Chapter 32
Chapter 32:
I tilt my head to the side—and then I see it. The charred shards of a broken bottle, a few inches from my hand.
Holy mother of God, could this be mercy?
I start to shift toward the sharp pieces, but I freeze the instant Dominic’s eyes snap to me.
“You know what, Isla? I’ve been asking myself: what gave this woman the audacity to think twice about my proposal? What gave her the guts to reject me p>
He saunters toward me and bends down, his terrifying face inches from mine. “But then, Isla, I realized there’s something I need to know. Something you’ve never told me p>
I swallow hard, my head spinning in a million directions, wondering what twisted thing he thinks I’ve kept from him.
“Why did you reject my proposal p>
His question shoots dread through my spine.
Dear God, let the floor open up and swallow me.
I waste a second saying nothing. Another second biting the inside of my cheek to keep from speaking. Another second weighing the risks of telling him or keeping my silence.
His hand clamps down on my jaw, his fingers digging painfully into my skin. His once warm brown eyes have turned into slits, the eyes of a monster. He squeezes harder, forcing the inside of my mouth against my teeth until I taste blood.
“I thought we had an agreement, Isla p>
Strangled breaths leave me, but I still fight not to tell him why I refused his proposal. I might have said it back at his house over that devil’s supper he served me, but staring into this beast’s face now, I’d rather go to my grave with my secret.
“You want to know the reason, huh?” I snarl, tired of his merciless oppression. “Why don’t you figure it out yourself? Besides, I don’t believe that’s the reason you brought me here, Dominic p>
“Well, you’re right, Isla. I brought you here for something else—something we should start talking about immediately. But before we begin…” He pauses, flashing me that filthy smirk. “I want you to address me by my real name. Kai. it’s about time we were honest with each other—before you die p>
My heart stops.
My brain spirals.
briefly, every drop of blood in my body freezes to ice. I don’t know if it’s the part of his statement that reveals he intends to kill me, or the part where he revealed his real name.
But wait—how can I believe anything this bastard says? What if his name isn’t even Kai? What if this is another one of his twisted games?
𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙩 Ⳓ𝙘𝙤𝙢
“Kai p>
A voice I could recognize anywhere in the world, even in my dreams, echoes through the filthy walls of the empty room.
My head snaps toward the direction of the sound, and all the blood drains from my face when I see Asher standing at the doorway, both of his hands raised in the air.