Stumbling toward the door, she forced one foot in front of the other, every step draining what little strength she had left.
Her ears rang. Her vision blurred. Consciousness dangled by a thread, but she willed herself to stay upright.
She crashed into the door, hands fumbling for the handle. Twisting it frantically-
Nothing.
Her stomach plummeted.
It was locked.
From the outside.
“Linsey, you’re dead meat.”
Felix’s voice thundered from behind her. As Linsey turned, he lunged forward, his fingers wrapping around her neck in a vice-like grip.
The sudden pressure stole her breath, sending her head spinning. Panic surged through her as she scratched at his unyielding hands, desperate for air.
“Let… let me go…” Linsey managed to choke out, her words barely a whisper amid her struggle.
Felix’s eyes blazed with fury, his face twisted into something monstrous.
“Linsey! You piece of shit! How could you do this to me?!”
He shot her a murderous glare, entirely unfazed by her pale, trembling face as he unleashed his rage.
“For five years, Linsey-five years we were together! Not only did you leave me, but now you dare to hit me?”
His voice rose, laced with disbelief and venom.
“You never fail to piss me off!”
Linsey gasped, her voice raw but defiant.
“Oh, please, Felix. You were the one who messed up first. And now you’re trying to make me the villain? I swear, I never wronged you in those five years. But tell me the truth-did you ever really treat me right?”
Her words struck like blades. Felix stared into her cold, unwavering gaze, his expression darkening.
“You’re just a woman! Learn your damn place!” he spat, contempt thick in his tone.
“We barely broke up, and you’re already married to Collin? Falling for him? That’s your biggest mistake!”
Disgust surged through Linsey, deeper than ever.
She wouldn’t waste another breath trying to reason with someone so warped by his own delusions.
Even with death looming, she stopped struggling. Her voice was calm, but it sliced like ice.
“Collin is not only handsome, but he treats me with kindness and respect. It’s obvious why anyone would fall for him. He’s out of your league in every way.”
Felix’s face turned scarlet, the veins at his temples pulsing. Her words hit him where it hurt most.
A scream of rage burst from his throat.
“And what makes me inferior to Collin? He’s nothing but a useless cripple! Even his own family treats him like trash! And you dare say he’s out of my league?”
It was true the esteemed Riley family had shown Collin little regard, especially after his paralysis.
Felix believed that alone made him the better man.
But Linsey’s brutal honesty shattered his inflated ego.
With a piercing glare, she hissed,
“You are nothing but a despicable coward. Collin is more of a man than you’ll ever be. Comparing you to him is an insult-to him.”
Felix shouted, his voice echoing through the grim room as he yanked her roughly, dragging her back inside.
“Let me go!” Linsey cried, pain lacing every syllable.
“Linsey, listen to me!” Felix roared, his voice trembling with obsession.
“You will never leave me! You’re mine-alive or dead!”
With that, he hurled her to the ground.
She crashed onto the filthy floor, the impact knocking the air from her lungs.
Terror surged through her, full and paralyzing.
This couldn’t be happening…
Just as Felix loomed over her, his hands reaching for her clothes-
The door exploded open with a thunderous crash.
The sharp noise split the silence like lightning, snapping Felix’s focus from his vile intentions.
He spun around, eyes wide with fury.
“Who dares interrupt me?”
But the words barely left his mouth.
Standing in the doorway was Collin.
He was upright, tall and composed, framed by the splintered doorway.
And he wasn’t alone. A group of men flanked him, their presence cold and commanding, their expressions deadly.
Felix’s face twisted in disbelief.
What kind of twisted joke was this?
How had Collin found this place?
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.