Chapter 0265

While the princes were giving interviews with the camera crews, Terry and a few of his servants escorted the candidates, including myself, on a tour of his mansion.

When the plan had been suggested, I had seen the worry in both Nicholas’s and Julian’s gazes, but their concern was merely blinding them to the benefits of such a move. If I could take the tour, perhaps Terry would show us to some of his more private offices. And if I could sl*p away…

I tried to convey as such with my eyes, unable to privately speak with Nicholas and Julian, but my efforts only seemed to double their worry. I wouldn’t be waylaid from my plan, however. This was the reason we had even pushed to have this event.

We needed the dirt on Terry, and this was the perfect way to find it.

Terry led the way, with the candidates behind, and the servants following. I had hoped there would be enough of us that I would have a chance to sl*p away. As it was, Terry kept me in his shadow. He touched my wrist when I dared stray too far from his side.

The gleam in his eyes made me nervous to openly disobey, almost like that was what he wanted me to do, so that he could put into practice his promise of… breaking me.

I shuddered at the thought. I could only imagine the horrors of what that would entail. From what it sounded like, my consent was not a part of the equation.

Finally, after several long minutes of waiting for Terry’s guard to drop, Jessica stopped him and asked about one of the artworks.

“Is this real? These brushstrokes look fake,she said.

Terry’s entire face went red with outrage. “I can assure you this is legitimate, young lady.”

He walked closer to her and the artwork in question. He reached out, tracing the lines of the brushstrokes without actually touching the painting.

his early work.

by step, I backed up until I was even with the servants. None of them looked

I continued to move backwards until I was near a corner of a hallway. Then, just as I reached it, I turned and darted down the

shown us down this hallway. I had no idea where I was

too many questions when

some closets

my gaze across the office to make sure it was empty, I

immaculately clean, with every pen in its place and no stray papers in

with manila folders, and began fl*pping through them. They all seemed innocuous: copies of electric and water bills, a statement from an internet provider, an estimate for next year’s insurance information.

was mostly signed by Terry’s accountant, which made me wonder if this was even Terry’s office at all. The walls were trimmed in gold, but I was learning from the tour that Terry trimmed most things

pride seemed to be directly connected to his decadence. So this room could easily be

drawer held a fancy paperweight with no papers underneath. The drawer nearest the desktop was

on the notepads. The pens were all symmetrical and identical. They gave nothing

bust. Nothing here seemed to be incriminating in the slightest. Or, if it was, I would need an accounting degree to be able to tell. I was good with numbers, but not that good.

made my way to the door. Maybe I still had time to check another room before my absence would be noticed enough for me to be actively looked for. My bathroom excuse would only carry me so far. After

to the door, suddenly, it slammed shut. A lock

and held my breath, scared even the sound of breathing too loudly would bring back whoever it was that closed

a long moment for all sounds to cease, and then I waited a minute more to be

lock, I hadn’t panicked, expecting there to be a knob to turn on the inside. There’was no lock on the inside. The only thing on the door handle was a keyhole. No

handle anyway. Maybe I had been hearing things. Yet when I

I was trapped.

was I going to do?

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