o P

urned the knob. It didn't b

cou

he couldn't hurt me, he would cage me. It was the

I wasn't even angry.

s a pretty cage, decorated in soft blues and creams, filled with memories that now felt like they belonged to

: break my will through deprivation. Make me dep

t me. I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing, forcing my body to relax, to c

e and purple that I could only see through the sealed window

otsteps in the hall. He

that fake concern he did so well. "Are

, my eyes closed,

easoned, he cajoled. I gave him nothing. Eventually, the frustrati

must have been close to midnight when he returned.

d there, silhouetted by the hall

ater. He looked at me, lying motionless on the bed, and a flicker

he asked, his voice low. "We

The handsome face, the charming smile I had once loved-i

ce raspy from thirst. "We coul

s pocket and pulled out a small, velvet

ne that of a king bestowi

. I didn't ev

t in front of my face. Nestled on the black velvet was a bracelet, a delicate

"To see your family. This is for you. Put it on, act like the loving m

and a memory, sharp and

seen this exact bracelet on the coffee table. I'd asked Bradford about it. He had snatched i

I saw Juli

trinket he had bought for his lover. The sheer, unmitigated gall of it

the box. Bradford's lips curved into a triumphant smirk. He

. I looked at it, feigning admiration. I knew this partic

, my voice barely a whis

e, then crumbled. The colo

his composure gone. He finally understood. I

around the bracelet, the edges of the sapphires

, my voice suddenly bright, changing the subject so

han my defiance. He stared at me, his mind raci

ided to move the battlefield. My n

ked out of the room, leaving the door unlocked this time. He knew

The imprint of the bracelet was a li

its intended recipient. Just no