Book 2, Chapter 48

48

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Alessa sat in the corner of the room, terror coursing through her veins like ice. Her back pressed against the cold wall as if it could offer any protection from the storm she knew was coming. Her throat felt dry, her body shaking uncontrollably with fear. She wrapped her arms tightly around herself.

Across the room, Rican sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes locked onto her with a fiery intensity that made her want to disappear. The silence between them was suffocating. She could feel the weight of his gaze, the burning anger radiating from him, sending her already paralyzed body into a deeper spiral of panic.

Tears streamed down her face, and her breathing became shallow, echoed by desperate hiccups. Every second felt like an eternity as she watched him stand up, his every step toward her echoing like the ticking of a bomb. The closer he came, the more she tried to press herself against the wall, but there was nowhere left to go.

In a sudden, terrifying move, Rican grab