My consciousness flickered in and out.
All I could hear was his vicious cursing, Florence's hollow little laugh.
The pain in my body, the pain in my chest, spreading everywhere, threatening to swallow me whole.
Just as I was about to collapse, just as the darkness closed in around the edges of my vision.
The doorbell rang.
Chester scowled, irritation flashing across his face.
"Who the hell is that? Who dares show up now?"
The housekeeper shuffled to the door, trembling.
And there, standing in the doorway.
Were the police. And my mother.
The moment my mother saw my battered, bloodied face, she rushed forward.
"Ella! My baby!"
Chester froze where he stood. His eyes went so wide they looked ready to fall out of his skull, and every drop of color drained from his face.
He pointed at my mother, his voice shaking, nearly a roar.
"You... you're supposed to be dead! They killed the hostage!"
"The person in the photo was you! How are you standing here?!"
The room went dead silent.
The housekeeper, the bodyguards, Florence. Every single one of them stood frozen.
An officer stepped forward and gently helped me up from where I'd slumped against the wall.