Chapter 265


    Chapter 0265


    While the princes were giving interviews with the camera crews, Terry and a few of his servants


    escorted the candidates, including myself, on a tour of his mansion.


    When the n had been suggested, I had seen the worry in both Nichs’s and Julian’s gazes, but


    their concern was merely blinding them to the benefits of such a move. If I could take the tour, perhaps


    Terry would show us to some of his more private offices. And if I could sl*p away…


    I tried to convey as such with my eyes, unable to privately speak with Nichs and Julian, but my


    efforts only seemed to double their worry. I wouldn’t be waid from my n, however. This was the


    reason we had even pushed to have this event.


    We needed the dirt on Terry, and this was the perfect way to find it.


    Terry led the way, with the candidates behind, and the servants following. I had hoped there would be


    enough of us that I would have a chance to sl*p away. As it was, Terry kept me in his shadow. He


    touched my wrist when I dared stray too far from his side.


    The gleam in his eyes made me nervous to openly disobey, almost like that was what he wanted me to


    do, so that he could put into practice his promise of… breaking me.


    I shuddered at the thought. I could only imagine the horrors of what that would entail. From what it


    sounded like, my consent was not a part of the equation.


    Finally, after several long minutes of waiting for Terry’s guard to drop, Jessica stopped him and asked


    about one of the artworks.


    “Is this real? These brushstrokes look fake,” she said.


    Terry’s entire face went red with outrage. “I can assure you this is legitimate, youngdy.”


    He walked closer to her and the artwork in question. He reached out, tracing the lines of the


    brushstrokes without actually touching the painting.


    “This is his early work. If you look/closer here…”


    Step by step, I backed up until I was even with the servants. None of them looked at me. None seemed


    to notice or care when I stepped behind them.


    By heart hammered all the way up into my throat as I continued to move backwards until I was near a


    corner of a hallway. Then, just as I reached it, I turned and darted down the hall.


    Terry hadn’t shown us down this hallway. I had no idea where I was going. But this was the only good


    People tended not to ask too many questions when hit with that excuse.


    I ducked my head into every open door. I found many bedrooms, some closets or storage rooms, a few


    sitting rooms, and then finally an office.


    After sweeping my gaze across the office to make sure it was empty, I ducked inside.


    The desk was immactely clean, with every pen in its ce and no stray papers in sight.


    I opened the drawers, found one filled with man folders, and began fl*pping through them. They all


    seemed innocuous: copies of electric and water bills, a statement from an inte provider, an estimate


    for next year’s insurance information.


    The paperwork was mostly signed by Terry’s ountant, which made me wonder if this was even


    Terry’s office at all. The walls were trimmed in gold, but I was learning from the tour that Terry trimmed


    most things in gold, even rooms he rarely visited.


    Terry’s pride seemed to be directly connected to his decadence. So this room could easily be his


    ountant’s office, or just an office used to store paperwork.


    The other drawers turned up simr results. One drawer held a fancy paperweight with no papers


    underneath. The drawer nearest the desktop was filled with meticulously arranged pens and notepads.


    Nothing was written on the notepads. The pens were all symmetrical and identical. They gave nothing


    away.


    With a sigh, I realized this room was likely a bust. Nothing here seemed to be incriminating in the


    slightest. Or, if it was, I would need an ounting degree to be able to tell. I was good with numbers,


    but not that good.


    I made my way to the door. Maybe I still had time to check another room before my absence would be


    noticed enough for me to be actively looked for. My bathroom excuse would only carry me so far. After


    an hour, people might stop believing.


    When I came close to the door, suddenly, it mmed shut. A lock turned. I heard footsteps walk away.


    I froze and held my breath, scared even the sound of breathing too loudly would bring back whoever it


    was that closed the door.


    I waited for a long moment for all sounds to cease, and then I waited a minute more to be safe.


    Then I went to the door. When I had heard the lock, I hadn’t panicked, expecting there to be a knob to


    turn on the inside. There’was no lock on the inside. The only thing on the door handle was a keyhole.


    No other locks were on the door.


    I tried the handle anyway. Maybe I had been hearing things. Yet when I turned the doorknob, it


    ttered and would not open. The door was locked.


    I was trapped.


    What was I going to do?


    The panic started to set in now. No one would believe I had wandered in here looking for the bathroom


    and then said nothing as I was locked inside. There was no innocent exnation for my presence here.


    An even worse thought: perhaps I had been locked in here on purpose.


    Terry had made his intentions for me well known. The only way he would be able to break me like he


    wanted was if he could get me away from Nichs, Julian, the cameras, and the other candidates.


    I didn’t want to be paranoid. Being locked in here could have been an ident. But this house was too


    full of dangers for me to be making any assumptions.


    I paced the length of the small room, considering. I didn’t know how to pick a lock, and without a wolf, I


    wasn’t strong enough to force it. My options therefore were limited. Mainly, I had to wait to be rescued.


    Nichs and Julian woulde looking for me if the tour returned without me..


    But this mansion was giant. Would they even be able to find me?


    It would take them a long time… unless they had GPS.


    My pendant!


    I grasped it in my hands at once and pressed down on the full moon gemstone. It made a soft clicking


    sound. I released it and the gemstone lifted again to its original position.


    I hoped with all my heart that it worked. I wished I had tested it first somehow. But Julian must have,


    before he gave it to me, right?


    I wished I felt more confident that he had.


    There was nothing for it now. I simply had to wait. I continued to pace the room.


    I was only waiting for five minutes before the door knob began to jostle.


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    My breath caught. Five minutes was not enough time for Julian to sneak away and find me. This had to


    be someone else!