You need to trust me.

Amanda

Tears streamed down my face, each droplet a bitter reminder of the depths of my naivety. Sitting there in the cold, unyielding confines of the holding cell Zane had so meticulously chosen for me, I couldn’t help but replay the events that had led me here. The dim light cast eerie shadows on the walls, amplifying my sense of isolation. My thoughts churned like a storm, battering against my sanity. How could I have been so foolish? I kept asking myself, the question a relentless echo in my mind. How could I have ever trusted him, especially after everything he'd done?

The forest seemed so distant now, yet every detail was etched into my memory with cruel clarity. Zane, with his disarming smile and charming words, had led me through the dense underbrush, his presence a deceptive promise of safety.

I wanted to believe in him, despite the countless warnings and the blatant signs of his treachery. Stubbornness, that’s what it was. My infuriating, unyielding stubbornness had blinded