Chapter 19

• The coldness of the basement seeped into Aria’s bones, a chilling reminder of her bleak reality. Darkness enveloped her, mirroring the shadows that had crept into her life. Once filled with dreams of a brighter future, her aspirations now felt like distant echoes, fading away into the void. She had envisioned herself graduating, moving to Miami, and starting anew—an escape from the mistakes of her past, particularly those of her mother, who had trusted the wrong man and ended up paying the price. But here she was, trapped, sold by her stepfather into the hands of a mafia king’s enforcer, far from any semblance of civilization.
• Sitting on the cold, hard floor, she leaned against the rough stone wall for support, her injured leg throbbing painfully from the fall Zander had forced upon her. Each pulse of pain was a stark reminder of her vulnerability. She had thought Zander was different; they had shared moments of camaraderie and understanding just the night before. Now, he seemed like a stranger, his demeanor transformed into something dark and unrecognizable.
• Aria closed her eyes, trying to block out the oppressive darkness that surrounded her. The silence was deafening, amplifying her thoughts and fears. She felt like a ghost in her own life, haunting the remnants of her shattered dreams. The visions of her future—of a job, a home, and a life free from the chains of her past—slipped further away with each passing second.