Chapter 23

• Zander yanked Aria inside the house, slamming the door shut behind them with a resounding thud. His heart raced, not just from the adrenaline of the rescue, but from the fury boiling within him.
• “You won’t go outside again!” he shouted, his voice echoing harshly off the walls. “From now on, you stay inside this house!”
• Aria’s heart sank at his words. Just minutes ago, she had felt the sun on her skin, the fresh air filling her lungs—a fleeting taste of freedom. Now, she was trapped once more, the weight of his command suffocating her spirit.