Chapter 7: Shades of Gray

Isabella's POV

I finally understood what Ethan had meant: the world isn't black and white—there are always shades of gray.

The officer flipped through the report, narrowing his eyes at me. "Miss Monroe, what exactly happened here?" His tone was filled with suspicion.

In that moment, anything I said felt hollow and futile.

I had never imagined Ethan would have such a meticulously calculated backup plan. Looking into his cold, dangerous eyes, I knew every word I spoke next would impact my safety.

Continuing with my complaint wouldn't hurt Ethan—it would only further trap me and invite more severe retaliation.

"I'm sorry, officer," I said softly, fighting the tremor in my voice. "It was a misunderstanding. We went driving in the mountains, I got lost, and I thought he had abandoned me."

The officers exchanged frustrated glances before reluctantly closing their notepads. After briefly reprimanding me for wasting police resources, they left.

As soon as they were gone, Ethan set down his coffee cup and approached me again. He lifted my chin with his fingers until we were just inches apart, his warm breath brushing against my pale skin.

"Poor little thing," he sneered, his fingers squeezing my chin slightly. "Don't play games with me. A naive little girl like you? I could crush you without blinking an eye."

"You filed a false report," I forced out each word.

Ethan's lips curved into a cold smile, his voice eerily calm. "Those mountains stretch for miles. Without exact coordinates, even if every cop in the city were dispatched to search, they wouldn't find you."

I bit my lip and said nothing more.

It had taken every ounce of courage to call the police, and it had amounted to nothing. My attempts to fight back had been completely ineffective. The thought was driving me insane—he would torture me until I lost my mind, or worse, until he pushed me to my death.

No matter how panicked I felt inside, I couldn't show weakness in front of this man. Vulnerability would only fuel his desire to hurt me.

"How was your little adventure?" he asked with a sinister smile, his voice soft.

Suppressing my inner turmoil, I calmly replied: "The evening breeze was refreshing. The fireflies were romantic, and the stars were beautiful—just like back home in Georgia. I even got to see the sunset and sunrise. Breathtaking."

Ethan's expression darkened with unexpected surprise.

I scratched at the mosquito bites on my arm that concealed other marks and complained quietly, "Just too many mosquitoes."

Just then, my mother and Grandma Nora burst in, their faces flushed with anger.

"Bella..." Mom called anxiously, her heart in her throat.

Grandma Nora began shouting the moment she entered: "You little devil! Are you trying to give me a heart attack? Where did you drag Isabella off to?" She clenched her fist and rushed toward Ethan.

As her frail fist moved toward him, I quickly caught her hand and said soothingly, "Grandma, please don't hit Ethan."

"He just took me to see the stars," I added, though my heart felt like it was full of razor blades.

Ethan's brow furrowed, a flash of confusion in his eyes, as if he hadn't expected me to say that.

"You kicked down her door and took her away right in front of me! I should—" Grandma continued.

I forced a smile. "Grandma, Ethan just wanted to show me the sunset and sunrise."

Ethan's expression became even more confused. He narrowed his eyes, as if trying to figure out what game I was playing.

Mom looked worriedly at my disheveled appearance, knowing I wasn't telling the truth.

Grandma Nora's anger subsided, replaced by confusion. "He really only took you to see the sunrise?"

I nodded earnestly.

She examined me carefully but didn't notice my injured foot. "Then why did he come back hours before you did?"

I lifted my arm. "Too many mosquitoes. Ethan didn't want to stay, so he came back early."

My responses completely threw Ethan off balance.

"But the police just came—" Mom began.

"Mom, I'm fine," I quickly interrupted. "I'm standing right here in front of you, aren't I?"

Mom seemed to understand something unspoken and said nothing more.

Olivia, who had been watching from the sidelines, spoke up, her voice filled with venom: "Ethan, Isabella is playing the gentle victim. Don't let her fool you—make sure she learns her lesson."

Ethan's face darkened. "Olivia, maintain your lady-like image."

Anger flashed across Olivia's face, and she looked at me with pure hatred.

"Mom, Grandma, I want to go rest now." I no longer wanted to stay there. After saying goodbye to them, I turned to Ethan with a bright smile. "Ethan, the sunset and sunrise were truly beautiful. Thank you."

Even the police couldn't help me. Expecting my mother and Grandma Nora to protect me was naive.

I needed to learn self-preservation and avoid provoking him further.

I limped away, each step painful.

Mom knew things weren't as I described, but she was powerless against Ethan. Pursuing the matter would be pointless.

She left with Grandma Nora.

My unexpected reaction had disrupted Ethan's composure.

That night, I stayed alone in my room. Mom brought medicine and a new phone, but I sent her away—seeing my injuries would only hurt her more, and there was nothing she could do.

As I cleaned the bloody wounds on my feet, each sting felt like mockery. But by dawn, my mind was clear. Running back to Georgia would be useless; Ethan would follow me there, and I couldn't risk bringing this demon to my grandmother's doorstep.

I wouldn't run anymore. This time, I would stay and make him pay. I touched the bruises on my arm, the pain beneath my fingertips reminding me I was still alive. Someday, I would find his weakness and bring him to his knees, begging for mercy—even if it cost me my life.