Chapter 14: A RIVAL’S OFFER

I left the restaurant in a haze, Daniel’s words still echoing in my mind. You need me.

What was his game? Why did my mother tie me to him in such a way? It felt like I was walking through a maze, only for the walls to keep closing in on me. My thoughts swirled, the cold night air barely registering as I made my way back to my car.

The ride home was suffocating. I gripped the steering wheel tighter than I should have, trying to suppress the growing anxiety clawing at me. Every corner I turned in my life lately seemed to lead me back to Daniel. He was everywhere, haunting my every step, like a shadow I couldn’t shake.

By the time I reached my apartment, my phone buzzed incessantly in my pocket, pulling me out of my thoughts. I parked and fished it out, seeing an unfamiliar number. Hesitant, I answered.

"Hello?"

"Ms. Carter," a smooth voice purred on the other end. "I hope I’m not interrupting your evening."

The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place it. "Who is this?"

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