Chapter 106

LIAM

The cold concrete floor felt like it was digging into my bones, and every breath I took was shallow and labored. My body ached, the weight of exhaustion and hunger gnawing at me with every passing minute. Ava sat beside me, her face pale, streaked with dirt, and her once-vibrant eyes dull with fear and fatigue. We had been here for what felt like an eternity, tied up, helpless, malnourished, and broken.

I glanced over at her, my heart wrenching as she tried to keep herself together. Every now and then, she would give me a small, strained smile—something to reassure me, as if to say we were going to get out of this. But even her resolve was weakening. I could see it in the way her hands trembled, her breath coming in short, panicked bursts. The room reeked of sweat and desperation, the oppressive silence hanging over us like a death sentence.

Then the door creaked open, and the sound of footsteps echoed through the warehouse. My pulse quickened as I turned to see John and El