The forest had never felt so suffocating. The moment Daniel’s shadow vanished into the night, I thought relief might follow—but it didn’t. The silence he left behind was worse than his fury, worse than his threats. Because Daniel never walked away without purpose.
He had seen us together. He had felt the defiance in Adrian’s stance. He had heard the trembling in my voice. And instead of dragging me home, he let us stay.
That meant he was planning something.
Adrian sank onto the edge of the cot, his breath ragged. He held his side where Daniel’s shove had landed, and though he tried to mask the pain, I could see it in his face. I rushed to him, kneeling at his side.
“You shouldn’t have stood up to him like that,” I whispered, my voice thick with tears.
“And let him touch you?” His eyes
