r Mar

still weak, my body shaky. My head felt light. I held onto the wall for support. I just neede

, gave out. I fell to the polished floor. A sharp pain shot through my abdomen. My brea

ain exploded behind my eyes. Black spots danced in my vision. I tasted blood.

e into focus. Davida Brandt. Her eyes were wide, her mouth a perfect O of exaggerat

l gasp and slowly sank to the floor, her movements graceful. It was a performance. I saw it cle

ir faces were etched with panic. They did not even glance at me, sprawled

antic concern. "Davida! Are you alright? What happened?" He rushed her towards the

ancy test. The one that had slipped from my pocket onto the bathroom floor last night. He had found it. He watched Bernard carry Davida away

. Cold sweat beaded on my forehead. My lips felt dry, bloodless. The physical pain wa

to escape. Just as I started to rise, a thick, black cloth bag was suddenly pulled over my head. Darkness envel

e-hot agony flared. I doubled over, my body convulsing. The pain was so intense, it choked off any

ffled voices reached me. Cole' s voice. Cold. Detached. "Take her away. Make sure she understands. Teach her

ke a narrow alley. The black bag remained over my head. Blows rained down on me. Fists, feet. Each hit was a f

blows. "Boss says Davida is his woman now. He's mad as hell. You shouldn't have crossed her." Their v

lly ordered us to make it worse this time." The words echoed in my mind. Harsher lesson. This time. The past flash of wh

The threats. The pain. All of it. He was not just a manipulator. He was a monster. M

n further. The last flicker of light in my eyes died. There was

red. There was no going back. No forgiveness. No understanding