Samantha
The sunlight hit my skin with a warmth I hadn’t felt in what seemed like forever. The fresh air filled my lungs, and for the first time in weeks, I felt alive. I was free. Free from that nightmare, from the suffocating darkness Louis had forced on me. It felt surreal, like I was standing in someone else’s shoes, as if at any moment I’d wake up back in that cold cell. But no, this was real. I was free.
I squinted against the brightness as I stepped outside, trying to make sense of it all, and then I saw him.
Jack stood beside a sleek black SUV, his posture casual but alert, as though he’d been waiting for me all his life. The moment his eyes met mine, his expression softened, and he began walking toward me with that familiar smile tugging at his lips.
I didn’t think—my feet mo
