ELEANOR
Armando yelled through the door, his voice booming and full of rage.
“Open the damn door, Eleanor! How dare you? You’ve crossed the line, you stupid bitch!” His words were laced with groans of pain. I could tell I had hurt him bad.
My heart raced. I pressed my back against the door, my mind spinning.
“Oh God, what have I done?” I asked to obviously no one in particular, staring at my trembling hands, still feeling the impact of that punch.
For a moment, everything was quiet. Then I heard him again, this time more composed, more dangerous.
“If you don’t open this door right now, I swear, I’ll make you suffer worse than I’ve already planned!” His voice was low and controlled, but dripping with menace. “Open it now, Eleanor. I’m giving you one last chance.”
I didn’t move-I just couldn’t. My hand hovered over the lock, but something stopped me.
Fear, maybe. Or the realization that opening that door meant facing him again.
I blinked away the tears welling up in my eyes. How had it come to this? How had I ended up here, trapped, on the verge of who knows what with a man like him outside my door?
“Eleanor…” His voice was quieter now, almost mocking, as if we were having some kind of twisted conversation. “Remember what happened the last time you tried to run? You thought you were so clever. You thought you could just disappear and I’d let you go.”
My heart skipped a beat. I could hear the smile in his voice-that terrifying, calm assurance that sent shivers down my spine.
“How did that turn out for you?” he asked, his tone light but sinister. “How long did it take me to find you? An hour? Two? And do you remember what I did to the men who took you? How quickly I killed them? How easily?” He paused, and I could almost feel his breath on the other side of the door.
“Your life is in my hands, Eleanor. I could end it in a second if I wanted to. Don’t forget that.”
I swallowed hard, my pulse pounding in my ears. He wasn’t bluffing. I’d seen what he was capable of. I’d seen the way he handled those men, the way he’d killed them both without a second thought.
And now, he was reminding me that my life could end just as quickly if he decided it-that he could do same to me as well.
“You haven’t paid for trying to escape me,” he continued, his voice smooth, like he was stating a fact. “You thought you’d get away, thought you were smarter than me.” His tone hardened, and I could feel the anger bubbling beneath his calm exterior.
“You tried to make a mockery of me, Eleanor. And now? Now you’ve done yourself the favor of locking yourself in that room. So let’s finish your punishment, shall we? You still owe me for trying to run.”
My hands shook as I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling my body tremble.
Then Armando’s voice shifted again, colder and even more calculating this time. “You haven’t noticed, have you?” he asked.
“This mansion, my mansion, is a smart home. The locks on every door, including the one you’re hiding behind… everything is digital.”
I froze. What did he mean?
“You might have locked it with the key,” he said, his voice dripping with amusement. “But I control the smart lock from the outside. So even if you try to open that door with the key, it won’t work. You’re stuck, Eleanor. You’re not going anywhere unless I decide to let you out.”
I rushed to the door, fumbling with the key in my hand. I shoved it into the lock, twisting it desperately. It clicked, but the door didn’t budge. I yanked on the handle, panic rising in my chest. It wouldn’t open.
“No,” I whispered, trying again, harder this time, but it was no use. The door wouldn’t move. I was trapped.
“You can try all you want, but you’re not getting out.” Armando said, his voice thick with satisfaction.
“Not until I decide you’re useful to me again.”
Tears pricked my eyes again. I leaned my forehead against the door, feeling the weight of his words crush me.
“You’ll stay in there for as long as I want. And when I decide I need you again, you’d better hope you’re ready to play nice.” He said, his voice fading as if he was stepping back from the door.
I stood there frozen, the reality of my situation sinking in.
Once again I was at his mercy, trapped in with no way out.
* * *
Sitting on the cold floor, I pressed my forehead against my knees and let out a deep sigh. Everything was crashing down on me, and for the first time in a long while, I didn’t know how to pull myself together.
I felt trapped-not just physically behind this door, but inside my own decisions.
I cursed the day I met Paulo. I knew the kind of business he ran and I wasn’t naive enough to think there wouldn’t be consequences, but I convinced myself that it was the only option I had.
I was desperate for money because sister was in the hospital, and the bills were piling up faster than I could breathe.
But still… could there have been another way?
I bit my lip, fighting back the tears again. Maybe if I had looked harder, I could’ve found a job that wasn’t so dangerous.
Paulo had promised quick cash with no questions asked, but I should’ve known better. I walked into this with my eyes wide open, and now here I was-stuck in Armando’s mansion, fearing for my life.
But Paulo wasn’t the only reason I was here. No, the blame didn’t start with him.
My thoughts drifted back to my parents, and my stomach twisted with bitterness.
I remembered the day my mom packed her bags and walked out, leaving my dad, my sister, and me behind. She couldn’t handle it when things got hard.
Sure, Dad wasn’t perfect, but leaving was the coward’s way out. I was just a teenager then but I never forgot the way her face looked-so cold and so detached that she didn’t even say goodbye properly.
She just left like we didn’t matter.
And as for my dad? Well, he didn’t stick around long after that either. I guess he couldn’t stand the mess of our lives anymore.
One day, he just vanished too, chasing some new life. Probably already had a new family somewhere, maybe a new wife and kids who didn’t know a damn thing about us.
I clenched my fists, the anger rising inside me. If they hadn’t abandoned us, I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t have had to make these choices.
I wouldn’t be in Armando’s house, stuck in this nightmare.
If they had stayed-if one of them had just been there for us, I wouldn’t have had to bear the weight of taking care of my sister all by myself.
Thinking about her brought the tears back. She was so fragile, lying in that hospital bed with her little body fighting so hard.
The doctors said the treatment had to continue if she had any chance at survival, that was the reason for all I had done so far.
That’s why I worked for Paulo, why I agreed to Armando’s deal,-it was all for her.
The tears streamed down my face, and I couldn’t stop them this time. I let myself break, sobbing into my hands. I felt the weight of it all-the regret, the anger and the fear.
But in the middle of all that, there was one thought that pulled me back and gave me something to hold on to,-that was seeing my little sister well and hearty again.
She was the only family I had left and I couldn’t lose her. I couldn’t let Armando kill me before I saw her get better.
I needed to be strong.
I wiped my eyes, forcing myself to breathe. I had to find out if she was okay and if that greedy pig Paulo had actually paid for her treatment.
I gave him the nurse’s bank details weeks ago, and he swore he’d transfer the money but I hadn’t been able to confirm since Armando took my phone away. His rule was clear-no contact with the outside world while I was here.
But what if Paulo hadn’t paid? What if my sister wasn’t getting the treatment she needed?
The thought made my chest tighten with panic.
I couldn’t think like that. She had to be okay. She had to be responding to the treatment.
I needed to speak to the nurse who promised she’d look after her but I couldn’t do that without my phone because Armando had taken it.
My mind was racing, desperate for answers.
The worry was eating me alive and I couldn’t stand not knowing anymore.
I had to find a way to reach my sister-one way, or another.