Chapter 27

ELEANOR

Armando yelled through the door, his voice booming and full of rage.

"Open the damn door, Eleanor! How dare you? You've crossed the line, you stupid bitch!" His words were laced with groans of pain. I could tell I had hurt him bad.

My heart raced. I pressed my back against the door, my mind spinning.

"Oh God, what have I done?" I asked to obviously no one in particular, staring at my trembling hands, still feeling the impact of that punch.

For a moment, everything was quiet. Then I heard him again, this time more composed, more dangerous.

"If you don't open this door right now, I swear, I'll make you suffer worse than I've already planned!" His voice was low and controlled, but dripping with menace. "Open it now, Eleanor. I'm giving you one last chance."

I didn't move—I just couldn't. My hand hovered over the lock, but something stopped me.

Fear, maybe. Or the realization that opening that door meant facing him again.

I blinked away the tears welling up in my eyes. How had