Hours bled into a brutal, agonizing eternity.
The gag in my mouth was dry, scraping against my throat, and my head throbbed with a blinding, white-hot agony.
I was starving, my vision swimming in the dim light of the damp warehouse, my wrists raw and bleeding from the coarse ropes. Every inch of my body ached; Julian's men hadn't taken kindly to me fighting back, leaving deep, painful bruises along my ribs and arms for being too feisty.
Suddenly, the heavy metal doors banged open, and the cold, sharp click of leather shoes echoed against the concrete.
Fear gripped my throat as Julian walked into the room.
But the sophisticated, untouchable corporate titan was completely gone. His tie was loosened, his hair was disheveled, and his eyes were wide, bloodshot, and frantic.
He ripped the gag from my mouth, and I instantly collapsed forward, coughing violently as the cold air rushed into my lungs.
