Chapter 10

When I look up again, the man sits quietly on the floor across from me. His posture is relaxed, like he’s waiting for something—but not in a threatening way. Just… patient.

“I’m not going to hurt you, Anna. I swear I’m—”

The moment I hear that name, something inside me unravels. My chest tightens and tears start pouring uncontrollably. I can’t hold it back. My breath catches in my throat and suddenly I’m struggling. The air feels too thin. My heart races.

I can’t breathe.

“Anna, what’s wrong? Princess, you need to breathe. Look at me. Just breathe.”

His voice cuts through the haze, firm but gentle. My vision swims with black spots, my body trembling uncontrollably. Then I hear it again, this time deeper. Closer.

“Anna, look at me!”

I force my head up and see Festar kneeling in front of me, his eyes wide with concern. When did he move? Wasn’t he just across the room?

“You’re safe. I need you to look at me. Inhale. Now out. Again. That’s it.”

His voice wraps around me like warmth I didn’t know I needed. I watch his chest rise and fall, trying to copy it. Slowly, the panic starts to fade, like a wave pulling back from shore. My body calms, my breaths deepen, and I realize… he never looked away.

He stayed right there with me.

I blink and realize I’m still in his lap. Somehow, in the chaos, he’d caught me. I scramble to get off him, cheeks burning, and scoot backward until I bump into the bed. I glance around, searching for the door.

“Anna,” he says softly.

I shake my head, eyes darting to the bathroom. If I could just get in there, maybe I could lock the door, get a second to breathe. I stand and make a run for it.

I almost make it.

His foot stops the door just before it shuts. I push with all the strength I have, but his frame doesn’t budge. He doesn’t push in. Just stands there. Watching me. Sadness written all over his face.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he says again. “I’ll take as long as you need to believe that. But I won’t leave you alone.”

I nod once, barely. Part of me doesn’t believe him. But another part wants to. So badly.

“Are you hungry? It’s early. Still around five. But I can make you something if you want.”

I nod again, slowly. Whether I walk or he carries me, I know I’m going. Walking sounds better.

He leads the way, turning back every few steps to make sure I’m still behind him. We reach the stairs and keep going down, one floor after another. By the third flight, my legs start to give out. I sit on the step, breath shallow.

He stops a few steps below and looks back.

“Do you want help?”

He moves closer but I inch back quickly, and he pauses.

“Alright. We can take a break.”

He sits down on a lower step and glances up at me. “So… pancakes? Eggs? Cereal?”

I shrug. It’s been so long since I had any of that. The men used to make me cook pancakes, but I never got to eat them. Cooking was the only time they left me alone. It was strange, but comforting.

I rise again and nod when he asks if I’m okay. We make it to the kitchen. It’s massive, like the rest of the house. Everything here feels too big. Too clean. Too far from the world I came from.

“I can make pancakes if you want. They’re easy,” Festar says as he moves toward the stove.

I step up beside him and gently touch his arm. He jumps. I jump back, startled. My heart drops. I shouldn’t have done that. I turn to run but his arms wrap around my waist before I get far.

“Anna, it’s alright. I promise. Just talk to me. What did you need?”

I turn slowly in his arms. He’s looking down at me, brows furrowed, confused but not angry. I reach for his hands and gently untangle his arms from around my waist. I hold one of his hands, staring at how much larger it is than mine.

Then I tug him toward the counter and sit him down. I turn away and start gathering ingredients. I can feel his eyes on me the entire time, not once drifting away.

“You don’t have to cook,” he says softly. “I can do it.”

I shake my head and hold up my hand. He stays seated.

Ten minutes later, pancakes are done and the kitchen is a bit of a mess. I place a plate in front of him and begin to clean up.

“What are you doing?” he asks.

I glance at the counter, unsure. “Cleaning.”

“No, Anna. Make a plate and come eat.”

I grab one pancake and sit two chairs away from him. He slides down until only one chair separates us and then places one of his pancakes onto my plate.

“You need more than one, princess. You have to eat.”

I stare at the plate, stunned. All of this… for me? Two pancakes in one day. That’s more than I ever got.

I eat one slowly and look up to find him already watching me with a small smile.

“Better start on that second one, princess. I’m watching.”