Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 11 - Chapitre 18

The words felt like a physical weight, heavier than the stone wall he’d pinned me against. “So this is it?” I questioned myself quietly as I sat in bed. He used sex as a way to silence me, every time I made up my mind, he used my own body to betray me and distract my brain. He fucks me, discard me, fucks someone else, discard them, then me again, and the cycle continues. I barely remembered falling into bed, but sleep claimed me like a mercy.The next morning, a small, warm hand patted my cheek."Mommy? You still sleeping?” Leo whispered, his breath smelling of sleep and innocence.I pulled him into a tight embrace, burying my face in his neck. "Good morning, my little general. Did you have dreams of winning great battles?"He giggled, squirming in my arms. "I dreamed of chocolate mountains!"“Oh really? I guess you had fun then.” I said as I found his soft spot and began to tickle him. “Yeah, a lot.” He replied, laughing and trying to escape from me. For a moment, the gloom of the

I couldn't let Leo see me like this, I couldn't let him see the woman who was supposed to be his fortress crumbling into a heap on the cold tile. I rushed to the bathroom and locked the door, the click of the bolt sounding like the final snap of my composure. I turned the shower on full blast, letting the roar of the water drown out the uneven, ugly sobs that tore from my throat. I cried for the girl I used to be, the one who thought she could walk into this lion’s den and remain untouched. I cried for Sarah, whose memory felt like a ghost haunting every corner of this wretched estate. Most of all, I cried because Ethan Vale had found the one thing I tried to hide for years, my own hunger. He had used my body as a silencer, turning my desire into a cage.Is this worth it? I asked the steam-filled air. I felt like a hollow shell, a pawn being moved by a hand that didn't care if I was crushed. I wanted to run, to take Leo and disappear into the night. But I couldn't bring myself to do t

I sank to the floor, my back pressed hard against the wood, my chest heaving as if I’d just ran a marathon. My heart was a frenzied bird trapped in a cage of ribs, hammering so loudly I was sure Leo could hear it from the bed. But he was still lost in the bright, digital world of his tablet, blissfully unaware of the storm I had just unleashed.But just when I began to catch my breath, heavy purposeful footsteps echoed down the stone corridor, growing louder with every approach it took to towards my room. I squeezed my eyes shut, my skin crawling with a mixture of terror and adrenaline. When the footsteps stopped directly in front of my door, the silence that followed was even more terrifying.Then the sound of a sharp and authoritative knock sliced through the door making my blood boil with a sudden defensive instinct. I assumed it was Holloway, come to finish the lecture she’d started earlier. I stood up, my hand on the lock, ready to unleash every bit of venom I had left on that w

I stood by the window, the weight of the doctor’s words pressing down on me like a physical burden. If a stranger who had only seen Leo for ten minutes could spot the resemblance, then I was living on borrowed time. The only reason Mr Vale hadn’t known suspected anything is because he hadn’t seen Leo properly. I began to pace the small room, retracing every encounter. The night Leo was sick, the room had been dim, lit only by a bedside lamp. Leo’s eyes had been glassed over with fever, half-closed and unfocused. Then there was last night, when he suddenly appeared here too. The lights had been off, and Mr Vale was so blinded by his own rage that he’d barely glanced at the boy. Maybe if Mr Vale sees him properly, he might suspect a thing or two and this was bad for my mission. I needed more time to find what happened to Sarah and to secure the evidence I came for. If he found out Leo was his before I was ready, he wouldn't just fire me, but it might ruin everything. "I can't hide y