June’s Point of View
“What are you talking about, Daniel?” My voice was sharp, laced with suspicion, but my chest was tightening with something worse—fear.
He just smiled. Not the gentle smile from the hospital. No, this one was darker, sharper, a curve of his lips that unsettled me.
I’m part of his game? What does that mean? What game?
Daniel stepped closer. Each step echoed in my head like the toll of a bell. His presence felt heavier, suffocating. The Daniel who once comforted me was gone. This Daniel… was a stranger.
“Don’t worry, June.” His voice was calm, almost coaxing. “You and your baby are safe with me. As long as…”
His hand reached out—too sudden, too close—and brushed my cheek.
I recoiled instantly, my skin prickling with goosebumps. My stomach turned. “Don’t,” I hissed,
