Kimberly
The weight of Kendrick’s words hung heavily in the air, suffocating and unyielding. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the ornate rug beneath my feet, unable to fully process the decree he had just delivered.
“You will not step outside this manor,” Kendrick had said, his voice cold and final. “If you defy me, the consequences will not be light. I will not hesitate to punish you or anyone else who aids in your disobedience.”
The threat lingered in the room long after he’d left. It wasn’t just a warning directed at me, but at anyone who might dare to help me. Helen, Felicia—he wouldn’t spare them either, and that knowledge only deepened the pit of despair in my chest.
I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, but it felt as though it had lodged there permanently.
