Chapter 36

• Jake***
• The darkness was thick and suffocating, smothering everything it touched. It was no longer just a backdrop to the terror—it was a weapon. A cloak that shielded me from the world, from the pain, from the agony of knowing Belle was still in Victor's grasp. But not for long.
• I moved through the shadows like a wraith, my mind sharpened by rage and desperation. The air was thick with the scent of blood—mine and hers—and the taste of it lingered in the back of my throat, mingling with the metallic tang of fear. I couldn’t see Victor, couldn’t hear him, but I could feel his presence—he was near, relishing the chaos he had created. I would make him pay for this.