JULIAN:Let me out. Need some fresh air.
A pause.
Then the reply comes through.
NICO:Didn’t I tell you to go to sleep, cagniolo?
I grit my teeth. My fingers fly.
JULIAN:Fuck off. I’m not your fucking dog.
NICO:Googled it, huh?
Look at you. Already following orders.
JULIAN:Cut the bullshit. Where are you?
NICO:Miss me already?
It’s only been a couple hours.
JULIAN:Answer the question, asshole.
NICO:I’m afraid that’s none of your business, cagniolo.
JULIAN:Die.
NICO:If I do that, who’s going to let you out?
I slam the laptop shut with a sharp crack, teeth clenched so hard it hurts. My blood is boiling, fury pooling under my skin.
I hate him.
I hate that he’swinning.
I stare at the sealed door, seething.
Let me out.
Three simple words, and he just talked his way around them like the smug bastard he is.
Fine.
If he wants to keep me locked up like some caged animal, I’ll have to fight my way out.
I storm over to the keypad, scanning it for weaknesses. Maybe it’s cheap tech beneath the high-end gloss. Maybe there’s a failsafe. A wire I can strip. A panel I can pry open.
I grab the closest thing with weight: a small marble statue from the bookshelf and slam it into the panel.
Crack.
Sparks fly. The screen glitches, then comes back on with a blink.
Still locked.
I hit it again. Nothing.
“Son of a bitch,”I growl, tossing the statue across the room. It smashes against the wall and shatters like my last thread of patience.
