Daphne’s POV
The gunshot tore through the room like a thunderclap, sharp and final. My body flinched instinctively, my breath caught in my throat. Time stopped. My heart didn’t just skip—it halted completely, suspended in terror.
This was it.
Death.
But… nothing.
No pain, no warmth bleeding from my skin. Just the echo of the shot ringing in my ears, and the terrifying awareness that I was still here.
Alive?
My lashes fluttered, heavy with fear. Slowly, I pried my eyes open, bracing for the worst—but instead of a bullet, I was met with a trembling figure standing between me and death.
Bianca.
Her arms were raised, her stance defiant but visibly shaking. My heart pounded louder than the gun that had just gone off.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” her aunt snarled, her voi
