[Elena] The guards did not lay a hand on me, but the cell itself did. It was a wretched place —damp and suffocating with the air thick with the stench of decay and something long forgotten. A single, pathetic window sat high above, barely allowing a sliver of light to seep through, casting eerie shadows against the cold, stone walls. With a deep sigh, I leaned back against the cold, rough wall and slid to the floor. My face was streaked with dried tears, but I wasn’t angry at Nikolai for locking me up. If anything, I was surprised this was all he had done. Knowing him, I had expected far worse. Nikolai didn’t take betrayal lightly, and stealing from him—even for a good reason—was still a betrayal. I stayed in that cell until nightfall, my body growing weaker with every passing hour. My throat burned with dryness, and my stomach twisted in hunger. I had eaten nothing all day. I had left the packhouse without breakfast, spent hours with evil Valerie, and then ended up here, aban
Last Updated : 2025-02-16 Read more