Chapter 167

The Prey

It was too much. The ache in my stomach began twisting, gnawing and relentlessly clawing at my sanity. It pierced its way up to my chest, squeezing my heart with an icy grip. I stumbled blindly, my breath coming in shallow, ragged gasps. The marble walls of the hallway blurred.

I reached the swimming pool. The still water reflected the pale moonlight like a damn perfect, mocking mirror. The ache was getting unbearable now like a sickening combination of nausea and a weight so heavy it felt as though my chest might collapse under it.

I dropped to my knees beside the pool, gripping the edge with trembling hands. My reflection stared back at me, hollow-eyed and broken. The ache swelled, and then it hit me—a realization that struck like a dagger between my ribs.

I was falling for him. For Judas Romanovski. My captor. My tormentor.

"No." The word escaped me in a strangled whisper like I was trying to deny it. But it wasn’t enough.