DALAThe first thing I heard was a soft beeping—steady and distant—then a low murmur of someone speaking near me. I tried to move, but my limbs felt as heavy as bones dipped in concrete.“Miss…? Can you hear me?”My eyes fluttered open, a small gasp spilling through my lips.The room was bright— too bright. The pungent, acidic stench of antiseptic hit me, and panic jolted up my spine. My breath caught, my eyes darting around. Where the hell—?A woman in scrubs leaned over, “You’re safe,” she assured. “At the hospital. Do you remember anything?”My throat remained as dry as a desert, words dying on my tongue.The memories came flooding in—cold ropes on my wrists, the stink of sweat and cigarettes. Xavier’s goon’s grabbing me.I flinched hard, and the heart monitor jumped.“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” the nurse said, soothing me. “You’re safe now. You’re okay.”No. I wasn’t. I was alive, sure. But okay? If they weren’t caught then—Then they’d be back for me. Oh my god, the ransom. They’d sa
Last Updated : 2025-07-11 Read more