Scarlett (Second Edition) by Karima Saad Usman novel Chapter 51

9:56 am GPP

Scarlett

Chapter 51

Chapter 40: Commotion Part I

Scarlett’s POV

There was a sudden noise in the hallway, loud and frantic, like a swarm of people in a rush. I could hear their footsteps thundering down the corridor, and it sent a jolt through me. I sat up quickly, heart pounding, realizing all at once that we were under attack.

It was so sudden, like a nightmare breaking into reality, and I was frozen, not knowing what to do. My mates hadn’t come back yet–why hadn’t they? Worry and fear clawed at me, tightening around my chest, and I couldn’t breathe. Then I heard someone at my door, trying to get in, rattling the handle.

When the lock didn’t budge, they didn’t hesitate–they broke it, and the door burst open. In the doorway stood a man, towering and fierce, at least six foot six, with a body that seemed made for violence. I swallowed hard, feeling terror churn in my stomach, because his brown eyes were locked on me, filled with something dark and merciless. I felt as small as a child in that moment, completely helpless. Fighting back wasn’t in me–I wasn’t made for that, and now there was nowhere to run.

“Come here!” he bellowed, his voice booming, filling the room with an undeniable threat. My whole body trembled as his words echoed in my mind, full of anger and cruelty. What was happening? Why was he here?

Then, something exploded nearby–a deep, resounding boom, like a bomb. The walls seemed to shake, and I couldn’t stop trembling. My fear must have frustrated him, because he stormed toward me, grabbed me by the hair, and yanked. Pain shot through my scalp as he dragged me, each step ripping strands from their roots. The agony was so sharp I thought I might pass out.

“Please!” I choked out, barely able to speak through the pain, tears blurring my vision. The hurt was blinding, raw, and unending, as if every nerve in my head was on fire.

“Is this the one?” he growled, glancing over his shoulder at someone else. I looked, and saw a familiar face–a staff member I’d seen many times. They had a gun pointed at her head, and with terror in her eyes, she nodded quickly.

“Time to pay for daddy’s sins, Vladislav,” he said, his voice dripping with satisfaction, and the weight of his words crushed me. The truth crashed over me like a tidal wave. They were here for me. They had attacked Redcape, all of it, just to find me. And suddenly, it made sense–the reason David had sold me to the North, the reason I was here, alone and vulnerable.

“Please,” I whispered, the words barely leaving my lips, but he didn’t care. He snapped silver shackles around my wrists, cold and unyielding, and dragged me forward by the chain. The metal cut into my skin, heavy and biting. Again, I was being treated like a prisoner, like a slave with no say, no hope. How many times would I be forced into chains like this, taken by people who didn’t care about my cries or my life?

My father was gone, long dead and probably reborn somewhere far from here. But he had left me to carry the weight of his sins, as if his wrongdoings were mine. Why did he have to die and leave me to pay for what he’d done? I felt anger surge within me, mingling with the fear. I wished I had someone–a brother, a relative, anyone—to protect me. But I was alone, without anyone to shield me. Even my mates had despised me until recently, only showing me glimpses of warmth after so long. I felt cursed, like fate had marked me for nothing but suffering.

So, as he dragged me, I began to pray. I whispered to myself, asking for mercy, hoping that something, anything, might save me. But as I prayed, I felt my breath catch, as though the very air around me was pressing down, suffocating me.

They dragged me outside, and I saw the devastation that had fallen upon the settlement. Smoke filled the air, and buildings stood broken and burned, windows shattered, belongings strewn everywhere.

My heart twisted as I looked around, searching for any sign of life. When my gaze found Martha’s shop, relief washed over me; her little store was still standing, untouched by the flames. But then I saw her, crumpled on her knees outside, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed, and the sight crushed me. She

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Chapter 51

loakeri so small and helpless, just like so many others around her–all of them forced to their knees, defeated and powerless.

“Guess what I found?” the man dragging me sneered, calling out to someone in the distance. His voice rang out, arrogant and full of pride, as if I were some prize he’d stumbled upon.

“What is it, Marvin?” another man replied, his tone bored and uninterested.

Marvin looked over his shoulder with a twisted grin. “I found the last of the Vladislav bloodline,” he said, and there was a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. The other man, who had been barely paying attention, suddenly froze. His face shifted from disinterest to disbelief.

“No way!” he muttered, his eyes widening as he looked at me, taking in my face with a mixture of shock and greed. Marvin tightened his grip on my arm and yanked me forward, forcing me to stumble along behind him.

“Yep,” Marvin continued, pride swelling in his voice. “The staff at the packhouse practically begged me to take her off their hands. Promised to hand her over if I spared them.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. They hadn’t attacked the settlement just for me. The destruction and violence had been for another reason, something bigger. And the packhouse staff–they’d handed me over, given me up without a second thought, just to save themselves. Any sympathy I had left for them crumbled in that moment, replaced by a fierce, bitter anger. I almost wished these attackers had torn the packhouse apart.

“How do you know she’s really the one?” Marvin’s colleague asked, his skepticism evident. He glanced at me, dismissive, as if I were just a broken thing he had no time to care about.

“They identified her,” Marvin insisted, his voice growing irritated, as if the other man’s doubt insulted him somehow.

But the man shook his head. “Still not convinced. Stick to the mission and stop wasting time,” he said sharply. His eyes narrowed, cold and unfeeling. He

didn’t care about me, Vladislav bloodline or not.

Marvin let out a low growl, defiance sparking in his eyes. “She’d be worth a fortune in the slave market. Someone out there would pay handsomely for her.”

The other man scoffed, unimpressed. “If she were the real deal, maybe. But look at her–she’s wolfless, powerless. There’s no way she’s a Vladislav.” His

words sliced through the air, and a tiny, fragile hope blossomed in my chest. He doubted me. This was my chance.

I could feel Marvin’s eyes boring into me, his patience wearing thin. “Tell him,” he demanded, his grip on my arm tightening painfully. I forced myself to

look up, letting the tears fall freely, hoping they’d make me look even weaker.

Comments

Michele Gremillion

Hopefully she’s a good actress

7 days ago

✔ 8

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