Chapter 3

Celina POV:

The attorney' s office felt like a sanctuary. The heavy oak door, the hushed whispers of legal assistants, the scent of old paper and fresh coffee – it was a world away from the suffocating grandeur of Haywood's mansion. I watched as my attorney, Ms. Davies, a woman whose calm demeanor belied a razor-sharp mind, carefully reviewed the document Haywood had signed. My heart hammered against my ribs, a nervous rhythm against the quiet ticking of the wall clock.

"It's valid, Celina," Ms. Davies finally said, her voice soft but firm. She pushed the papers back across the polished table. "He signed the divorce agreement. Under duress, perhaps, but legally binding. You are officially free."

A wave of relief, so profound it almost buckled my knees, washed over me. Free. The word tasted like oxygen after years of suffocating. "Thank you," I managed, my voice raw with emotion.

"What's next?" she asked, her eyes searching mine.

"Next," I said, my voice hardening, "is exposing him. And them. To the world." I had already planned my escape. A flight booked for Los Angeles. A new life, far from the suffocating grasp of New York's elite. But first, a final act of justice. I had secretly been gathering every shred of evidence, every coerced confession, every manipulative text. It was all encrypted, uploaded, and ready to unleash.

I left Ms. Davies' office, the signed divorce decree a feather-light burden in my bag, yet heavier than gold. My plan was set. I was starting fresh. A new country, a new name, a new life. I just needed to finalize a few things.

That evening, I returned to the mansion one last time to retrieve a few personal items. The grand dining room was aglow with candlelight, the clinking of silverware echoing through the cavernous space. Haywood and Anika were at the table, their faces close, a picture of domestic bliss. They looked up as I entered, their laughter dying.

"Celina! Darling! You're just in time!" Anika purred, her smile too wide, too sweet. "Join us! Haywood made his famous spicy Sichuan Hot Pot. Your favorite, isn't it, Haywood?" She batted her eyelashes at him.

Haywood merely grunted, not meeting my gaze. My favorite? My stomach churned. Haywood knew I couldn't tolerate spicy food. He also knew his blood pressure couldn't. It was his favorite. A small, insidious jab.

"No, thank you," I replied, my voice steady. "I'm just here to pick up a few things."

Haywood finally looked at me, his eyes cold. "Still playing the victim, I see. Always so dramatic." He turned back to Anika, his hand gently touching her cheek. "My sweet Anika, you look absolutely radiant tonight. You make me forget all the unpleasantness." He shot me a pointed glance.

Anika preened under his attention. "Oh, Haywood, you're too kind." She then turned back to me, her faux concern back in place. "Celina, you look a little pale. Are you sure you shouldn't eat something? Or perhaps a nice, warm bowl of soup?" She picked up a steaming bowl, its surface shimmering with red chili oil. My stomach twisted.

"No, thank you. I'm allergic to... drama," I said, my voice dry. I slipped my phone out of my pocket, subtly tapping the record button. Just in case.

Anika's smile tightened. "Oh, Celina, you're always so difficult." She stood up, bowl in hand, and walked towards me. "Here, you really should have some. It's so good for you." She tried to press the bowl into my hands.

"I said no," I warned, stepping back. My allergies were real, a severe reaction to certain chili peppers. This was no accident.

But Anika was relentless. She lunged, forcing the bowl against my hands. "Don't be silly, Celina. Just a little taste." Her grip was surprisingly strong.

The boiling hot soup splashed onto my hands, scalding my skin. I gasped, dropping the bowl. It shattered on the marble floor, the spicy liquid splattering everywhere. The pain was immediate, sharp, and searing.

"Ah!" Anika shrieked, clutching her arm, though not a drop of soup had touched her. She collapsed into Haywood's arms, tears instantly welling up in her eyes. "She did it on purpose! She burned me!"

"Anika! My darling, are you alright?" Haywood roared, his face a mask of concern for her. He didn't even glance at my reddening, blistering skin. "Call the doctor! Immediately!"

"I'm fine, Haywood, just a little shaken," Anika whimpered, her eyes darting to me with a triumphant glare. "But Celina... she's so violent. She always has been."

"She didn't burn you, Anika! The soup was hot, it splashed!" I cried, my voice trembling with pain and disbelief.

"Oh, Celina, don't try to lie your way out of this," Anika said, her voice still a theatrical whisper. "I know you're upset, but to deliberately hurt me... I forgive you, of course, but it was a terrible thing to do." She turned to Haywood, her eyes swimming with tears. "She needs help, Haywood. She's clearly unstable."

My stomach churned, not from pain, but from sheer disgust. Her performance was sickeningly brilliant. I wanted to scream, to tear her perfect hair out, but I held it in. I had the recording. It was enough.

I turned and walked out of the mansion, leaving the shouting and the fake tears behind. The cool night air was a balm on my burning skin. I hailed a cab, my mind already on the next step.

But fate, it seemed, had one last cruel twist in store. Before the cab could even turn the corner, a dark sedan cut us off. Two burly men, faces masked, yanked me from the vehicle. I screamed, but it was muffled, lost in the roar of the city. A rough hand covered my mouth, a sweet, cloying scent filling my nostrils. Darkness claimed me once more.

I awoke to the chilling dampness of stone beneath my cheek. My head throbbed. I was in a cellar, a cold, oppressive darkness pressing in on me. The air was thick with the smell of mold and something else... something alive and scuttling. My breath hitched. My heart began to pound with a frantic, sickening rhythm.

Then, a familiar voice, distorted by a speaker, echoed through the cavernous space. Haywood. "So, Celina. Still think you can defy me? Still think you can walk away?" His voice was chillingly calm. "You tried to hurt Anika. You tried to ruin my family. This is your punishment."

A whimper escaped my lips. I couldn't see anything, but I could feel it. The tiny, skittering movements. My heart was a frantic bird trapped in my chest. My most primal fear. Spiders. He knew. He remembered.

"No... please..." I tried to speak, but my voice was a choked sob. I curled into a fetal position, my body trembling uncontrollably.

"Scream all you want, Celina," Haywood's voice continued, cold and unwavering. "No one will hear you. And no one cares."

I could hear them now, the soft, rustling sounds. Getting closer. I could feel tiny legs on my skin, crawling up my arms, my neck. A piercing scream tore from my throat, raw and desperate. I thrashed wildly, my hands slapping at my skin, trying to dislodge the imaginary creatures. Or were they imaginary? I couldn't tell anymore. Every shadow moved, every speck of dust turned into a monstrous arachnid. The terror was all-consuming.

My mind splintered. I begged. I pleaded. I cried for my mother, for my father, for anyone. The words were incoherent, lost in the din of my own terror. But no one came. Haywood's silence was a judgment, a confirmation of my utter insignificance.

Then, a sharp, searing pain. A bite. On my ankle. My scream was cut short as a wave of dizziness washed over me. The world tilted, spun. Darkness. It swallowed me whole. But in that brief, agonizing moment before unconsciousness, a single thought pierced through the terror: He killed my mother. He killed my father. He did this to me. I will make him pay.