Chapter 44

After Charles left the villa, Stella put her escape plan into action. She fought through the discomfort in her body, pacing the room over and over. After days of watching closely, she realized the guards would slack off between 3 to 4 a.m.—some even dozed off. That was her golden window. She had to make her move then. One night, when everything aligned, she carefully climbed out the window, holding her breath with every creak. Crouching low, she tiptoed toward the wall. Just like she expected, the guards looked half-asleep, barely paying attention. She made it to the wall, looked up at its daunting height, clenched her teeth, and began climbing. With everything she had, she finally got to the top. But just as she was about to jump down, her foot slipped. "Agh!" A low cry of pain escaped her lips as her leg hit the ground hard. The sharp, searing pain nearly knocked her out. Still, she didn't quit. Clenching her teeth, she limped along, barely holding it together. Her face had gone pale