Chapter 44 Leaving Is Not An Option

• Anastasia
• I didn’t sleep that night. I sat on the edge of my bed, gripping my bag, staring at the door as if it might burst open at any moment. As if Darius might return. But he didn’t. By the time the first light of dawn crept through my window, I knew I had to move. My heart felt heavy, but there was no other choice. If I stayed, I would only hurt myself more.
• I pulled on a hoodie over my dress, keeping the hood low, and grabbed my bag. Inside was everything I could carry—just a change of clothes, my phone, and the few hundred dollars I had saved since I started working at the palace. It wasn’t much, but it would be enough to get me out of here.