The heavy roar of thunder split the sky, jolting Alina awake with a loud scream.
She shot up from the bed, her eyes darting to the window. Darkness had already settled outside. She remembered reading while waiting for Liam… she must have dozed off.
Was Liam back? And if he was, why hadn’t he woken her? Was he planning to punish her later, or had he simply forgotten? No… Liam never forgot. Maybe he was just waiting for her to wake up.
Another crash of thunder rattled the walls, louder this time, as if the world itself were tearing apart. Alina stumbled back from the window, her body trembling. She hated thunder—it always made her feel small and powerless.
Just as she reached to close the window, a third strike tore through the night. Startled, Alina abandoned the window and bolted from
