ELEANOR I woke up with a pounding headache, my body stiff and sore. My wrists and ankles were tied tight, the ropes cutting into my skin. I tried to move, but the chair creaked beneath me, the bonds holding me in place. The room was pitch black, and for a second, I couldn't remember how I'd gotten here. Everything felt like a fog. But then, it hit me all at once—my escape, the alley, the two men. My heart started racing again as the memories all came flooding back. I panicked, pulling at the ropes that kept me trapped in the chair. "Please, let me go!" My voice came out shaky, almost pleading. "I swear, I don't have anything! You've got the wrong person!" I could hear footsteps coming toward me, and my breath caught in my throat. One of the men, his face still masked, crouched down in

