ISABELLA
The moment I saw the photo, the air left my lungs. My vision tunneled. My fingers went numb. My heart slammed against my ribs so hard it hurt.
It was me and Daniel kissing.
A kiss that meant nothing. A kiss I didn’t want. A kiss I didn’t return.
But the photo didn’t show that. It showed his hands on my face. It showed my eyes closed — blinking, not responding — but in a still image, it looked like surrender.
It looked like betrayal.
My stomach twisted violently. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. I felt like dying. Not because of the kiss — that moment was already a nightmare I wanted to forget — but because someone had taken this photo.
Someone had been close enough.
Watching. Waiting. And now they sent it to me. From an unknown number. My throat tightened. I wanted t
