Isabella dipped her face into the basin, then jerked upright, splashing water across the room.
With reckless determination, she flung the basin at the guards, who scrambled to shake it off.
Seizing the moment, she ran—but a guard outside grabbed her.
A sharp slap cut across her face.
“You’ve no idea who you’re dealing with!” he thundered, raining punches and kicks.
Lexi, still bound to the pillar, shouted helplessly, “Stop! Don’t hit her anymore!”
The men paused, sneering, “No dinner for you tonight. Too weak to run.” With a metallic clang, the iron door slammed shut, sealing them in.
“Isabella… are you okay?” Lexi croaked.
Anxiety clawed at her chest.
Isabella’s fingers twitched.
Slowly, she lifted her blood-streaked face.
“I’m fine… are you okay?” She forced a crooked, painful smile.
Lexi’s heart clenched.
Even now, Isabella thought of her.
“Doesn’t this feel like the orphanage?” Isabella murmured.
Memories surfaced—locked in the dark room, starving, drawing cookie boxes on the floor with chalk.
Lexi’s lips softened.
“I’m starving now. Let’s draw cookies again.” Isabella found a jagged brick and sketched boxes on the cold floor.
“Here, Lexi. Try one. Is it good?”
“Delicious,” Lexi smiled, pretending to chew.
For a fleeting moment, they were children again—innocent, carefree.
Moonlight slipped through the small window.
Isabella leaned against the wall, sighing.
“Do you think we’ll make it out alive?”
“We will,” Lexi said firmly.
Dominic and Lauren would come—they had to.
Isabella hesitated.
“When we get out… I’ll still stand by my sister…”
Lexi nodded, understanding.
Past grudges didn’t matter now.
“The past is behind us. The only thing that matters is now—and the future.”
Isabella hugged her tightly.
“I knew it… you’re the best.”
Lexi blinked, startled, but accepted the gesture.
A rough voice echoed: “Enough hugging, girls?”
Isabella ducked instinctively behind Lexi.
The iron door crashed open.
Men in black, earpieces in place, stormed inside.
“You’re here to rescue us?” Lexi asked.
“Following orders,” one replied.
“Everyone outside is taken care of. Move quickly.”
The men led them onto a deserted street before disappearing.
Lexi frowned.
Sebastian’s arm was still injured.
Could it be him?
Dominic?
Who had sent them?
“What’s on your mind?” Isabella asked.
Lexi shook her head.
“Let’s get your injuries checked first.” She couldn’t help but smile at Isabella’s childlike gesture of pressing her hand to her bruised face.
At the hospital, they ran into Lauren, disguised with a cap and mask, trapped by reporters.
Isabella waved frantically.
Lauren signaled her bodyguards and led them to a private rooftop suite.
After tending to their wounds, Lauren stormed in, eyes scanning Lexi and then fixing on Isabella.
“Where have you been these past two days? And you… with this woman? Lexi, if you’ve corrupted my sister, I won’t forgive you.”
Lexi, fuming, tossed the towel at her.
Did Lauren even realize what they’d endured?
Without the mysterious rescuers, they might never have returned.
“Sister, Lexi didn’t do anything. We got lost—she brought me back,” Isabella said, signaling Lexi to leave.
Lauren glared at Isabella’s bruises.
“Did she do this?”
“Let her speak. Understand what happened first,” Lexi said sharply, storming out and slamming the door, leaving the sisters isolated.