I crept into the library, placing a hand on the doorway to peer into the large spacious area. There was a specific smell that associated with a library that not even Aidan could cover up. I stared into the room before glancing to the left. The section that I had looked at the day before had disappeared seemingly overnight.

Why?

Didn't Aidan want to bring me as much misery as he could?

Furrowing my eyebrows in mild confusion, I searched the large space that was devoid of a bookshelf. All books about guns and weapons were gone -- and so my eyes panned over to the next section...the education section.

Steadily, I walked over to it, being cautious to not put too much weight on the leg that was still recovering.

Placing my finger up, I skimmed the spines of the old, hardcover books. Some had advanced mathematics books that I didn't both to pull out – I wouldn't have understood anything in those anyways. There was a Calculus book and then a book about differential equations.

My finger bumped into one book to another before it stopped on one that was slightly pulled out of the shelf. It had the title of 'Electro-Mechanical Systems & Devices'. I tapped my finger on the spine of the book once...it looked relatively new, there wasn't a speck of dust on it compared to some of the other books on the shelf I was at.

I titled my head to the side lightly as I pulled it out.

My eyes went from the title of the orange and black book, seeing pictures of devices that I had no idea on what they were. With an eyebrow raised, I took the book in my hands as I hobbled over to a nearby wooden table. Opening up the book, there was a soft crinkle as the hardcover part was slowly flipped over.

I tugged my fingers into a good wad of pages as I flipped to a random page. There were equations and diagrams that looked like Chinese to me. Some Greek letters I understood while others were completely new to me.

Staring at the page that I landed on for a few seconds, I bit my lower lip in thought.

There was an electrical locking mechanism as an example in the book. Narrowing my eyes, I placed my finger on top of the page, attempting to identify any keywords that would help me understand the locks. The one in this book...It looked almost identical to the handprint scanner lock that was on the door of the bedroom that Aidan and I shared.

I flipped another page in a hurried rush, nearly tearing the thin page in my haste. My eyes once more flickered from the top of the page down to another example. It showed the interlocking of the complex device, once more revealing diagrams and formulas that I didn't comprehend.

A headache started to form from confusion and annoyance that was steadily building up inside of me. Releasing a small huff, I closed the book and stepped away from the table. I ran a hand through my styled hair that I didn't have a say in. My fingers got caught in some of the waves and I tugged my fingers out roughly, causing some strands to fall out of my head.

I raised my head to see the bookcase that I had gotten that book from while shaking out my hand to allow the locks to fall to the ground from my hand.

There has to be something that I can understand in here...!

"Vienna!" Aidan's raised voice echoed down the hallway. My heart dropped into my stomach as I quickly turned back around. I could hear his heavy, malicious footsteps echoing from the hall. They were coming closer, and I could practically feel my pulse in the back of my throat from how fast my heart was pounding.

"Shit...!" I raised my hands up to my head for a second, lightly tugging at some of the strands that were in front of my shoulders. I spun back around, quickly grabbing the book, before shoving it in the bookcase that was closest to me.

I blinked my eyes, scooting away from the bookcase just as Aidan showed up with a small, gift wrapped box in his hands. He took a moment to stare at me, and I did my best to pretend that I hadn't been frazzled at his sudden appearance.

I didn't want Aidan to know what I was up to – he would do something to stop me from escaping and I seriously needed every advantage that I could get.

I took in a deep breath slowly...my heart was still pounding harshly in my chest.

"What are you doing in here?" Aidan asked, looking around the library, as though he had never entered the space before. He scanned from one book shelf to another. I did my best to not make any type of movement that would draw his attention to me. However, it was hopeless to wish that he wouldn't look at me.

His piercing eyes landed on me, while I tried to hide a flinch. He smiled slowly at me -- it was a calm smile, which was the complete opposite of what I was currently feeling.

I stared at him for a few seconds, knowing that I would have to answer. I hoped that I didn't stutter when I opened my mouth. Clearing my throat lightly I responded. "Reading," I spoke bluntly, answering his question. I tried to not breathe heavily as his eyes didn't move from me, but I knew that my face had paled from the fear of almost getting caught.

"Hm," Aidan responded, lightly shrugging. He took a few steps forward and I had to force myself to remain standing at where I was. I needed to pretend that I was innocent and wasn't scheming behind his back. He raised the box to his side while my eyes remained trained on his. He was close enough to do something to me – I needed to be on my guard.

"There's a part two to your Christmas gift."

I looked over at the gift box, not at all interested in the contents of the box. Already, the bracelet that I couldn't get off was becoming heavy on my wrist at the mere thought of another unwanted present. "I..." I trailed, swallowing lightly. "I don't want anything from you."

"That's not true," Aidan spoke, holding out the box for me to take. It was now being held in front of me. At seeing that I wasn't being as responsive as he would have liked, he decided to bait me. "I have something of yours that you still think you can get back..." He muttered, his eyes sparkling in dark amusement.

I slowly looked up at him and did my best to not glare at him.

My freedom – he was talking about having my freedom...that much was obvious.

