Chapter 65

ISABELLA

I feel my back against the cold, damp wall of the alley. My heart races, adrenaline turning fear into a kind of fierce determination. I try to pull back, but the man's trembling hand holds me fast.

The beggar's eyes, which just a moment ago were pleading for compassion, now seem darkened by a sinister intent. A shadow of fear takes hold of me, and I try to remain calm as I assess the only options I have at the moment.

"What are you doing?", I ask, my voice firm but my eyes revealing the restlessness that consumes me.

The man, numb with drink, doesn't answer. Instead, he pushes forward, he's very drunk, and he won't stop. For a second, I hate being alone with him right now.

I flail my arms, feeling his hands trying to get under my clothes. I close my eyes tightly, feeling the cold of the wall against my back, and try not to show the panic growing inside me. The beggar, however, seems determined, the drunkenness is not enough to erase the malice