Aslin

I was about to answer that woman when a small hand slammed the door shut, and standing before me was the girl who had stared at me with pure hatred.

“Who is that woman, if I may ask?” I tried to get a response from her.

“And what’s it to you, miss? Don’t think you’re important here — she’s just another one of the many the master has brought into this house,” she spat at me without mercy when she noticed I was wearing Carttal’s clothes.

Her words shattered me. My heart felt like it was being torn apart, and I bolted, running down the stairs as fast as I could. I wanted to leave this place, even if that meant Alexander would find me — I preferred that to becoming somebody’s toy again.

I headed straight for the mansion’s large iron gates, but the guards formed a line and blocked my way.

“Where do you think you’re going, miss?” one of them growled. “You can’t leave the estate without the master’s permission.”

“Let me out! I order you — let me go!” I screamed, but the guards did the