At seeing that I wasn't making any movement to reach for it, he shook the box at me. It hardly made any noise in the box. Even though it didn't make any noise, that didn't ease the anxiety that was building up inside of me. There could be a body part in there for all that I knew. I swallowed, bringing my trembling hands out to take the box from him.

I didn't want anything from him.

"You weren't doing anything in here you weren't supposed to...?" He left his question hanging in the air. I kept quiet, and gripped the box tightly in my hands. He let go of the box as I stared down at the gift wrapped thing that I was holding now.

A couple of seconds passed.

I don't want to open this...!

"Open it," he urged, and I flinched at his pressing tone.

I tore open the box slowly. My eyes locked onto the box as I pulled open the thin cardboard pieces to reveal the present inside of it. There was tissue paper – blue tissue paper. I peeled back the tissue paper to see the color pink.

I dropped the box instantly, feeling breathless.

Pink – this is...

This was hers -- Bella's sweater.

No –

I was too late in escaping, she's gone --

No.

I wasn't with her-!

No...!

I should have been with her-!

I was breathing heavily, unable to think properly as I kept staring down at the box. My eyes began to tear up at the thought of her being gone. She couldn't leave me alone. She couldn't...not after everything that we went through...!

"Easy," Aidan gripped my upper arm with one of his hands. "Vienna..." He placed a hand on my face, forcing me to look at him. Until then, I was staring hard at the pink cheer sweater...it was Bella's favorite.

She couldn't be gone. She wouldn't die. Not Bells – not my sister. Isabella was still alive. She had to have been...there would be no other reason that she would discard it!!

"It's time to move on from this delusion of yours, don't you think?"

She would discard it...if she didn't want to be found easily.

Bella's sweater -- he gave me Bella's sweater.

He didn't find Bella's body – he didn't find her dead...

Bella was still alive...!

I breathed in deeply and then looked at him. I smiled triumphantly over at him, and he blinked his eyes once. He wasn't expecting that reaction from me. Then again, he didn't know my twin sister like I did...he didn't know a single thing about how we grew up or the stealth techniques that had been ingrained in our heads since childhood.

"She's still alive," I spoke snidely. "You didn't find her," I spoke out after a few seconds. I shook my head while he stroked his thumb on my cheek. It sent unwanted shivers down my spine, but I held them back. I had given Aidan too many signs of weakness for the day. "Why are you trying to make me give up so easily?"

Aidan chuckled mockingly, as though it were the easiest thing in the world to understand. "For your mental health."

"How is showing my sister's sweater good for my mental health?"

"Vienna," he spoke, breathing out the fake name. "She isn't your sister anymore. Your old life is gone..." He took a step back, crossing his arms. "Didn't I tell you that before?" He tilted his head with a light smirk resting on his face.

I couldn't help but glare this time at him.

He chuckled again. "Your question from before – if you assume she's dead..." He lightly shrugged his shoulders. He took a step back, turning around as he looked around the library. "You'll move on." I stayed silent. I clenched my hands tightly at my sides, my fingers digging into my palms, but not enough to pierce the skin.

"You really enjoy this library, don't you?" He mentioned off handedly before walking out. I didn't have anything else to say to a monster like him. When he did leave, I looked back down at my sister's sweater.

Quickly, I leaned down and took it in my hands. I felt the fabric in between my fingers, feeling a small sense of comfort from her. It was Isabella, but it was a piece of her. I let out a few deep breaths, fully calming down.

I will escape and see her again.

"Aiden said that you can't keep that," Dominic answered, walking into the room with a frown. I looked up at Dominic, who had recently entered the library.

"Please don't take this..." I pleaded softly, now on my knees in front of the man that I knew wouldn't listen to me. He worked for Aidan. He followed his orders. He wouldn't let me keep this if it was under Aidan's orders.

I clenched the fabric in my balled up hands.

"Please..."

"Vienna..." He placed a hand down in front of me to take it from me.

I stared at the hand. "No..." Dominic's hand reached for the sweater and I screamed. He yanked it away from my grip quickly since I wasn't stronger than him. "No!" I didn't care if Aidan could hear me from down the hallway. "Give that back!!" I yelled, but Dominic was already walking away with the article of clothing – the one piece of my sister that I could physically hold onto. "Dominic!" I screeched, slamming my hands on the ground in defeat.

He left without even looking back at me.

I placed my forehead on the cold ground and silently cried as I leaned my body to the front.

Aidan was proving that he was more and more inhuman with each passing day.

...

...

The maid finished styling my hair as I sat in the chair despondently.

My eyes looked down at the leg that was now wrapped up in bandages underneath the tights. It wouldn't be too much longer now. I was making some progress with studying circuits and electrical diagrams. Of course, the only thing I had to write with was a marker that I had to sneak away from the nightstand drawer on my side of the bed.

I also had limited paper so I had to make practice problems count when I could.

I glanced over at the door just as Aidan walked in wearing a dark blue shirt that went to his elbows and black pants. One side of his shirt was tucked into his pants while the other side fell over the side of them.

"Vienna," he addressed me. I clenched my hands tightly in my lap discreetly. "You look beautiful today as always," Aidan spoke, walking over to where I was. He leaned against the wall to gaze down at me while he crossed his arms. I stared silently at the mirror – every time that I would sit in this spot with the different clothes and styled hair...I would never recognize myself.

