Chapter 32: Plan
(Eden's POV)
The bright screen of my new phone lit up my face. Ethan’s latest message lingered on the screen, filled with his usual patience and understanding: “No rush. Let me know how I can help.”
But his words only occupied a corner of my mind. My thoughts weren’t with the comforting support he so freely offered. They were tangled elsewhere—sharp, heavy, and furious.
My reflection stared back at me in the mirror. The faint purplish bruise on my neck stood out against my pale skin. The mark Alexander had left burned like a brand.
I tilted my head, tracing the outline of the mark with a finger. Each brush against it reignited the storm of anger swirling in my chest.
Once, a mark like this would have made me feel something else—safe, maybe even cherished. It wo
