Chapter 42

• Belle***
• The car door slammed shut behind me, locking me in the suffocating dark. The air was thick with the scent of leather and Victor’s cologne—a nauseating mix of familiarity and fear. It clung to me like a ghost from my past, whispering reminders of everything I had fought so hard to escape. My fingers curled into fists, nails digging into my palms, a silent anchor against the rising tide of panic.
• Outside, Jake’s voice faded into the distance, his protests swallowed by the low, menacing rumble of the engine. I wanted to call out, to scream, to reach for a lifeline—but I didn’t. What good would it do? Victor had already won this round.