GINA’S POV
The sharp, sterile scent of antiseptic burned my nose before I could even open my eyes. A rhythmic beeping pulsed beside me, steady but relentless—like a ticking clock counting down to something I wasn’t ready to face. The weight of the thin hospital blanket pressed down on me, but my body felt hollow, as if I’d been scraped raw from the inside out.
I forced my eyelids open, blinking against the dim glow of the overhead lights. For a moment, I floated in confusion—Where was I? Why did my jaw ache? Why did my wrists sting? Then it all crashed back.
Grayson. His grip on me. His voice, slick with poison. The way he’d smiled before his palm cracked against my cheek. The terror of realizing I couldn’t move, couldn’t scream, couldn’t fight—
I gasped, jerking upright, but a warm ha
