Reborn To Change My Fate-Chapter 323 - Three Hundred And Twenty Two

Marissa did not waste a single second watching him suffer.

She quickly sat up. She grabbed the thick rope that was still tied tightly around her ankles. Her fingers were fast and desperate. She pulled at the knot, ignoring the pain in her raw skin. The knot gave way, and the rope fell to the bed.

Her legs were free.

She scrambled across the large bed, trying to get away from the thrashing Prince. She was about to flee the bed and run for the door.

But Liam was a trained fighter, even when blind. Hearing the rustle of the silk sheets, he blindly lunged his heavy body in her direction.

His large hand swept across the mattress. He missed her waist, but his fingers caught something else.

He caught her long, dark, loose hair.

He gripped a thick handful of her hair tightly in his fist.

Marissa let out a sharp cry of pain. Her head was yanked backward forcefully. She fell flat on her back onto the mattress.

"You are not going anywhere!" Liam yelled. His eyes were squeezed tightly shut, red and swollen, still stinging terribly from the powder. But he held onto her hair with the grip of a madman. He began to pull her back toward him, dragging her across the bed.

Marissa struggled. She kicked her free legs, trying to hit his chest, but he was too heavy. The pain in her scalp was intense. She knew if he got his hands around her neck again, he would kill her in his blind rage.

She reached out blindly with her right hand toward the wooden bedside table.

Her fingers brushed against cold, heavy metal. It was a tall, solid brass candle holder. The thick wax candle was still burning on top of it.

Marissa grabbed the base of the heavy brass holder tightly in her fist.

She twisted her body, fighting through the pain in her hair. She raised the heavy metal object high into the air.

With all the strength she had left in her arm, she brought the heavy brass base down hard.

Thud.

She hit the side of Prince Liam’s head with brutal force.

The heavy metal struck his skull with a sickening sound. The burning candle snapped off and rolled onto the floor, extinguishing the flame.

Liam groaned loudly. His eyes rolled back beneath his closed eyelids.

The strength instantly vanished from his body. His hand went limp, releasing her hair. He collapsed completely, his heavy head falling onto the red silk pillows.

Marissa scrambled away from him, breathing heavily. She slid off the edge of the tall bed and hit the floor. Her knees were shaking, but she forced herself to stand up.

Suddenly, she heard heavy, frantic footsteps running down the hallway outside.

Then came the loud pounding on the heavy oak door of the bedroom.

"Your Highness!!!" a guard shouted from the other side. "Your Highness! We heard a scream! Are you safe?"

The doorknob began to rattle violently. They were trying to get in.

Marissa looked around the massive, locked room in a total panic. If the guards caught her standing over the unconscious, bleeding Crown Prince, they would kill her instantly. Derek would not arrive in time.

"Think, Marissa," she whispered to herself, pressing her hands against the sides of her head. "Think."

Her eyes darted around the room. She looked at the locked door. She looked at the disgusting paintings. Then, she looked at the heavy velvet curtains covering the far wall.

She ran toward the curtains. She grabbed the thick red fabric and pulled it back with all her might.

Behind the curtains were large glass doors leading out to a stone balcony.

Marissa grabbed the brass handles and pushed the doors open. The freezing winter wind rushed into the warm bedroom, chilling her sweaty skin. She stepped out onto the cold stone balcony.

She was on the third floor of the Prince’s massive residence. She ran to the edge and looked down over the stone railing.

It was a very long drop to the dark gardens below. Falling from here would break her legs, or worse.

She looked frantically to her left, then to her right. She saw a way for her to escape.

Attached to the thick stone wall of the manor, right next to the balcony, was an old, sturdy wooden trellis. It was covered in thick, dormant ivy vines. The thick wooden lattice stretched all the way down to the soft dirt of the garden below.

The guards began to smash their shoulders against the bedroom door. Bam! Bam! The thick oak wood started to crack. They would break in any second.

Marissa did not hesitate.

She climbed over the cold stone railing of the balcony. She held onto the railing tightly with her hands and carefully lowered her body into the empty air.

She swung her legs over and dug her toes into the gaps of the wooden trellis.

She let go of the balcony railing and grabbed the thick wooden beams of the trellis. The old wood was rough and freezing cold. The dry ivy vines scratched her hands.

She began to climb down.

It was incredibly difficult. Her dark blue dress was heavy and kept catching on the sharp wooden edges. Her arms were already tired from fighting Liam. The wind whipped her loose hair into her face, blinding her. Every time she moved a foot down, the old wooden trellis creaked loudly under her weight, threatening to break.

She ignored the burning in her muscles. She ignored the cold seeping into her bones. She focused entirely on the dark ground below. Step by step, hand over hand, she lowered herself down the side of the massive stone building.

She heard a loud crash from above. The bedroom door had finally broken open. She heard the guards shouting in shock as they found the Prince bleeding on the bed.

"Find her!" a voice roared from the balcony above.

Marissa climbed faster, practically sliding down the last few feet of the wooden frame.

Finally, her feet hit the soft, cold dirt of the garden.

She let out a quiet gasp of relief. She let go of the rough wood and fell back against the stone wall, her chest heaving. Her hands were bleeding from splinters. Her dress was torn. But she was out. She was free from the monster’s room.

She looked out into the dark garden, trying to find the path to the main gates. If she could just reach the shadows of the trees, she could hide until Derek’s men arrived.

She took one step forward into the dark bushes.

Suddenly, a bright yellow light flared to life right in front of her. A lantern shutter was thrown open.

Marissa froze. The bright light blinded her for a second.

As her eyes adjusted, she saw a figure standing in the center of the garden path, blocking her escape completely.

The light illuminated a dirty, bruised face holding a cruel, victorious smile.

It was Ashlyn.

Ashlyn was not alone. Standing on either side of her were four large, heavily armed royal guards. They had their swords drawn and pointed directly at Marissa.

Ashlyn had run straight from the hidden warehouse to the Prince’s residence. She had warned the guards outside. She had known exactly where to wait.

Ashlyn looked at Marissa’s torn dress, her bleeding hands, and her wild hair. Ashlyn’s smile grew wider, filled with pure, toxic satisfaction. She had finally trapped her sister.

She raised her hand and pointed directly at Marissa’s chest.

"Seize her," Ashlyn commanded.