Chapter 190

• Daisy huddled on the edge of the narrow bed in the dim, cramped apartment Ryan had stashed her in—a forgotten bolt-hole in the city's underbelly, far from the countryside cottage where attackers had nearly ended her. Her knees were drawn tight to her chest, thin arms wrapped around them like a fragile shield, her body still weak from days of evasion and terror.
• She rocked slightly, her breath shallow, her eyes darting to the locked door—Ryan had sworn this place was safe, a secret even from those hunting them. But safety felt like a lie now, fragile as her fraying nerves.
• The doorbell shattered the silence—a shrill, insistent buzz that sliced through her like glass. Daisy flinched hard, her heart slamming against her ribs, a gasp escaping her lips. Panic flooded her veins; she froze, muscles locked, ears straining. Who? Ryan, back early with supplies? Or them—the shadows from the cottage, the ones with cold eyes and colder hands? Ryan had vanished hours ago, promising to return before dusk, but doubt gnawed at her. He wouldn't lead them here... would he? Still, the need clawed at her—ignorance was worse than fear. What if it was him? What if help had come?