Semua Bab ALPHA PRINCE’S FORBIDDEN DESIRE: Bab 71 - Bab 73

I sat on the cold marble floor, arms wrapped tightly around my knees, eyes fixed on nothing. I wasn’t crying, but somehow, it felt worse. At least tears would have brought some relief. Instead, there was just this… hollowness. A gaping space inside me where hope should have been.Part of me wanted to get up. March back into that room and demand that Victor take me to Jessie. Shake the smugness out of his bones, claw at the door if I had to. But I couldn’t. I’d probably just end up gagged and chained in some dungeon until he decided I was useful again. My only hope now was helping him more so he could keep up his end of the deal. A feeling of despair pressed against my chest. But at that there was a high likelihood that even if I did heal him—fully, completely—he could just keep Jessie locked away forever anyway. I squeezed my eyes shut. What would I even do then?Victor was good—no, a master—at planting seeds of helplessness. And now, I was choking on them. I duh my fingers into my

“Elijah…” the scrawny blond man spoke, his voice soft and raspy like it hadn’t been used in a long time.By the time I was done rolling my pants down and slipping on my boots, I turned to look at Elijah, a question at the tip of my tongue—but he was already watching me, reaching for me, dragging me away.“Elijah!” I yelped, stumbling after him.He paused, then turned back to the man I’d pegged as ‘Connor.’ “Stay there. I’ll be right back.”“Elijah…” Connor wheezed again, shoulders slumping like they couldn’t hold his weight anymore.That’s when I saw it—the tortured look on Elijah’s face—and it hit me hard, right across the chest.“Wait! Isn’t he Sophie’s—” I hissed, but Elijah cut me off, tugging me closer and staring down at me with wide eyes.“You… know?” His grip tightened slightly, and I saw it then—the flicker of fear in his gaze.A small part of me ached at how fast suspicion had come, but a bigger part of me understood. So I softened my voice and held his eyes. “I know because