Locked in Shadows
Bella's POV
I wandered through the house, searching every room for Sam, but he was nowhere to be found. The silence was heavy, broken only by the faint ticking of the grandfather clock in the hallway. He was probably in his library, as usual, buried in his mysterious world.
A sudden realization struck me that this was my chance. With Sam nowhere around, I could finally step out without his looming presence or interference.
I hurried to the main door, but as I reached for the handle, it didn't budge. I pulled harder. Still locked. I tried again, rattling the door, frustration bubbling inside me. My eyes flicked to the CCTV camera perched above the door frame, its tiny red light blinking mockingly.
As I turned to head back inside, Jacob appeared in the hallway, his face a mask of polite indifference.
"I apologize for the inconvenience, ma'am," he said, his tone carefully neutral. "It's just… orders."
