Chapter 15(Tori P.O.V)

I heard Adrian’s voice, but I was trapped in my glass tube. My body was frozen, shivering uncontrollably, lifeless. Every heartbeat slowed as the poison spread through me. I tried to open my eyes, to reach out to him, but I couldn’t move. I felt like I was already slipping away.

And then… something wet brushed my face. Adrian’s tears. His voice broke through the haze.

“I need you here with me,” he cried.

His words, his sorrow, melted the ice gripping my body. Someone out there… cared. Someone out there wanted me alive.

I forced myself up from the floor I had collapsed on. My hands twitched violently, my body shivering as if the storm inside me demanded release. Rays of light pierced the darkness, a flash of lightning striking near the tube, illuminating me. I was free.

My eyes opened, breathing coming fast and ragged. I looked up. Adrian was holding me tight, his arms wrapping me as if I could never leave.

“Adrian,” I whispered, weak but alive.

“Tori,” he replied, hugging me tighter. “I thought I’d lost you.”

“I was almost frozen to death,” I gasped. “The poison… it’s still flowing. We need to get it out of here.”

“First, we get you out safely,” he said. “Then we plan.”

I swallowed hard. “Since they wanted me dead, I need to pretend I’m… dead. That way, I can leave the room, and you can get your sister. Then we can escape before Zayn realizes I’m gone.”

Adrian nodded, eyes sharp. “Great idea.”

We set it into motion. He called the bodyguards, telling them to prepare to dispose of my “body.” They obeyed without question. I lay still as they moved me, feigning lifelessness. Once outside, Adrian reassured them he’d handle it himself. They left, and he swiftly moved me to a stretcher and wheeled me toward the car park.

“My sister’s already in the car,” he said quietly.

“Okay,” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. Adrian carried me, and we drove off into the early morning light.

“Where do we go now?” he asked.

“Nowhere is safe,” he added grimly.

“France,” I said. “Take me to the airport first.”

He drove on in silence. His sister slept quietly in the back seat, still unaware of my presence. I wondered about her- was she kind, or like her brother, with those piercing green eyes?

The poison was gnawing at me, and I shivered again, forcing myself to stay still. At the airport, I asked Adrian for his phone. He handed it over, and I dialed a familiar number.

“Hello?”

“It’s Tori,” I said firmly.

“Tori ma’am! Where have you been?” the voice asked, concern lacing every word.

“Long story,” I replied. “I need a private jet. I’m outside the airport.”

“I’ll get you out immediately,” the voice said, hanging up.

“How do you know so many numbers offhand?” Adrian asked, astonished.

“I memorized them growing up,” I said simply. “For emergencies.”

A girl approached the car and tapped the window. “I’ve got everything here,” she said.

“Thanks, Amy,” I replied, nodding. She bowed slightly. “Let’s go.”

Adrian carried me, careful but quick, toward the waiting jet. Amy handed me off to Frank, the pilot, who nodded reassuringly.

“Stay safe, Tori,” Amy said softly.

“I will,” I said, hugging her warmly. She returned the hug, surprised but sincere.

We boarded the jet. I sank into the seat, the cabin finally quiet. For the first time in years, I was out of the hospital, away from Zayn and Dr. Kingston. Soon, I’d gather evidence, and they would pay for what they’d done.

Adrian’s sister remained asleep, fragile from the ordeal. Adrian sat beside me, watching me closely.

“What?” I asked, noticing his stare.

“You’re quiet,” he said.

“It’s nothing bad,” I replied lightly.

“No… I’m just worried about you,” he said softly.

“I’m fine,” I said, offering him a small smile.

For now, I was alive. And for the first time in a long while, I could breathe freely.