Don’t Fall for the Billionaire Lover

It Was Just a Daydream.

Connor snapped his eyes open. The gun was empty-no bullets, no chance of an escape that way. He scowled, fixing his gaze on Claire. "So, you couldn't stand the thought of me dying, huh?"

Claire let out a laugh that echoed crazily in the room. "Oh, Connor, I'm just playing with you. Letting you die easily would be too kind. I still have debts to settle, so of course, I can't let you go just yet."

Connor's face turned cold as ice, a flicker of fear dancing in his eyes. Death didn't scare him. It was just a fleeting moment, maybe even a release for those left behind. But Claire, in her current state, terrified him. She wanted to make him suffer.

He wasn't afraid of his own pain. No, what haunted him was the thought of Claire using Chloe against him, making him watch as she suffered. That was a torment far worse than death by a thousand cuts.

"What do you really want?" he asked, his voice steady despite the storm inside.

Claire just smiled. "You'll find out soon enough, Connor. The pain I went through back then? You all have to feel it too, before you can even think of dying."

With that, Claire walked out, leaving Connor locked up again. This time, the door slammed shut, sealing him in complete darkness. It was like a black hole, this darkness—expanding and ready to swallow everything whole.

Connor's body was a symphony of pain, the kicks from Claire still burning deep. He could barely stand, but he had bigger worries. Claire had said Chloe was in the room next door.

He checked the layout, confirming that only the east wall shared a boundary with another room. He slumped against it, the thought of Chloe being so close bringing both comfort and an ache to his heart.

The wall was concrete, but years of wear had taken their toll. Connor tapped it gently and watched as a chunk of plaster crumbled away.

In the pitch-black room, he felt

around and found the porcelain cup Claire had used for her tea. Smashing it against the table's edge, he picked up a sharp piece from the fragments. He found a particularly eroded corner of the wall and began techip away at it with the shard.

In the adjacent room, Chloe heard a soft rustling against the wall. At first, she thought it might be a rat. But

soon, she realized it was more than that @rhythmic tapping, like

someone chiseling away at

the wall.

For some reason, the sound made her heart skip. She had lost track of how many days she'd been trapped there, unable to leave, never seeing daylight. Maybe it was the pregnancy, but she found herself sleeping more than usual, drifting in and out of dreams in the darkness.

Sometimes, she dreamed Connor was coming to save her. But every time he appeared, he was covered in blood, a sight that jolted her awake in terror. She had gone from hoping for his rescue to praying he'd stay away.

Inside, she was terrified. Claire was a maniac on her last legs, already unhinged. If Connor showed up, who knew what kind of madness Claire might unleash?

Chloe stood up, her heart pounding with fear and a sliver of hope.noveldrama