Chapter 177:
Makenna’s POV:
Bryan tortured me until the middle of the night, leaving me utterly drained. Despite my weariness, I managed to drag myself out of bed, dress, and escape. The memory of being imprisoned here before had etched deep scars on my psyche. Even though I knew he couldn’t confine me again, the thought of spending another night in his presence was unbearable. Who knew what this madman might cook up next? If I awoke to find myself shackled again, I’d be lost beyond redemption.
Bryan, his desire finally satiated, made no move to stop me. He merely observed me with a predatory gaze, like a wolf eyeing its prey from the shadows. His stare sent a shiver down my spine, and the unease clung to me even after I returned to my house.
By the time I got back, Lily was already asleep, and the villa was eerily quiet—a small blessing. If she had caught me and started probing, I wouldn’t have had a clue what to say.
In my room, I still felt the unpleasant stickiness between my thighs. The night’s events left me with a gnawing mixture of shame and fury, and I cursed Bryan countless times in my mind. After a hasty wash, I tucked away my mother’s paintings and collapsed into bed, sinking into a deep slumber.
In the darkness, a silhouette emerged—a woman clad in white, her figure haloed in light as she moved toward an unknown destination. Could it be… my mother?
Although I had never seen her before, there was something so profoundly familiar about her presence. Deep inside, I knew—this was my mother.
“Mom! Mom!” I called out, desperately sprinting toward her. I had a thousand questions. I wanted to ask if she had truly departed from this world, to be spoiled like other children in front of her, to feel her gentle hand on my head…
But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t close the distance between us.
“Mom!” I cried out, jolting awake. My face was damp with tears, and I realized I had been weeping in my sleep. Sunlight poured through the window. Disoriented, I stared outside, slowly accepting that it had all been just a dream.
Wiping away my tears, I gave a bitter laugh.
𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨: g⍶ⅼ𝗇𝗈ν𝘦𝗅𝗌⸳𝖼𝗈𝖒
It had been ages since I dreamt of her. Perhaps the recent turmoil had made me yearn for her more acutely. Pulling myself together, I readied myself for the day. Just as I finished, Alice’s urgent shouts pierced the silence downstairs. Something was amiss.
With concern, I hurried downstairs, only to find Alice barreling toward me, her face flushed with excitement. “Makenna, Makenna…” she gasped, as though she had run a marathon.
I quickly handed her a glass of water and patted her back to help her catch her breath. “Calm down, take your time.”
After gulping down the water, Alice managed to speak, her words tumbling out in a rush. “It burned down!” Confused, I grasped her shoulders. “What are you talking about? What burned down?”
Alice’s eyes were wide with excitement as she shook me. “The Dunn family’s villa! Frank and Jessica’s villa—it’s burned to the ground!”
