Chapter 7

I toss and turn in my slumber for what feels like hours before finally awakening from my nightmare. My breath is hitched, and I can't seem to relax, too shaken up by today's events. I'm freezing even though the sheets beneath me are drenched in a cold sweat.

How I managed to fall asleep in the first place is a mystery, the temperature inside the room is freezing. A window is letting the moonlight come in and illuminate the wooden planks, and I shift until I'm staring at the chair where I've thrown my velvet dress.

I'm so messed up. Fear is scratching within me, speeding up my heart and inviting the reality of today to sink into my brain by replaying the unfolded events.

I was kidnapped, betrayed, and fooled by a man who played me for a week, and then I watched this man named Arthur die at the hands of the same man—Ryan is dangerous. That realization makes me cover under my sheets.

Tired of acting strong, exhausted from playing tough, I let the tears