Liviana
The afternoon sun bled gold into the courtyard, casting long streaks of light across the manicured garden.
Liviana adjusted the tray in her hands, its weight pressing into her forearms as she followed Daphne toward the gate.
The scent of baked bread and lemon herbs drifted faintly from the kitchen, but it did nothing to settle the gnawing unease in her chest.
They were taking food to the gate guards again.
A simple chore.
One she'd done dozens of times.
But today, everything felt different.
Sharper.
Charged.
Daphne glanced back at her. "Come on now, don't dawdle. You offered to help, remember?"
Liviana nodded silently, shifting the tray and forcing her steps steady.
Her limbs ached from a night of poor sleep, and tension coiled beneath her skin like a wire pulled tight.
They reached the side door of the estate and Daphne took the tray from her, two maids were already loading supplies into the back of a long, dark sedan. The car was a sleek vehicle used mostly for errands into town, rare trips that only a select few were allowed to make. Liviana's breath caught as her eyes tracked the open boot.
This was her moment. The one she'd been preparing for, waiting for, counting down to.
Daphne was already halfway to the guards' post, the two trays balanced expertly in her arms. The other girls had gone ahead to tend the chickens. Liviana was alone, in the shadow of the vehicle, with no one watching.
She ducked her head and whispered, "Now or never."
Swift as a cat, she turned and padded silently to the boot of the car. It was filled with crates, vegetable bags, soap, and sacks for flour. She squeezed between them, curling into the tightest ball she could manage.
The rough edges bit into her side, and she winced, swallowing the sound.
Her chest rose and fell in shallow, controlled breaths.
She pulled a burlap cloth over herself and went still.
Minutes ticked by like hours.
She heard footsteps, heels on gravel, muffled voices.
The driver speaking to Daphne.
A man grumbling about traffic.
The trunk slammed shut, plunging her into darkness.
Then the car rolled forward.
Liviana didn't dare move.
Her heart hammered so violently she feared the vibrations would echo through the crates.
The air was stale, warm, laced with the scent of onions and cardboard.
Every jolt of the vehicle sent her body thudding against something hard.
But she didn't care.
She didn't even flinch.
She was out.
Hours passed.
Or maybe it was less.
Time had lost all meaning in that tiny, suffocating space.
Her limbs grew numb, her skin damp with sweat, but she didn't shift.
The car finally slowed. She heard voices, female laughter, bags rustling.
The trunk opened again.
Liviana froze.
One of the maids reached in, grabbed a crate, and yanked it out.
Another reached for a bag.
A gap opened between the items, and cool air swept in.
Liviana bit her lip, willing them not to look too closely.
Then one of them said, "We forgot the list!"
Footsteps hurried away.
Liviana didn't wait.
She peeled back the burlap, slipped her fingers into a seam, and pushed herself up.
Her legs screamed as she unfolded her body.
She scanned the surroundings.
A narrow alley beside a market.
Trash bins.
A fence.
She didn't think.
She launched herself out of the boot and landed hard on her knees.
She staggered upright and limped into the alley, ducking behind the bins.
Her breath came in gasps, chest heaving.
A minute later, the maids returned.
She heard their chatter, the sound of groceries being shifted, the trunk slammed again.
But Liviana was gone.
She crept through the alley, moving from shadow to shadow.
Her legs ached, her feet stung, but adrenaline pushed her on.
Every turn, every corner was a risk.
She didn't know this part of the city.
She had no money, no ID, not even a jacket.
She's lucky that it's summer or she would be freezing to death by now.
But she had freedom.
She moved through narrow streets until she found herself near a cluster of buildings with cracked windows and graffiti-covered walls. The air was thick with exhaust fumes and street food.
She ducked into a narrow walkway and slumped behind a dumpster. Her body gave out.
She didn't cry.
She couldn't.
Instead, she stared at the sky through the gaps between buildings, blue and endless above her, and whispered to herself:
"You made it out."
But even as relief threatened to collapse her, a new fear crept in.
Now what?
Hours later, night settled over the city like a velvet curtain.
Liviana remained hidden in the alley, her back pressed to the damp wall, her knees tucked under her chin.
Her stomach growled, but she didn't move.
She couldn't risk it yet.
Not until she was sure.
She thought of Daphne, how the older woman had always looked out for her.
How she must've noticed Liviana's absence by now.
Would she cover for her? Pretend she didn't know?
She hoped so.
She needed time.
Just a little more.
The sound of footsteps startled her.
A group of teenagers passed, laughing, oblivious.
A couple walked by arm-in-arm.
Music from a nearby bar throbbed through the ground.
She looked down at herself, dirt-smeared dress, scratches on her arms, her hair tangled. She looked like a ghost.
But she was free.
That had to count for something.
Somewhere across the city, Dario would be discovering her absence.
Panic would ripple through the estate.
And she knew him.
Knew the rage that boiled behind his cold smile.
He would come looking.
But she wasn't the girl she'd been weeks ago.
She had made a choice.
Now she had to survive it.
She stood slowly, wiping her hands on her skirt.
And then, one step at a time, Liviana walked deeper into the city, toward whatever came next.