Page 37

Chapter 37

Fantasia

T he world outside my cell has blurred into endless grey. I don’t know how long I’ve been here- hours… how many, I don’t know. Time doesn’t feel real anymore. All I know is the cold stone beneath me, the stale air that never seems to move, and the sharp ache in my chest that’s never gone away.

But now there’s noise- footsteps echoing in the corridor, sharp and purposeful. The lock clanks, and the heavy metal door groans open. Harold steps in, his smug smile widening as he leans against the frame.

“Get up,” he says.

I don’t move fast enough, and one of his men grabs my arm, yanking me to my feet. My legs scream in protest, and I stumble, barely managing to keep my balance.

“Where are you taking me?” My voice comes out hoarse, my throat raw from hours of silence.

“You’ll see.” Harold’s smile deepens, and I know better than to ask again.

They march me down the corridor, out into the biting cold. The sky is dull and overcast, threatening rain. A black van waits in the gravel lot, its back doors hanging open.

And then I see her.

Valeria.

The sob hits me before I can stop it- a ragged, ugly sound that tears from my throat. My vision blurs as tears rush forward, hot and unstoppable. She's there, bundled in her jacket. One of Harold’s men is carrying her like she’s nothing more than luggage, her tiny body limp against his chest.

She’s asleep- thank God, she’s asleep- but that doesn’t stop the sharp, choking cry that breaks from me. My legs buckle, and I stumble, barely managing to stay upright.

“Valeria,” I whisper, my voice breaking on her name. My face is wet, tears streaming down my cheeks as I drink her in- the soft rise and fall of her chest, the way her fingers twitch slightly against the man’s sleeve.

She’s alive. She’s breathing.

I press my trembling hand to my mouth, biting down hard to muffle the sobs that won’t stop coming.

The man holding her doesn’t even look my way. He just turns and climbs into the van.

“Ah-ah,” Harold tuts, stepping in front of me as I lurch forward. His grin sharpens. “You’ll get your little reunion once we’re on the road. As long as you behave…” Harold pauses, his smile twisting into something cruel. “…she might survive the day.”

I freeze, my breath stuttering in my chest.

Might.

Not will . Not if you're good, you'll both be fine . Just... might .

And he didn’t say anything about me.

Cold dread coils through me, wrapping around my ribs like barbed wire. My mouth feels dry, my tongue heavy as lead.

Is he going to kill me?

Has he already made up his mind?

Harold takes a step closer, leaning in until I can smell the stale whiskey on his breath. “Don’t think I’m fool enough to let you walk away from this,” he murmurs, his voice low and sharp. “You’ve been more trouble than you’re worth. But her…” He glances toward Valeria, still limp in that thug’s arms. “If you behave- if you don’t make this harder than it needs to be- maybe I’ll be generous enough to let someone find her once I’m gone.”

The ground seems to sway beneath me.

I suck in a breath, sharp and shaky, my heart pounding so hard it hurts. Harold doesn’t just plan to kill me- he’s going to disappear afterward, leave Valeria stranded somewhere, alone and terrified, if she even survives that long.

My hands curl into fists, nails digging into my palms. I can’t let that happen. Whatever Harold’s plan is, whatever twisted game he’s playing- I have to make sure she survives this.

“Get in,” Harold orders, shoving me toward the van.

I climb in without a fight, too terrified to push back. Valeria’s car seat is strapped in beside me, and the man settles her in place.

I barely breathe until his hands let go, and then- finally- he steps back.

“Mummy’s here,” I whisper, reaching out with trembling hands. My fingers brush her warm, soft cheek. A sob escapes before I can stop it, and I press my palm to her face, feeling her little breath against my skin.

I can’t help myself- I unbuckle her car seat, lifting her into my arms. She’s warm and solid, her head lolling against my shoulder as I hug her tightly to my chest.

I’m shaking- whole-body, gut-deep trembling- but I can’t let go. My tears spill hot and fast, soaking into her hair as I clutch her like she’s the only thing holding me together.

For a moment, I forget about Harold. Forget about the danger waiting ahead. Forget that I may not live to see another sunrise.

