Chapter 159 A Change of Heart


    After dinner and my brief conversation with my father, I decided to go back to my room for the


    remainder of the night where I could n out my escape in peace. I spent some time pacing back and


    forth in my dark room, wondering how I could get out of this mansion and find someone who could


    open a portal for me.


    I wasn’t in my room for long, however, when I heard a knock on the door. Someone tried the handle


    before I could even answer, but it was locked. Then, suddenly, I heard a key slide into the door. The


    door came unlocked and opened, revealing Selena standing there.


    She was still in her red dress with her hair perfectly styled. Without a word, she stormed across the


    room and shoved me down on the bed, taking me by surprise, then lifted her skirt and climbed on top of


    me. I hardly had any time to even react before she began kissing me roughly.


    “You’re so hot when you stand up to my daddy like that,” she moaned, kissing my ear and my neck. “I


    love a man who has so much self confidence.”


    Gulping, I gently pushed Selena off of me and wriggled away from her, causing her to frown.


    “What’s wrong?” she asked, pushing her lower lip out in a pout. “You’re not seriously still thinking about


    her, are you?”


    Truthfully, of course I was only thinking about Nina… But I shook my head and sat up, taking Selena’s


    hand in mine. “Of course not,” I lied. “I promised I would love you… I’m just not ready quite yet to take


    things further.”


    Selena was silent for a moment, glowering at me. “You’re saving yourself until marriage?” she asked.


    I nodded. “Yes.” Another lie.


    Thankfully, my lie seemed to satisfy her. She stood and smoothed down her skirt, shing me a coy


    smile. “That’ll only make it more exciting, I suppose,” she said in a sing-song voice. “I suppose the


    wedding is only just a few days away. I can wait.”


    A few days? I had thought that the wedding would still fall on New Year’s Eve, just like my father told


    me… Why was it so rushed now?


    Before I could get any words out, Selena quickly spun around and sauntered over to the door. “Well…


    I’ll be going to bed, I suppose,” she said. “My room is just down the hall. I’ll leave the door unlocked,


    just in case you change your mind…” She brought her hand to her lips and blew me a kiss, then bit her


    lower lip before sauntering out of my room.


    Finally, I was alone again.


    The wedding couldn’t seriously be in just two days… That would mean that I had to get out of here


    now. There wasn’t enough time to sit here and puzzle over what to do.


    I sat in my room, waiting for a little while in case Selena came back, before I silently creeped over to


    the door and poked my head out. The hallway was dark and quiet, and I was able to slip out unseen.


    As I walked briskly and quietly down the hallway, I didn’t have a specific n in mind; I only knew that I


    would get out, run as far and as fast as I could, and eventually I was bound to find someone who could


    open a portal for me. Maybe I could even find Luke and we could go home together. I was confident


    that he was still alive, somehow, and decided that I would head back in the direction where Ist saw


    him. Hopefully, he would still be around there… Without Edward, of course.


    I came to a set of winding stairs and quietly made my way down, taking care not to let my shoes click


    on the marble floor as I stayed on my toes. When I got a little ways away from the mansion, I would


    shift so I could run faster. But for now, I couldn’t shift until I was certain no one would see me. If anyone


    saw me shifting, it would certainly raise the rms and I would probably wind up being caught again


    before I could make it very far.


    When I came down to the bottom of the steps, I looked both ways down the dark corridors before


    choosing to go left. This ce really was like a maze, and it was entirely unfamiliar to me; I could only


    hope that I was going in the right direction.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Suddenly, a guard rounded a corner and started toe my way. I quickly darted into a small alcove


    behind a nt, holding my breath…


    But someone pped their hand over my mouth.


    I started to panic.


    “Shh…” It was my father. My eyes widened in surprise; why was he here? Was he trying to help me


    hide, or was he trying to stop me from escaping? Either way, we both stayed silent as the guard


    approached. Thankfully, the guard turned down another hallway before crossing our path and we both


    let out a sigh of relief. My father released his grip on me and I stumbled away from him, narrowing my


    eyes.


    “What are you—”


    “This way,” my father interrupted, gesturing for me to follow. I watched as he briskly walked down the


    hallway, then decided to take my chances and follow him.


    Did he have a change of heart for some reason?


    My father walked over to a doorway and looked over his shoulders before silently pushing the door


    open, then stepped inside. I followed. The room was just a small storage room, hardly big enough for


    the two of us.


    “What are you doing?” I whispered once my father closed the door behind us. He reached up then and


    pulled on a string to turn on the light; once I could see better, I could tell now that his eyes were red, as


    though he’d been crying.


    “Enzo, what you said earlier really struck me,” he said quietly, grabbing me firmly by both shoulders as


    he looked deeply into my eyes. “I’m sorry. For all of this.”


    I was taken aback by my father’s sudden change of heart and didn’t know what to say. Before I could


    even say anything, however, he spoke again.


    “I’m going to help you get out.”


    My eyes widened. “Dad… What about the arranged marriage?”


    He only shook his head. “I realize now that I saw Selena; she looks so simr to Nina. I’m certain now


    that Nina is the lost princess, so I’ll tell the Alpha King. He’ll be thrilled to have his second daughter


    back, and I’m certain that he won’t go back on our agreement if you want to marry Nina instead.”


    I was still shocked. “Dad, I— I don’t know what to say,” I muttered. “Thank you.”


    My father paused, staring down at the ground. Then, without a word, he reached out with one hand and


    moved his index finger and his middle finger together in a circr motion. A portal swirled to life in front


    of us.


    Once it was open, my father pulled me into a tight hug, which took me by surprise. “Save


    Mountainview, Enzo,” he said. “Save Nina. It’s what your mother would want.”


    Then, suddenly, the doorknob turned and the door flung open. There stood Selena, dressed in her silk


    robe with wide, disbelieving eyes. Without a word, my father shoved me as hard as he could through


    the portal, and it began to close.


    Thest thing I saw was Selena grabbing my father and holding a knife to his throat from behind, her


    eyes red with fury as she stared into the portal