FROZEN HEARTS -BETRAYED AND BROKEN

Coming together

Amanda POV

I could hear voices, but I was too weak to open my eyes. It felt as if something heavy had been placed on my head, making it impossible to lift it or even blink.

I knew there were people around me, but I had no strength to open my eyes or speak. I felt trapped in a haze of confusion. I didn’t know where I was or why I was there.

The only thing I remembered were those green eyes flashing into mine as I struggled to look. That was the last thing I saw. Everything after that faded into darkness. Soon, I slipped into another slumber.

I woke again to a voice, gently trying to rouse me.

“Wake up.”

The husky voice sounded familiar—my savior, the man who had tried to help me when those two men had been dragging me away.

I forced my eyes open this time. He was bending slightly toward me, looking intently as if to confirm that I was alive.

“I… I’m so sorry. Where am I?” I asked, panicking as I looked around a room I didn’t recognize. It was massive, luxurious, and unlike anything I had ever seen-more sophisticated than anything I had ever watched in movies.

I tried to piece together how I had ended up here, but I couldn’t remember bringing myself to this place.

“What am I doing here?”

“Where is my daughter?” My heart ached, and I longed to see her. I would die if I didn’t see her soon.

“You need to calm down,” the handsome stranger commanded, but I couldn’t. My only focus was my baby girl. She was the only thing that mattered, and if I lost her, I didn’t know what I would do.

“I cannot calm down when I don’t have my daughter. I want to see my sweet girl,” I sobbed, tears streaming down my face. My heart felt as though it would burst from the pain. I paced around the enormous living room, searching for the exit.

I had to get out and find my daughter. I had endured five long years without her, and if I lost her forever, I didn’t know how I would survive.

She had been my pillar, my strength, the reason I kept going through the darkest moments. I had always held onto her photograph—that was how I survived.

Finally, I spotted the exit and began to move toward the door. Then I heard him yell:

“WHERE ARE YOU GOING?”

His voice was so intense that I froze, standing like a soldier under command, unable to move.

“If you step out that door, never come back to me,” he said in a husky tone. It took me over two minutes to process the meaning of his words. I had no idea why he said them.

He took steps toward me, and soon I could smell his cologne. He was standing right in front of me. His green eyes locked onto my blue ones.

He was six feet tall, muscular, and even in a suit, his six-pack was visible. He stared at me, waiting for something, while I remained silent, unsure of what to say.

Finally, he broke the silence.

“They’re going to get you the moment you leave this house. It’s safer for you to stay here,” he said, still staring into my eyes.

“I can’t stay here when I don’t know where my daughter is,” I replied immediately.

“So you think going out will help you see your daughter?” he asked, his face stern.

His words only confused me further. He seemed to know everything about my situation, everything I had been going through. My curiosity peaked—I needed answers.

“How do you know who I am?” I asked, perplexed.

He looked surprised by my question. He swallowed nervously and stepped back, as if hiding something from me. What could he possibly be hiding?

I followed him back to the living room. He sat on one of the couches. For the first time since arriving, something caught my attention,a photograph.

It was of the woman I had seen earlier with my husband. Who was she? I leaned closer to get a better look.

“Who is this woman?” I whispered.

I knew I shouldn’t ask, but I needed to know. This woman was the cause of everything that had happened to my family.

He looked up, clearly caught off guard. I could see him opening his mouth several times, trying to speak, but no words came out. I pressed on, forcing him to answer.

“Please… say something. You have to know that this woman is responsible for everything that has happened to my family,” I said, staring straight into his eyes.