r's

r's voice cut through t

ner of the SedWood compound like I was some stray animal.

like she enjoyed the moment. "Let her feel the weight of di

ed wide apart and locked to iron hooks in the wall. My

cried. "Why are you doing this?

before she walked up and kicked my legs out completely. I fell ha

's how you should be-on your knees. Right there. U

the one who's supposed to marry him... not me," I choke

, her eyes glinting like sh

u let me walk away right now, I'll disappear. I'll never come back. You won't hear from me again.

pa

topped for

ted her head

aid slowly, like she

ond, I be

voice tur

r-but only to your

fr

raight, her voi

t here like this. No food. No water. No one's c

ack and walked away w

ached, my knees throbbed, and my chest burn

.. was that it was my o

door Skylar had walked throu

hts from the house flicked off one by o

my wrists so deep I could barely feel my hands anymore. I tilted my head back,

old drop of water s

lin

on my face... then a

The sky had

a

t came crashing down-fast and heavy like t

. My hair clung to my face. My skin stung where the me

gth I had left. The cuffs bit deeper into my

arely audible, lost unde

cried again, we

t know if it was the r

thing star

but nothing

. My body leaned forward but the

-dar

y chest. I was still on my knees, hands stretched wi

n didn'

kept p

ere-silent, soa

***

thought I had died last night. The cold

. I wa

tied behind me this time, tighter than before. I couldn't move much. And my face-i

Pacing. Slow. Sharp. Someo

sat up too fast, a

.?" My voice c

there? Please a

p pain shot through my stomac

And be quiet!" a

at voice...

lease... where am I? I can't see anything. Take

ed into the cloth covering m

his hand gra

gh

ti

ed. My whole b

"If you ruin this deal for me, I swear-you

dn't

ed under his grip. My body

aned in ev

n. You'll take her place. You'll marry the man. You'll smile and nod and do everything I sa

mach t

" I wh

my head up

you say?"

I

voice thundered.

e. Heavy boots click

t my father. He wasn't pac

hand dropped

was Si

was loud no

hing about the silence told me he

father

t made

h w

rced chuckle. I could hear the shift in his

ould hear it in the way he walke

ughter," he said. "The one I

hesitation in his voice, "Please...

in cr

lt s

made something

couldn't even see. I kept shaking my head, as if the blindfold would come

en I h

tst

liberate

em came ano

on the tiled floo

coming

't say

didn't

eady

was

r's so-called "friend." The

of in hushed conversati

backed up instinctively, but my hands were still tied. I c

snapped under his brea

lin

ldn't. My throat was already

. T

a few step

ow what he

nd him said more tha

sto

n front

the stic

ow

ched m

calculated, as if he was used to doing this in the dark

brushed agai

d my he

dn't

fathe

s, Boss. First tim

abric covering my eyes. He touched it lightly-then

fast against t

usted a little...