Chapter 21: Breakfast
Natalie~
The first thing I noticed when I woke up, was how strangely well-rested I felt. My eyelids fluttered open to soft light filtering through beautiful, white, transparent curtains, and for a moment, I thought I was dreaming. The soft mattress beneath me was far too comfortable, the blanket too warm and secure. Confusion settled over me like a fog as I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes.
I blinked around the room, my heart skipping a beat when recognition struck. This room. This bed.
This was definitely Zane’s house.
Panic bubbled up in my chest as fragments of yesterday slammed into my consciousness. The fight. Timothy. The masked man—his voice, his unexpected kindness, and then...
That son of a bitch! He handed me over to Zane’s people. Like a package.
A cold chill spread through me as I recalled the humiliating memory, followed by shouting at Zane to kill me. After that? Blank. I clenched the blanket tightly in my fists, breathing unevenly. Had Zane knocked me out after saying that? Did he plan to kill me later, on his terms? Is that why I’m here now?
Why did I ask him to kill me in the first place? What had gotten into me?!
I pressed my hands against my face, trying to calm the storm brewing in my mind. The room seemed to close in around me; the air I breathed felt thick and suffocating. My heart quickened.
Suddenly, something shifted under the blanket.
I froze, my heart lurching to my throat. Was it a person? No. An animal? My fingers trembled as I readied to throw the blanket off and run—when a small, familiar head popped out from under.