Chapter 33

When Bella woke up the next morning, Victor was still in his chair reading a different book. His presence made it impossible for her to have even a few moments of blissful ignorance about the horrible truths she had learned the night before. There was no escaping them, or him.

She felt like she had been hit by a train and partly wished she had. At least she could sit up.

“Easy,” he said, grabbing her shoulders to steady her.

“I’m fine.” It was a lie, but there was some truth to it. Her entire body ached worse than ever, but her head was clearer than it had been in a long time. She wasn’t sure if that was a blessing or a curse, but it did feel as if some kind of partition had been removed in her mind. It was a clarity that provided her the opportunity to look back at all the hints she had missed about Darian and his odd family, and to marvel at her own stupidity.

“You don’t look fine. You were tossing and turning all night.”

“Bad dreams,” she mutter