Nicole stood frozen in front of the cold steel safe buried in the wall. The dim blue light from the small digital screen cast ghostly shadows on her pale, terrified face.
[ ENTER 8-DIGIT PASSCODE. ][ WARNING: 3 ATTEMPTS REMAINING. SYSTEM WILL LOCK FOR 365 DAYS UPON FAILURE. ]
The glowing words felt like a death sentence. Her heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird. Her palms were sweating so much she had to wipe them on her trousers just to stop her hands from shaking. This was it. Her entire future, her only chance at freedom with Kelvin, depended on the next few seconds.
She took a deep, shaky breath, trying to calm the storm of panic in her mind. Think, Nicole. Think like him.
What would an arrogant, self-centered man like John use as a password? He loved himself above all else. He was proud of his achievements, his birthright.
His birthday. It had to be.
She remembered seeing his personal documents once. October 4th, 2000.
With a trembling finger, she reached out and pressed the cold metal buttons.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
She entered the numbers: 1 0 0 4 2 0 0 0.
She held her breath, waiting.
A harsh, loud buzzer sound tore through the silent study. The blue screen instantly turned an angry, piercing red.
[ ACCESS DENIED. ][ 2 ATTEMPTS REMAINING. ]
Nicole gasped, stumbling back a step as if she had been physically hit. Cold sweat broke out on her forehead. It was wrong.
Panic began to truly set in now. Her breathing became shallow and fast. Okay, okay, don't panic. Try again. What else is important to him?
Her mind raced back through the years of his obsessive behavior. He always claimed he loved her. He claimed that ever since she saved him from that pool, she was the most important thing in his entire existence. He had said it so many times, with such intense, terrifying conviction in his dark eyes.
If he's so obsessed with me... maybe the password is about me? It was a gamble, but it was the only logical thought she had left.
She stepped forward again. Her finger hovered over the keypad, shaking uncontrollably. She entered her own birthday: August 1st, 2000.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
0 1 0 8 2 0 0 0.
She closed her eyes, praying to any god that would listen.
BUZZ!
The harsh sound rang out again, louder this time. The red light flashed warningly.
[ ACCESS DENIED. ][ CRITICAL WARNING: 1 ATTEMPT REMAINING. ]
Nicole's knees went weak. She almost collapsed onto the floor. Tears of pure terror welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision. Only one chance left. One single mistake, and the safe would lock down for a whole year. She would be trapped in this hell forever.
She couldn't breathe. The silence in the large study felt heavy, suffocating her. She stared blankly at the keypad, her mind completely blank with fear.
Think! Think! What did I miss?
Suddenly, a memory flashed through the chaos in her mind. It was from just two weeks ago. They were at an exclusive, high-end bridal boutique in Paris, fitting her wedding dress. John was sitting on a velvet sofa, watching her with that usual cold, possessive look.
When she stepped out in the final white gown, he had stood up, walked over to her, and whispered something in her ear that made her shiver.
"The day you finally become mine officially... the day the world recognizes you as my wife... that will be the most significant day of my life."
Her eyes widened. The realization hit her like a lightning bolt. The wedding date. Yesterday.
February 25th, 2026.
It was a huge risk. But his words had been so specific.
With renewed determination, Nicole wiped the tears from her eyes. She steadied her shaking hand. This was the final roll of the dice.
She pressed the buttons, slowly and deliberately this time.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
2 5 0 2 2 0 2 6.
She pressed the 'ENTER' button and held her breath, her entire body tense, waiting for the dreadful buzzer.
A second passed. Then two. It felt like an eternity.
Ding-dong.
A soft, pleasant chime echoed through the room. The angry red screen instantly turned a soothing, bright green.
[ ACCESS GRANTED. WELCOME, SIR. ]
With a heavy clunk sound, the thick steel door of the safe popped open an inch.
Nicole let out a loud sob of pure, overwhelming relief. Her legs finally gave out, and she fell onto her knees in front of the open safe, laughing and crying at the same time. She had done it.
She quickly pulled the heavy door open completely. The sight inside made her gasp.
It was a treasure trove. There were neat stacks of hundred-dollar bills—easily half a million dollars in cash. Beside the cash sat a small black velvet box containing several limitless "Centurion" black credit cards. Underneath were thick folders containing property deeds to villas and islands around the world. And hanging on a small rack at the back was a row of shiny, expensive car keys.
She wasted no time. She grabbed a large, expensive leather duffel bag that was sitting in the corner of the study. With frantic movements, she stuffed stacks of cash, the black cards, and the important documents into the bag.
She didn't feel an ounce of guilt. This man had stolen her life, her freedom, and her happiness. This money was just a small compensation for the pain he had caused her.
Before she closed the safe, her eyes fell on the car keys. She needed a car to get to Kelvin.
Her hand hovered over the keys for Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Bugatti. Then, she saw a key fob that was different from the others. It was heavier, made of pure, polished black crystal, with a unique, double-M diamond logo embedded in the center.
She didn't know cars well, but she knew this key felt important. She grabbed the crystal key and zipped up the heavy duffel bag.
She swung the bag over her shoulder, the weight of her new freedom pressing down on her. She closed the safe door, slid the painting back into place to cover it, and rushed out of the study.
She ran down the grand staircase, her heart pounding in her ears, making sure no servants saw her. She headed straight for the side door that led to the enormous underground garage.
She pushed the door open and stepped into the garage. It was vast, brightly lit like a luxury car showroom. Dozens of the world's most expensive supercars were parked in neat rows.
Nicole looked down at the strange crystal key in her hand. She pressed the unlock button.
Chirp-chirp.
Far in the corner of the garage, under a special solitary spotlight, a beast woke up. Its headlights flashed brightly, cutting through the shadows.
Nicole walked toward it, her jaw dropping in shock as she got closer.
It wasn't just a car. It was a monster of luxury. A long, sleek, completely black Maybach Exelero. She remembered reading about it once. It was a global limited edition—only one existed in the entire world. It was worth over 30 million US dollars. It was John's most prized, unique possession.
A wild thrill rushed through her. Taking this car was the ultimate act of rebellion.
She opened the heavy driver's door and threw the duffel bag full of money onto the passenger seat. She slid into the driver's seat, the smell of ultra-expensive leather filling her nose. The dashboard lit up like the cockpit of a spaceship.
She pressed the engine start button.
VROOOOM!
The massive V12 engine roared to life with a deep, powerful sound that shook the floor beneath her.
Nicole gripped the steering wheel tightly. Her hands were no longer shaking with fear; they were shaking with excitement.
She pressed the button to open the main garage gate. As the massive metal gate slowly rolled up, revealing the bright sunlight outside, Nicole slammed her foot on the accelerator.
The $30 million beast shot forward, tires screeching slightly on the polished floor. She sped out of the villa grounds, leaving her golden cage behind, racing toward her freedom and her true love, Kelvin. She didn't look back.