MIRABELLA
I clutched my stomach in pain, tears stinging my eyes as I tried to suppress the scream rising in my throat. He had kicked me again—right in the gut. My body trembled as I crawled into the closet, tucking myself behind the hanging clothes, praying he wouldn't find me. I held my breath, heart hammering in my chest.
It’s been six months since Damon moved into our house. Six months since the scoldings turned into slaps, and the slaps into savage beatings. At first, I didn’t mind the angry tone or the cold stares. I thought it would pass. But now... now it’s fists and kicks and bruises hidden beneath long sleeves.
My hand clamped over my mouth, desperate to silence the sob building in my chest. I couldn’t let him hear me. If he found me, he’d beat me worse than before—especially a
