Chapter 1 The Escape

• Madison Forrest’s pulse hammered in her ears as she zipped the duffle bag, her trembling hands fumbling with the zipper. Clothes—too many, not enough—spilled over the sides, but she shoved them down with shaking fingers. The room was eerily quiet, save for the muffled tick of the clock on the wall. Her breath hitched when it struck 2:17 a.m.
• She threw a glance at the engagement ring sitting on the dresser, its glittering diamond mocking her. Her hand twitched toward it, not with regret, but with an urge to fling it across the room. Instead, she turned away, letting the bag slump to the floor with a dull thud. The sound felt too loud. Too final.
• Far across the city, Madeline Forrest stirred in her sleep. A faint buzzing noise dragged her toward wakefulness, a sound persistent yet distant, like a whisper threading through her dreams. Her brows furrowed, her body unwilling to let go of the warmth of her bed, but the sensation of unease crawled beneath her skin. When the buzzing stopped, silence settled again. A fleeting moment of peace—then it resumed. Her phone.
• Her fingers groped for it blindly, her mind still sluggish with sleep. A glance at the screen made her frown. Madison.
• It had been months since her sister last called. Years since they had a conversation that didn’t end in bitterness. Why now? And at this hour?
• Madeline hesitated before pressing accept. “Madison?” Her voice came out hoarse, laced with sleep and confusion.
• Nothing. Only hurried breathing on the other end. Then, a whisper, urgent and broken.
• “Maddie… I need your help.”
• The hallway stretched before Madison like a tunnel of shadows. With her bag slung over her shoulder, she slipped out of her bedroom and into the chill of the corridor. Her bare feet brushed against the cold wood, each step a calculated effort to avoid the creaking boards she knew by heart.
• She paused outside her parents’ door. Her father’s heavy snore rumbled through the wood, a small comfort that he was still deep in sleep. Her mother, on the other hand, was always lighter on her feet, prone to late-night pacing and muttered arguments. Madison quickened her steps, heart racing as she approached the front door.
• The metal lock gleamed under the faint moonlight filtering through the living room window. Freedom was close enough to taste.
• Her phone buzzed again. She flinched and yanked it out, cupping the screen to dim its light.
• Andrei: I’m outside. Hurry.
• Her thumb hovered over the keyboard, her reply shaky and rushed. Almost there.
• A floorboard groaned behind her.
• “Madison?”
• Her body froze as if the voice itself had turned her to stone. Slowly, she turned, the duffle bag slipping slightly off her shoulder.
• Vanya Forrest stood at the end of the hallway, her robe half-tied, her hair spilling loose over her shoulders. Her pale face was unreadable in the dim light, but her sharp gaze zeroed in on the bag.
• “What are you doing?” Vanya asked, her voice low and sharp.
• Madison’s throat tightened. Her lips moved, but no sound came out at first. “I couldn’t sleep,” she finally managed, barely above a whisper. “I… I thought I’d go for a walk.”
• Vanya stepped closer, her bare feet soundless against the floor. Her eyes flicked to the bag slung over Madison’s shoulder, narrowing. “At two in the morning? With your bag packed?” She folded her arms, her voice laced with suspicion. “Don’t lie to me, Madison.”
• “I’m not—” Madison swallowed hard, her mind scrambling for an excuse. “It’s just laundry. I… I forgot to put it away earlier.”
• The lie felt weak even to her ears, and the way her mother’s expression hardened confirmed it wasn’t enough. Vanya took another step forward, and Madison instinctively backed away, her heel brushing against the doormat by the door.
• “You’re leaving,” Vanya said, her voice trembling with anger now. “You’re running away. Do you have any idea what you’re doing? What this will cost us?”
• “I can’t do it,” Madison whispered, her voice shaking as she tightened her grip on the bag. “I can’t marry him. You can’t make me.”
• “Make you?” Vanya’s voice rose, cutting through the quiet house like a blade. “Do you think this is about you? This isn’t some silly romance where you get to choose who you love. This is survival, Madison. Do you think Ivan Callahan will just let us live if you run? Do you think Matteo will survive?”
• The mention of her brother’s name hit like a punch to the gut. Madison’s jaw clenched, and for a moment, guilt warred with fear. But the memory of Ivan’s face—cold, emotionless, his steel-gray eyes piercing through her like a predator sizing up prey—shoved the guilt aside.
• “I’m sorry,” Madison said, her voice cracking. “But I can’t. I won’t.”
• Vanya lunged forward, gripping her daughter’s arm. “If you leave, you’re sentencing us all to death. Do you understand that?”
• Madison wrenched her arm free, her chest heaving. “You’ve already done that by promising me to him,” she snapped, her voice breaking. “You gave me away like I’m nothing. Like I don’t matter.”
• Tears glistened in Vanya’s eyes, but her voice stayed firm. “This isn’t about mattering. This is about keeping this family alive. And if you leave now, I swear, you’ll have their blood on your hands.”
• Madison’s heart shattered at the words, but she couldn’t let them break her resolve.
• “I’m sorry,” she whispered, backing toward the door. “I can’t.”
• Her mother’s voice followed her as she turned and yanked the door open, the frigid night air slamming into her.
• “You’ll regret this, Madison!” Vanya’s voice cracked, the sound raw with desperation. “You’ll regret it when he finds you.”
• She didn’t look back. The bag banged against her hip as she sprinted to the waiting car, its dark outline barely visible under the streetlights. The driver’s door swung open, and Andrei stepped out, his anxious gaze scanning the house.
• “What took you so long?” he asked, gripping her arm as he helped her into the passenger seat.
• “Just drive,” Madison choked out, her voice trembling.
• She slammed the door, and Andrei didn’t waste another second. The tires squealed as he hit the gas, the house shrinking behind them.
• Meanwhile, across the city…
• Madeline sat up in bed, her fingers clenched around the phone, heart pounding. She’s running away.
• Her sister’s voice had been so frantic, so full of fear. And now, nothing but silence.
• She stared at the screen, willing Madison to call back. But the minutes stretched on, empty and unanswered.
• A chill ran down her spine. Whatever Madison had done… she had a feeling it was about to change her life, too.