My jaw clenched, the bitterness of my own words burning inside me.
Chapter 25 – Scarlett
“...I’m glad you finally see yourself for what you are.”His voice still echoed in my head, reminding me of how stupid I was to ever think he could be anything more than a monster.
I brought this upon myself. I should’ve kept my mouth shut and pretended not to have seen him with another woman. He didn’t owe anything, not even loyalty, and I should’ve known better.
He never regarded me as anything more than his prisoner—his sex toy. And although my hatred for him just tripled, I was glad that he finally spoke some sense into me. I used to make up excuses for him, used to feel some sort of sympathy because of his past.
Not anymore.
He wasn’t the only one with a dark past. Some of us also went through hell and still decided not to turn out as dicks. Being human was a decision we made, and he, too, was given that choice, yet he chose to be an asshole.
I let my guard down because I hoped that there was something good inside him. I thought that if I tugged at that thin thread long enough, his humanity would unravel. I was so wrong. There was nothing good about Roman Tarasov—no shred of humanity at all.
This whole time, I’d been blinded by my own lust and dark desires. But now, I saw him for what he truly was: a misogynistic, condescending jackass!
After I left him in his mother’s art gallery, I went straight to Mia’s room and pounded on her door. A moment later, she answered, and while the door was creaking open, I barged inside, fuming in silence.
She scanned the hallway to be sure no one saw me come in, then quietly closed the door behind her. “Ma’am, are you okay?” she asked, her voice laced with genuine concern.
I swiped my hands through my hair while pacing the length of her room, struggling to hold back my tears.
“Ma’am.” She drew closer and held my hands. “Breathe. Breathe.”
Her touch was somewhat comforting, like that of a close friend. “Look at me,” she added, trying to catch my eyes, and didn’t stop until she did.
I stared at her, tears streaming down my cheeks, my lips quivering. I didn’t want her to see me vulnerable, but I couldn’t hold it anymore. The pain was unbearable, and I felt it tightening in my chest, suffocating me.
When she pulled me into her warm embrace, I broke down, my body shaking violently as I cried. She smoothed my hair downward, whispering words of encouragement in my ear. At that point, I wasn’t even listening; I just wanted the knot in my chest to loosen so I could breathe.
After crying for some minutes, I let go of her and wiped my tears, feeling a bit lighter.
“I hope you don’t mind me asking,” she said, staring right at me. “What happened?”
“Hehappened,” I answered, my voice low and venomous. “I hate him, Mia. I hate him so much.”
“I know the feeling,” she said, a faint scowl settling on her face.
On any other day, I would’ve questioned her statement—tried to understand the sudden shift in her expression or even the bite in her tone. But I was too angry to think straight.
“You said you could help me escape this place?”
She nodded. “I can.”
“Good. Because I need to get the hell out of here as soon as possible.”
“Tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” I tilted my head to the side, a bit shocked.
That was quick.
“Yes,” she answered. “It has to be tomorrow. Roman has an important meeting that requires more bodyguards, leaving the mansion less guarded. It’s our window, and we have to take it.”
Roman?
That’s strange. She’d never called him by his name before. And how did she know all of this? However, before I could give it much thought, I concluded it wasn’t my business anymore. None of that mattered to me anyway; all I cared about was getting the hell out of here.