For this moment, it’s just me and her.

My little girl. Safe in my arms.

The van’s engine rumbles to life, a low, grinding noise that jolts me back to reality. The tires crunch over gravel, and the van lurches forward.

She’s still asleep, her head heavy on my shoulder, but she’s not safe like this. Moving fast, I lower her back into the seat, guiding her limp body into place. Her tiny face scrunches in her sleep, but she doesn’t wake.

“Almost done,” I murmur. “Almost?—”

The final buckle snaps into place just as the van sways around a corner. I press a kiss to her forehead, lingering just long enough to feel her breath against my skin. Only then do I sit back, my eyes never leaving her peaceful face.

The car ride is silent and suffocating. Every mile that passes feels like it’s dragging me deeper into hell. I can feel Harold’s eyes on me through the rearview mirror, his glare as sharp as ever, but I dare not look at him. If I do, I know I’ll give him exactly what he wants- an excuse to punish me.

I glance at Valeria, her face soft and peaceful in sleep. A curl has fallen across her forehead- a bright copper-red, just like his. My breath catches, and I reach out, gently smoothing it back.

Piers.

The memory of him hits hard- the way his hair would catch the sunlight, turning it to fire. I remember the way I used to run my fingers through it, tugging playfully just to see that crooked smile of his. My chest tightens.

I left to protect him- to make sure he wasn’t forced into this. He never asked for any of it- not the lies, not the secrecy, and certainly not the responsibility of a child he never agreed to. The last thing I wanted was for him to feel trapped, like he had no choice but to clean up my mess. That’s exactly why I left- to spare him from feeling obligated to stay with me.

And yet here we are. Me, a hostage. Valeria, leverage. And Piers, being forced to pay for us both.

The van shudders to a stop, jerking me forward in my seat. Before I can react, one of Harold’s men wrenches the door open, barking orders for us to move.

“Out. Now.”

A rough hand clamps around my arm, dragging me from the van before I can even find my footing. I stumble, my legs buckling beneath me as I hit the ground. The air is sharp and cold. My breath fogs in front of me as I blink up at the towering stone walls.

Vianden Castle.

Of course Harold would pick somewhere like this- a fortress, ancient and imposing, perched on a hill like it’s daring anyone to challenge it.

Valeria’s small, limp form is lifted out next. One of Harold’s men carries her like she’s nothing more than a bundle of blankets, her pink jacket hood slipping slightly to reveal a lock of soft red hair.

“Move,” Harold snaps from behind me, shoving me forward.

I stumble up the stone steps, my eyes locked on Valeria ahead of me. Every step feels heavier than the last, like I’m dragging my own dread along with me. The castle doors loom large and menacing, the iron-bound wood darkened with age. They creak open, swallowing us whole as Harold’s men funnel us inside.

The corridor opens into a cavernous hall, its high ceilings lost in shadow. The air is stale, heavy with the scent of cold stone and damp earth. My breath hitches when I see them.

Piers and Achilles.

They stand near the center of the room, flanked by a few men I vaguely recognize- Warwick loyalists, no doubt. Achilles’s stance is rigid, arms crossed over his chest like he’s barely holding himself back. His sharp gaze flicks from Harold’s men to me, then to Valeria.

But it’s Piers who steals my breath.

It’s been so long. I never thought I’d see him like this again. And yet, here we are, on opposite sides of this cruel game.

He’s a little thinner than I remember, a little harder around the eyes. He stands tall, broad-shouldered and unflinching. He looks at me, his face is set like stone, expression unreadable, but there’s something off- something distant in his eyes.

Is it just my mind playing tricks on me, or has something inside him changed? His affection for me, the passion that once burned so brightly, feels… absent. And maybe that’s for the best. Maybe I’m not the woman he thought I was, the woman he thought he could save.

Harold steps forward, his smug grin widening.

“You know the deal,” he says, his voice curling through the air like smoke. “You pay, and you get your girls back.” He gestures lazily to me and Valeria. “Simple as that.”

Achilles steps forward, his voice sharp. “The deal was that you hand them over first.”

