Chapter 9 Seeking Refuge

• Nadia
• My body screamed at me to stop, but instinct told me to run. I forced my battered legs forward, deeper into the forest around Enrico’s estate. The cold night air burned my lungs, and every step sent fresh pain pulsing through my injured leg. I couldn’t think about the hurt, I had to escape.
• My heart pounded like a war drum, each beat a reminder that time was running out. Branches clawed at my arms and legs, tripping me over roots and stones. Every scrape and scratch felt like a victory, proof that I was still moving. I wondered how I’d outrun Enrico’s men, but the taste of freedom and pure rage kept me going. I wasn’t going back. Not as a prisoner. I’d come back only as the woman who would destroy Enrico and everything he stood for.