"How is your leg?"

I swallowed, and slowly drifted my eyes towards him. It was a question – I was supposed to answer those. He was watching me intently, waiting for the moment that I didn't answer him back. If I didn't respond then he would coax an answer out of me...

He would touch me and I didn't want his vile hand anywhere on my skin.

It was just an excuse for him to touch me, but he didn't need an excuse. He could touch me at any second – hold me tightly to his chest. I wouldn't be able to fight him off because he was stronger than I was. I could even tell that much by just how his muscles were outlined in the tight fitting shirt of his.

Just as he was about to twitch to start moving I let out a shaky breath.

I didn't have any more time to idle with my reply, and both of us knew it.

"Fine."

Adrian rose an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

He stood up straight and made his way to behind the chair that I was sitting on. I quickly stood up and backed away until my back hit the wall. I didn't want another repeat of being trapped from when he did that same action a week ago at breakfast.

We stared at each other for a short time before he grinned.

"Still healing, then..." He trailed, and it took me a moment to realize what he was talking about. I looked down to find that I was favoring my strong leg as I stood. He gripped the chair that I was sitting on previously with his hands. I heard the creaking of the wooden chair underneath his strength. "It won't be too much longer," he stated, and I wondered how he knew.

There was a creeping suspicion that he had broken other people's legs before.

So long as he stayed away from my other leg long enough for me to fully understand the electrical books I was reading, then I wouldn't have a hard time at all finally escaping from him. I was about a month and a half behind from catching up with my sister.

My eyes betrayed my thoughts as it rested on the hand scanner that was located to the left side of the door. Basic lock picking wouldn't work on something like that – not when he had those hand scanners placed around the areas he didn't want me getting into.

Or out of...

I blanched suddenly as I realized that he would see through my plan if I didn't divert my eyes away from the hand scanner. I didn't know how much he already knew, but anything I could keep secret from him would hopefully give me an advantage.

Raising my eyes, I looked back at his controlling blue ones.

A small, gentle smile was on his face. I could tell that he was looking at me the entire time I was lost in my thoughts. I tried to appear not startled – calm and collected was never my forte. I held my own hand as I tried to not shake under his gaze. "Aidan..." I trailed, and the corner of his mouth perked up at his name coming from my mouth.

It made me sick.

It's been increasingly difficult to practice my amateur hacking with nothing but the textbook. I would only have my technical knowledge when I implemented my plan, but it was better than nothing.

My leg was much better now – I was just scared of putting too much weight on it.

I needed to leave soon, and now was a good time. He thought that I was still healing and I'll use that to my advantage. He couldn't actually confirm anything, at least until the surgeon came to the mansion tomorrow.

That meant that I needed to act now.

"I think that you've had enough leisure time in the library for now," I stopped breathing at that.

What?

"I only see you when we sleep together. I've allowed you some space after your episode, but now you will be returning to my side." He stood up straight and I struggled to breathe again. Aidan took a step towards me, and I quickly tried to run to the bathroom on the other side of the room. It didn't have a lock on it, but I could try and barricade myself in the room to keep him away from me.

I barely made it three steps before he ensnared my body with the tight grip of his arms. He lifted me up his arms now around my midsection and I let out a cry of misery. "N-No!" I tried to move my arms, but they were trapped underneath his. "You said I could explore!" I shook my head back and forth, hoping that I would head butt him in the face. He must have strained his neck away from mine to prevent himself from getting hit. "You told me that!"

"Now I'm saying that you can't," Aidan whispered into my ear.

I kicked my legs out underneath me and then quickly stopped. My condition is the only thing that I still have an advantage with. I needed to leave tonight – it was the only opportunity that I had.

Especially now that he's blocked me off from the library.

"You can watch me work," he settled me back on the ground after seeing that I had stopped struggling. His hand slithered into mine and then gripped it tightly, causing me to let out a wince. I immediately tried to pry his fingers from mine.

He tugged me over to the door and raised his free hand to the scanner. I took in the details of it to see that it wasn't that advanced – the examples in the book detailed a more complex system.

The door opened, but I looked longingly over at the scanner for a few more seconds. There was a small panel that could be lifted up. That must have been where the wires and connectors were. I couldn't see much more as I was pulled out of the room.

Instead of going to the left where the stairs were, we took a right, causing me to become confused. I blinked my eyes a few times and swallowed nervously at where he was taking me. "W-Where are we going?"

I hated myself for the stutter.

He chuckled, only causing a wave of embarrassment to wash over me.

"There's more to the mansion than the downstairs, Vienna."

We approached the end of the hallway to reveal a large wooden door. To the right of the door there was another identical scanner, and it quickly opened when he once more placed his hand on the screen. It revealed a large, spacious office. An elegant wooden desk was in the middle of the room towards the back. Large bay windows allowed the light to come through.

I blinked in surprise – I had thought that his work involved torture. Then again, when he was on the phone that one day, he did say something about paperwork. There was also that other time when he left me alone after the surgery to do more paperwork.

There was a gentle nudge,