Chapter 159

Iris sat on the cold floor, her knees pulled tightly to her chest. Her body felt heavy, the small life growing inside her a constant reminder of the situation she couldn’t fully understand.

Her mind was a fog of confusion, with brief flashes of unfamiliar faces and voices that seemed just beyond reach.

How long had she been locked up in this room? She couldn’t remember. The dim light filtered through the small, barred window, casting shadows on the gray walls.

She glanced around the room—empty except for the old mattress and a broken chair in the corner. There was nothing to aid her escape, no tools to break the window or pry open the door. It felt as though she was trapped in her mind just as much as she was in this prison.

Who am I? Iris thought to herself as her fingers absentmindedly traced the bump of her belly. She knew she was pregnant—there was no denying the growing life within her—but she didn’t know how or why.

Was there someone waiting for her outside? Was she married?