The room was still, save for the sound of my ragged breath. My body ached from the brutal force of Kendrick's touch, my skin sensitive from the marks he'd left behind. I could barely process what had just happened. My mind was a blur of fear, rage, and confusion.
He was standing in front of me, watching me carefully as if he were observing something fragile,something he owned.
"You think you're smart, don't you?" Kendrick's voice was low, dangerous. He was close enough that I could feel the heat radiating off his body, but I didn't dare move. "Did you really think you could get away?"
I clenched my fists in my lap, trying to hide the tremors in my hands. I didn't answer. I didn't know what to say. He already knew the truth,that I had tried to escape. That I was desperate to leave.
But no matter how much I wanted to fight him, to break free, there was no way out. He had already proven that tonight.
His lips curled into a twisted smile as he crouched down in front of me, his face mere inches from mine. The faint smell of whiskey still clung to him, and I hated it. I hated everything about him. The power he had over me, the control he wielded so effortlessly, the cruelty in his eyes.
"I warned you," he whispered, his breath warm against my skin. "You belong to me. There's nowhere to run. No one can save you."
My pulse hammered in my throat as he gripped my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. His eyes were cold, calculating, but there was a flicker of something darker beneath them. Something twisted. Something that made my stomach churn.
"Do you really want to leave that badly?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You think it'll be easy? You think you can just walk out the door and everything will be fine?"
I didn't answer, my lips pressed tight together.
He laughed, a dark sound that made my blood run cold. "You're mine, sweetheart. And I'll make sure you never forget that."
His hands moved, sliding down my neck to my collarbone, his touch like fire against my skin. I flinched but didn't pull away. It didn't matter. Nothing I did mattered anymore. He'd already taken so much from me, and I was powerless to stop him.
He leaned in, his lips brushing my ear. "You're going to learn to love this," he murmured. "You'll crave it. You'll crave me."
A part of me wanted to scream, wanted to lash out at him with everything I had. But I knew it wouldn't make a difference. I knew it would only make things worse. His grip on me was too strong, his will too overpowering.
Instead, I turned my face away, fighting the tears that threatened to spill. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. I wouldn't let him see how much he'd broken me.
But Kendrick wasn't done with me. Not by a long shot.
He stood up abruptly, and I flinched at the sudden movement. His eyes never left me as he walked toward the door, his steps heavy, deliberate. He paused in the doorway and glanced back at me.
"I told you, I'm not letting you go. And you know what?" he said with a twisted smile. "You're going to learn to like being mine. You'll see."
Then he was gone, leaving me alone in the suffocating silence of the room.
I sat there for what felt like an eternity, my body trembling, my heart racing. The door had barely closed when I heard a soft knock.
"Miss... I'm sorry for everything," came the quiet voice of Elise, the nurse who had been my only ally in this hell. I didn't move, didn't speak, just stared at the door.
"Please, you have to let me help," she continued. I could hear the concern in her voice, but I was too far gone, too broken to respond. The truth was, I didn't think there was any help left for me.
I was trapped, suffocated by Kendrick's presence, his control. Every attempt to escape, every ounce of rebellion, only led to more pain. I had no choice but to survive.
The seconds stretched into minutes, and I could feel the weight of my own despair pressing down on me. This was my life now. There was no escape. There was no way out.
And just when I thought I couldn't take any more, the door opened a crack, and Elise stepped inside.
"I'm here," she whispered, moving cautiously toward me. "I know you're scared, but you don't have to face this alone."
I swallowed hard, my throat tight. "What's the point?" I whispered, my voice barely audible. "It's already over."
Elise's gaze softened, and she knelt in front of me, her eyes full of sympathy. "It's never over, not until you say it is."
I shook my head, the tears finally breaking free as I turned away from her. "I don't know how much more I can take."
She didn't say anything, but she reached out and gently placed her hand on my shoulder. "I'm here, okay? I'll help you, but you have to trust me."
I didn't trust anyone,not anymore. But Elise was the only person who had ever tried to help me, the only one who seemed to care. And for the first time in days, a small spark of hope flickered deep inside me.
Maybe it wasn't over. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance for me to escape this nightmare. But first, I had to survive Kendrick's wrath.