Rose's Point Of View
"Please... let me go," I forced out, my voice fracturing so badly it barely resembled my own. I twisted against his chest, desperate for escape, but his arm clamped around me like iron, crushing the air from my lungs. Each breath came shallow and painful, my ribs aching beneath the relentless pressure. The apartment walls seemed to close in around us, trapping me in this nightmare. "Diego, please."
He shook his head, and a low, rumbling chuckle vibrated through his chest, the sound reverberating straight into my spine. His lips brushed against my temple in a mockery of tenderness. "I've got you now, baby," he murmured. "Where do you think you're going?"
"I promise to get the money! Every single cent!" The words tumbled out in a frantic rush as my fingers clawed uselessly at his expensive wool sleeve. The fabric felt impossibly soft beneath my desperate grip… ridiculously luxurious, a cruel contrast to the brutal strength in the fingers digging into my ribs.
