Chapter 20: The Lie Between Them
Danielle was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the folded dress on the chair like it was some demon ready to eat her.
"I'm not going," she said finally. "You can tell whoever ordered you that I'm not stepping anywhere near that place."
Theo was standing near the window, watching her reflection in the glass. "You don't have a choice, Danielle." He wrapped his arms around his chest.
"I do," she replied quickly. "I'll run away if I have to."
He turned then. "Run where? You think disappearing will solve anything? You already tried that."
She looked away, jaw tightened harder. "That was different."
"No," Theo was correcting her, walking closer until his shadow fell over her knees. "It was the same. You wanted to escape pain. You thought death was easier than facing it. And now you're saying you'll run again instead of seeing your father. It's the same pattern."
