Chapter 85

Isabella

I woke up with a dull ache behind my eyes, my limbs heavy, my throat dry, and my mind scattered, like it had been holding back a flood. I thought sleep would make it better. That maybe after a few hours of escape, I’d feel more balanced, more in control of whatever storm I was carrying. But it didn’t work. My chest still felt tight, my thoughts still raced in circles, and I hated it.

He’s not safe to be with: A reminder.

The message came just after sunrise, when the sky was still undecided between grey and gold, and the world held that quiet breath before waking. The night had stretched endlessly, every second soaked in tension, in thoughts I couldn’t name, in fear that lingered under my skin like a slow poison.

The text didn’t come with a sender ID. No name, no clue, nothing at all. Just the eerie precision of a threat dressed as a warning. I sat there, the phone in my hand, the message staring back at me. My stomach turned in on itsel