And in that moment, it truly felt like the world had buried her alive.
Chapter 5
When Allison was five, she was kidnapped and locked inside a pitch–black storage crate for three days and nights.
No windows. No air. No sound–just darkness and silence that nearly drove her insane.
By the time police found her, she was barely clinging to life. Diagnosed with the dark, and even of falling asleep.
Vere PTSD, she developed a deep fear of being alone, of
Her parents dropped everything for five years just to get her through therapy. Slowly, she got better.
But now–all of it was coming back
The cold, suffocating darkness of the basement wrapped around her like a giant invisible hand, tightening, choking, pressing against, her lungs.
“Let me out!” she screamed, pounding on the metal door with everything she had. “Alexander, please–I’m scared!”
Her voice cracked. “Please, I’ll die down here!”
She clawed at the door until her nails tore. Blood smeared across the steel in angry red streaks.
Her chest tightened, every breath a struggle as pain throbbed through her skull. Desperate for relief, she started banging her head. against the door.
One hit. Then another. And another–until the world tilted and finally went black
The next morning, Alexander arrived at the launch event with Sarah on his arm, both dressed to impress.
The Infinity algorithm was now officially on the market, ready for high–stakes bidding.
Sarah, introduced as the program’s lead developer, stood proudly in front of flashing cameras, holding Allison’s research journal in her manicured hands. With Alexander right beside her, she smoothly fielded questions from reporters and industry insiders,
She had gone from a nobody to the overnight darling of the clean energy world.
After the conference, Alekander threw her a lavish celebration.
“This moment is so special,” Sarah cooed, twirling a champagne flute in her hand. “Shouldn’t Miss Winters be here to witness it all?” She couldn’t wait to gloat.
Alexander looked at her with dating eyes. “You’re right
He personally drove back to the estate to fetch Allison.
He needed her to see it–to understand that everything was already decided.
No more games,
The moment he opened the basement door, the stench of blood hit him in the face. He recolled, frowning deeply.
In the far corner, Allison was curled up on the cold floor, her head buried in her arms, shivering.
She flinched at the sudden light, then slowly looked up–her face caked in blood and dirt.
Ali…” Alexander’s heart skipped a beat. He hadn’t expected this..
Hadn’t expected… her like this.
Shestaggered toward him, threw herself into his arms, and whispered in a trembling voice, “I don’t want Infinity anymore. Just let me out. Please… I don’t care about anything else. I’m scared.”
He stiffened but stayed silent, simply scooping her up and walking out of the basement.
Sarah called him while he was laying Allison down upstairs.
“Where are you? Everyone’s waiting.”
He looked at Allison–bruised, pale, still trembling–and hesitated, but only for a second.
Then he answered, “I’m on my
on my way.
He ordered the staff to clean her up.
They dressed her in a pristine Ivory gown, used makeup to cover the bruises on her forehead, and did her hair like she hadn’t just spent the night locked underground.
Allison didn’t resist.
She didn’t move at all–just followed orders like a doll.
But just as they were about to leave, she paused at the doorway.
“Can you sign over the Winters Group shares now?” she asked, her voice low, almost shy. “If not… It’s fine. Just please don’t ever lock me in that place again.”
Her whole body trembled. The words slipped out like muscle memory–conditioned by fear.
Alexander narrowed his eyes, but surprisingly, he didn’t say no–Instead, he instructed his legal team to start drafting the documents.
While they waited, he glanced around the living room and frowned.
“It’s emptier than I remember. Did you throw things out?”
Allison gave a small nod. “Yeah.”
The silence that followed felt strangely heavy.
He looked like he wanted to say something–but didn’t
The legal documents arrived moments later.
They both signed.
The transfer became effective immediately.
Allison finally let out a breath
The celebration was in full swing
The ballroom shimmered under crystal chandeliers. Laughter and champagne flowed freely, and the crowd buzzed with admiration for Sarah Mayfield.
To everyone there, she was now the rising star of the clean energy world
She didn’t stop smiling all night.
When Alexander and Allison entered, Sarah practically skipped over in her heels.
“Miss Winters,” she chirped, voice saccharine–sweet, “you’re here to congratulate me, I assume?”
She leaned in, pulling Allison Into a faux hug. Then she whispered into her ear, her tone venomous and triumphant-
‘Look around. Everything that once was yours, it’s mine now. You were never competition.
Ask Al
25.00%
Allison stood frozen, her voice soft and hollow as she said, “Congratulations. You won.”
“Does this mean you’ll finally get that wedding you’ve been dreaming of?”
