Chapter 16
AVERY’S POV:
林会51%公
The fluorescent light overhead buzzed faintly as I sat on the edge of the stiff, beige cot, clutching the scratchy blanket draped over my lap. My skin felt cold despite the room being slightly stuffy. The noise outside reminded me I wasn’t alone. Yet, somehow, I had never felt lonelier.
The door creaked open, and a detective stepped in. He looked so bored and skeptical, like he would rather be having a drink with the boys than dealing with me. He carried a leather notebook in one hand, and his badge clipped to his belt.
The man–Detective Harrington, as he had introduced himself–had already questioned me for hours, his patience wearing thin with each answer I gave. Initially, he was fully engaged as I began my statement. However, his attention waned the moment I started describing Axel’s physical appearance. It was as if he thought I was referring to someone else entirely, perhaps a person with a similar name only to realize it was the same person everyone knew- that I’d gotten to know too.
“Let’s go over this again,” he said. He pulled a chair up and sank into it, the metal legs scraping loudly against the floor. “You’re telling me Axel Blackwood, the Axel Blackwood, the man who practically owns half the country–bought you? Like you’re a commodity from some catalog?”
“Yes,” I replied, my voice hoarse from exhaustion.
His eyebrows rose slightly, skepticism etched in every line of his face. “Right. And this same Axel Blackwood is–what? A trillionaire? A humanitarian? CEO of MedixGen? Oh, and let’s not forget, a secret murderer with a penchant for buying women.”
I flinched at his words, each one a jab to my already fragile state. “I’m not making this up,” I said quietly, gripping the blanket tighter.
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Mrs. Grayson, do you understand what you’re saying? You’re accusing one of the most powerful, respected men in the world of not just kidnapping but outright purchasing you. Do you know how insane that sounds?”
Insane. Yes, that was the word. I felt insane, like the world I had stumbled into couldn’t possibly be real. I thought back to the fortress I had been dragged to, Axel’s cold eyes piercing through me, his words scaring me. The memory of him killing that man flashed vividly into my mind. My stomach churned, bile rising in my throat.
“I saw him kill someone,” I muttered. “I was there. I saw it with my own eyes.”
”
Detective Harrington leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “And yet, here you are, alive and well. If Axel Blackwood is as dangerous as you say, why didn’t he kill you too?”
“Because I escaped before he could do that.”
“Oh, right.”
“I’m telling the truth,” I whispered.
He exhaled heavily, scribbling something in his notebook. “Mrs. Grayson, I think you need a therapist, Whatever you went through in prison-”
“I’m not crazy,” I snapped, my voice louder than I intended.
He paused, his pen hovering over the page.
“I know what I saw,” I continued. “That man is not who you think he is. You’re all so blinded by his money, his power, that you refuse to see the monster beneath.”
bolding a sketchpad They’d ask
The door opened again, and another officer stepped in, holding a sketchpad. They’d asked me to describe his physical features so they could sketch it out and make sure it matched the Axel Blackwood everyone knew. Because as far they were concerned, there was no way they were the same people.
The officer handed the sketchpad to Detective Harrington, who flipped through the pa
pages. When he reached the sketch of Axel, he froze.
“Well,” he said after a long pause, holding up the drawing. “If nothing else, he’s got a hell of a jawline.
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Chapter 16
Laughter erupted from the officers standing behind him. One of them, a younger guy with a buzz cut, leaned in to get a closer look. “Man, with a face like that, who needs to buy anyone? Women probably camp outside his front door.”
My hands balled into fists. “Is this some kind of joke to you?” My voice cracked, but I didn’t care. “Do you think this is funny? I’m sitting here injured, barely holding it together, and all you can focus on is how attractive my captor is?”
The room went silent, the humor evaporating. Detective Harrington closed the sketchpad and leaned forward with no emotions in his expression.
“Look,” he said, his tone gentler now. “I’m not saying you’re lying. I’m just saying… this is hard to believe. Axel Blackwood is a public figure. He’s one of the most celebrated men in the world. Do you even understand who you’re talking about? MedixGen’s cancer drug has saved thousands of lives. People worship this man–he’s practically untouchable.”
“A saint?” I laughed. “Do saints live in fortresses with private armies? Do saints kill men without blinking?”
He studied me for a moment, his eyes searching mine for any sign of deception. “You’re sure it was him?”
“I’ll never forget his face,” I firmly replied.
Detective Harrington nodded slowly, closing his notebook. “Alright. We’ll look into it. But I need you to understand something, Mrs. Grayson. If you’re wrong about this–if you’re lying–it won’t end well for you.”
“What reason would I have to lie?” I questioned, trying hard to keep my voice steady despite the tears threatening to spill over.
Axel’s impeccable image wasn’t just a shield; it was a weapon. A mask so perfectly crafted that no one dared to question what lay beneath. But I’d seen it. And I’d never stop seeing it.
He stood, tucking the notebook under his arm. “Get some rest. We’ll be back to follow up.”
As he exited the room, Isank back against the cot, the fluorescent light above buzzed in discordant harmony. This was the price of being powerless: a life reduced to whispers, erased by men who decided whose voices mattered. No money, no influence, no chance of being believed.
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