Chapter 180

DAHLIA

“I’m here.”

His voice reached me like it was cutting through water—distorted, distant, but steady. Anchoring.

“You’re safe. You’re with me.”

I wanted to believe it. God, I wanted to. But my body hadn’t caught up yet.

I was shaking so hard I could barely feel my fingers. My hands were clenched in his jacket, knuckles burning, terrified that if I let go… even for a second… I’d disappear again. Like the mountain would swallow me whole. Like the dark room would close back in.

“I thought…” My breath hitched painfully. The words refused to come out clean. “I thought he was going to kill me. I really did.”

The memory slammed into me without warning… Alex’s grip, the weight of his hand, the way the air had vanished from my lungs when I realized I’d been wrong.

“I tried to run,” I rushed on, my voice cracking. “I didn’t even know where I was running to. I just… moved. My legs just kept going.”

Sebastian tightened his arms around me