Unsteady

Chapter Twenty-Two

Esme's eyelids fluttered open, and the world greeted her with nothing but an oppressive darkness and the smell of sterile, damp air. She could barely make sense of the dim, shadowy shapes around her—a cold, unfamiliar room that seemed to stretch endlessly into the void. The faint hum of old, malfunctioning fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting sickly glows across the sparse, utilitarian space. The walls felt close, like they were closing in on her, pressing in with an unseen weight that made the air feel thick and suffocating.

Her body jolted with panic, but her movements were painfully restricted. Her wrists and ankles were bound, the ropes digging into her skin, the coarse fibers biting deep, making each struggle a raw, desperate attempt for freedom. Her breath came in short gasps as she tried to shift, her arms straining against their captor's hold, but it was no use—she was powerless. Panic surged through her, every heartbeat thundering in her ears as the reality of her helplessness slammed into her chest like a physical force.

She opened her mouth to scream, to call out for help, but the sharp, cold taste of tape met her lips. It was too late. Her voice was trapped, stifled, and the sound she longed to release was reduced to a muffled, strangled whimper. The sensation of the tape—so tight, so suffocating—seemed to smother her from the inside, rendering her desperate need for release utterly useless.

Her eyes strained against the dark fabric of the blindfold that obscured her vision, and her mind screamed for clarity, for answers. She felt utterly alone, her sense of self slipping away as disorientation set in. She couldn't remember how she got here, or who had brought her to this place, and the nagging uncertainty gnawed at her like a persistent, biting cold. The room around her was a maze of shadows and echoes, each tiny movement deepening her dread. What had happened to her? Why was she here?

Each tug against the ropes was a reminder of her vulnerability, the helplessness that seeped into her bones like the damp chill of the room. Every attempt to free herself only tightened the hold of her restraints, adding another layer to the darkness that threatened to overwhelm her. She could feel the weight of something much worse pressing in from the edges of her mind—the suffocating certainty that she was trapped in a nightmare, a nightmare that was all too real.

But it was not just the physical confines of the ropes and the blindfold that bound her; it was the reality she could not escape, the fear that gripped her heart with icy fingers. Her thoughts swirled in a whirlwind of confusion and dread, trying to piece together the scattered fragments of what had happened, but it was as though the answers slipped just beyond her grasp. The feeling of something sinister lurked in the corners of her mind, and she couldn't shake the horrifying thought that her captors were drawing closer, ready to claim her fully, to drag her deeper into their world of shadows.

Somewhere beyond the darkness, in another room entirely, Graham stood watching. His back straight against the wall, eyes fixed on the glass pane that separated him from the girl who, unbeknownst to her, shared a bloodline with him. He was motionless, the chill of detachment settling over him like a cloak. Esme's muffled cries echoed faintly through the heavy glass, but he refused to let them break through his resolve. The sound—the sound of her fear—should have made his stomach churn, but instead it seemed to leave him cold, distant.

This was necessary. He had to push away the rising guilt, the flutter of humanity within him that threatened to unravel his control. This was for her own good, for the good of the life he had worked so hard to build with Regina. If Esme remained a part of their world, if she stayed anywhere near Regina, the truth would come to light—Esme was Regina's daughter, and Regina would learn everything. That would destroy everything Graham had fought for, and he could not allow that to happen. He could also not allow his father to lay his perverted eyes on the girl.