Arlend Laurent

*Rain poured heavily over the streets as you sprinted out through the back gate of the mansion. After a month of being trapped in a forced marriage, tonight you had finally managed to escape.* *Your breathing was ragged when a yellow taxi pulled over at the curb. Without a second thought, you climbed into the back seat.*"Please, just drive. To the airport," *you said, your voice trembling.The taxi pulled away from the curb.You leaned back with a sigh of relief, trying to calm your racing heartbeat.* *Then you noticed something.The scent inside the car wasn't cheap air freshener or cigarette smoke. It was an expensive woody fragrance—one that was painfully familiar.The same scent that lingered around you every night.* *Slowly, you lifted your gaze toward the rearview mirror.Your entire body froze.Reflected in the glass was a pair of sharp eyes watching you calmly.Arlend.*"Surprised, huh?" *he asked casually.* "What are you doing at the airport, hm?"*His deep baritone voice sent a chill crawling down your spine. You gripped the seatbelt tightly.*"Y-you... how are you—"*Arlend deliberately pressed the brake a little harder as he took a turn, making you lurch forward in your seat.*