Isabella's POV
There was a long, tense silence after the words left my mouth. I clenched my hands into fists at my sides, digging my nails into my palms, trying to hold back the tears that burned behind my eyes. My chest felt tight, like someone was squeezing it from the inside.
“Two nights before I ran off… he was going to sell me,” I said, my voice quieter now. “I heard him talking about it in his office. He had already arranged everything. I always wondered why he kept me around for so long after what he did to my family. I think I finally got my answer. He had been treating me like a product. Taking care of me only until the day he was ready to trade me for whatever he wanted.”
I swallowed hard. “I knew I couldn’t just sit there and wait to be sold. I also knew that if I ran away on
