Chapter 171 A Dead End I
Erik stumbled back, his hand flying to his face as the sharp crack of the whip echoed through the room. The sting of the leather left a mark, and blood began to trickle from his nose, mixing with the fury in his eyes. He glared at Athena, his anger seething, but she wasn’t backing down. She stood tall, the scissors still in her hand, her breath coming in quick bursts, but there was a fire in her eyes now—no longer the victim, but the fighter.
“You think you can escape this?” Erik spat, his voice trembling with rage, but there was a new wariness in his gaze. The tables had turned, and for the first time, he wasn’t the one in control.
Athena’s pulse raced, but she forced herself to remain calm. “I’ll make sure you never touch me again,” she said, her voice steady, though her body was trembling from the adrenaline. The pain of her own situation was still there, but her resolve hardened like steel.
Erik wiped the blood from his face, his fingers trembling slightly as the fury in his gaze burned hotter. “You think this is over? You think you can escape?”
The knock at the door came again, more urgent this time. “Mr. Lawson? Is everything alright?” a voice called from the other side.
Athena’s mind raced. She couldn’t waste this chance. She had to use every advantage she had, and the door was her only real barrier between her and Erik. The whip was still in her hand, and the scissors were tucked into her sleeve. The room had become a battlefield, and she was ready to fight until the last breath if she had to.
“Get out of here!” Erik shouted, his voice booming, and the knock stopped, but Athena didn’t wait. She darted across the room, grabbing anything that could be used to barricade the door.
Her fingers fumbled in panic, but she was quick, pushing furniture in front of the door, praying that it would be enough. She could hear Erik on the other side, pacing, his voice filled with seething rage.
“You’ll regret this, Athena,” Erik muttered, his words barely audible through the door. “You think you can humiliate me like this and walk away unscathed? We’ll see about that.”
Athena’s heart was pounding, but she didn’t let herself falter. Every second counted. She had to think her way out of this, or she would be caught again.
She moved to the window, her hands shaking as she tried to open it. The familiar feeling of desperation crept in, but she shoved it down. She couldn’t afford to panic. She focused, hearing Erik’s footsteps getting closer to the door.
The window opened with a soft creak, revealing the darkened expanse of the yard below. There was no time to think about whether it was safe to jump, but Athena knew it was her only choice.
She glanced back at the door—Erik was nearly there.
With no time left, Athena took a deep breath, looked down, and climbed through the window, making sure to stay as quiet as possible.
The night air hit her skin like ice, but it didn’t matter. She was out. Free.
But as she landed softly on the ground, her heart sank. There was no one in sight. No one to help her. And she had no idea where she was. But one thing was certain—she wasn’t going to let Erik get away with this.
Not this time.