Harold’s smile tightens. “And what’s to stop you from turning around and walking away once you’ve got them?”

“We’re not leaving without them,” Achilles says, his voice low and firm.

As I stand there, every inch of my body trembling, my eyes lock on Piers. For a moment, it feels like time stills. My breath catches in my throat as I try to read him, to find even a sliver of the man I once knew.

He watches me now with the same dark eyes, still steady, still sure- but the warmth that once lived there has bled out. What remains is a ghost of that affection, pale and hollow as a winter sun.

I don’t know if he even recognizes me anymore.

It’s as if the years between us have erased the bond we shared, reduced it to nothing more than a distant memory, a fleeting moment in time. The longing that used to flicker in his eyes when he looked at me- the longing I’d once felt reflected back in his gaze- is gone.

Is this how it ends? With me standing before him, a stranger in his eyes?

“You’ll get the money,” Achilles adds, stepping in closer. “But not until you’ve handed them over.”

Harold’s voice cuts through the cold air like a blade.

“Fine,” he says, his grin sharp and wicked. “You can have her.”

Before I can react, one of his men shoves me forward. I stumble, my shoulder slamming into Piers’s chest. His hands come up instinctively, gripping my arms to steady me. For a heartbeat, I can’t breathe. For the first time in two years, I’m in his arms again.

But there’s no comfort in his touch. His grip is firm, distant- like he’s bracing himself for something worse.

“Where’s Valeria?” My voice cracks, fraying at the edges like torn fabric. I thrash against Piers’s grip, scanning the swarm of Harold’s men—too many faces, too many uniforms, none of them hers.

And then I see her- still cradled in one of his goon’s arms, her tiny face turned against his chest.

Harold strides over, his cold smile curling wider as he plucks my sleeping daughter from the man’s grasp. My heart stutters- he’s bringing her closer, his arms shifting like he’s about to pass her to me.

For one fleeting second, hope flares in my chest.

But then Harold pauses, his smile sharpening like a blade. His fingers tighten on Valeria’s jacket, and instead of handing her over, he steps back.

“You really thought I’d give you both for that pathetic offer?” he sneers, bouncing Valeria slightly in his arms like she’s nothing more than a bargaining chip.

“No,” I whisper, dread flooding my veins.

“You want your daughter back?” Harold’s smile widens, cruel and smug. “Then you’ll pay more.”

“No!” I lurch toward him, but Piers holds me back, his arm locking around my waist. “Please!” I cry out, my voice breaking. “Don’t take her- please!”

Harold’s smile widens, vicious and gleeful. “Then you’d better make sure your man here brings me what I ask for.”

Piers’s arm tightens around me, his face grim. Achilles steps forward, his voice cold and steady. “We’ll pay,” he says. “Just tell us how much.”

My breath stalls.

“What?” I whisper, my head snapping between them. “You’re just... letting him walk away?”

“It’s the only way to keep her alive,” Achilles mutters. His voice is low, like he’s trying to convince himself as much as me. “We’ll get her back.”

“You don’t know that!” My voice breaks, raw with panic. “You don’t know what he’s going to do!”

“We’ll pay,” Achilles says again, louder this time- firmer. “We’ll make it right.”

Harold’s grin stretches wider. “I want double,” he says as he takes a deliberate step back, then another, Valeria still tucked in his arms.

“Valeria!” I scream, lunging forward. “Please!”

Piers’s hold tightens again, keeping me rooted in place.

“You’re letting him take her! ” I sob, thrashing against him. “Don’t- don’t let him- ”

But Harold’s already turning away, striding toward the castle doors, his men flanking him on either side. One of them glances back- just to smirk- before shifting his hand meaningfully toward the gun at his side, his footsteps crunching against gravel, fading into the distance.

“ No! ” My scream is ragged, desperate, piercing the cold air.

I watch helplessly as Harold disappears through the castle doors, the heavy wood slamming shut behind him with a thundering finality.

I go limp in Piers’s arms, and if Piers wasn’t still holding me, I would’ve crumpled to the ground. The sound that leaves me doesn’t feel human- a broken, guttural cry that tears from my chest as my world slips further out of reach.