward the treeline. "You think you’re escaping the danger out there. But you’re walking right into it. The woods aren’t safe tonight. The territory isn’t safe. You need to turn back around, walk back to your room, and pretend this little field trip never happened."

"I’m not going back to that room!" I insisted, my voice cracking with desperation. "I’m leaving, Daniel! Step aside!"

"I’m afraid I can’t do that," Daniel said, his tone turning utterly cold. He shifted his grip on the lantern, his posture tightening as he stepped directly into my path. "I have worked too hard to keep this estate contained tonight. I can’t have you wandering around outside, running into people you shouldn’t be seeing, or ruining the arrangements I’ve just made with your brothers."

My blood ran cold. ’The arrangements.’

"What arrangements?" I demanded, panic knotting tight in my chest. "What did you do to them?"

"Nothing they didn’t ask for," Daniel smiled thinly, his dark eyes glinting in the yellow lantern light. "They’ve agreed to my plan. They’re surrendering. And I certainly can’t let you go running around outside, alerting the wrong people before the exchange happens."

He took a decisive step toward me, reaching out a hand to grab my arm. "Now, come back inside. Quietly."

"Don’t touch me!" I yelled, flinching back and pulling Valerie with me.

Snap.

A sudden, sharp sound exploded from the pitch-black shadows of the courtyard behind us.

It sounded like a heavy wooden beam cracking in half, followed by the wet, heavy thud of something crashing against the stone wall near the outer gates.

Daniel froze mid-step, his hand hanging in the air. The fake, calm smile completely vanished from his face, replaced by a sudden, intense alert. He whipped his head around, pointing the lantern directly toward the dark corridor leading down to the lower courtyard.

Valerie let out a muffled gasp, clutching my arm so hard her fingernails dug into my skin through my cloak.

"What was that?" she whimpered in a tiny whisper.

I held my breath, my heart pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat. The darkness beyond the lantern light seemed to stretch and twist. Through the cold night air, a low, dragging sound echoed off the stone—a heavy, scraping noise, followed by the ragged, painful gasp of someone struggling to breathe.

Daniel’s eyes narrowed into slits. He backed up half a step, dropping his casual stance, his hand moving fast toward the concealed blade tucked inside his coat belt.

"Who’s there?" Daniel barked into the shadows, his voice sharp and demanding. "Show yourself!"