rd to think, yet the unsettling sensation along
n two middle-aged women. One yanked at her pants
pens!" said Eliana, kicking the
ding hard with a startled grunt. "Argh! That hur
g at Eliana's pants and hurrie
n she felt the coarse bite of rope digging
d gone to sleep at her adoptive mother's
her in, a rusted latch sealed the door, and a single thread
, snapped at Eliana, "You filthy brat!
aught her wrist. "Don't touch her face. She's worth
rm. "We gave her enough tranquilizer to knock out a horse. I don't know h
s and asked, "What chec
e need to check if you're still a
was a virgin? Ridiculous! They had no idea who they were deal
ck market, and a single word from her could
as she worked to free herself from the rope, while
opped everything in Eighvale when word came that her adoptive mothe
ext morning. Instead, she'd woken u
smirk, "Janessa sold you to us. Play along, and we might land you a decent man. R
, her voice edged with disbelief, as if the woman had j
road. From that day on, she was paraded as the "adopted daughter", though ev
chores, scraped hands, and exhaustio
she could get her hands on. By twelve, she had
the debt she felt for t
total she had given her adoptive mother by now could have bo
believed Janessa was on her last bre
Janessa hadn't softened. She'd sold her for th
ad suddenly greeted her with smile
woman had changed. In reality, Janessa
oot in Udrerton. She should have listened, becaus
ame goal. The ropes strained, her fingers clawed
belief as she said, "You're out of your mind. Janessa
o long to keep up. He's about to marry the daughter of a corporate gi
egs! We have to confirm you're still a virgin. If you're not, we won't pay the rest. Don't even thin
ss Eliana's face. "Let's find out w
er wrists. She lunged, catching the plump wom
a's grip loose. Color drained from her face, replaced by a dee
m, but Eliana snapped a kick into
g into the wall, and a wet coug
e found her voice and scr
doorway, each wielding a club. They
natched both clubs in midair, her hand
e, startled
Eliana's kicks sent them sprawling to
d tossed aside earlier crept toward h
e enough, Eliana turned around and struck her with
of the burning shed, squinting as th
lare, brushing off the faint, pa
. Her focus was locked on
orth pity, and she had no i
e Holts would answ
when voices echoed a
mebody ge
gers, who came running wit
, Eliana kept her head lowered and slipped pas
fore she reached
r clattering to the floor, d
ped inside, she realize
un," she muttered, a thi
hey could hide. She would track them
nd now it was time to settle the score. Neithe
her childhood room-a suffocating room carved from a s
one she kept hidden beneath her pillow had vanished. Inside tha
tting back to Eighvale woul
igured she could find a phone in town a
set of rapid footsteps pounded
s curved into a sharp smile. It had to be
ng against the wall behind the door and wrapped her
one from the Holt family. A young man stood ther
is cheeks, hair wild from the wind. A rust
inst her side, Eliana asked,
, startled, and froze
w the disbelief hit him, then the emotion that foll
a!" he shouted, charging
half a meter away as Eliana h
d it would cut a