Chapter 43

• Her body tensed in Simon’s grip as a wave of dread washed over her. She tried to pull away, her mind racing with thoughts of escape, but his hold on her was firm and uncompromising. The realization of the danger she was in began to sink in, and she couldn’t help but wonder what was about to happen next. Would she ever get out?
• “Simon, let me go. This isn’t what I want or need.” Her words were filled with both plea and defiance, a desperate attempt to reach the person she once knew, hoping to find a glimmer of reason within him.
• Simon’s grip tightened, his once-charming demeanor replaced by a cold and menacing presence. His voice, once filled with allure, now dripped with malice. “You think you actually have a say in this, don’t you?”