. She panted heavily, her chest rising and fa
kin, searching for the torn flesh and the cold iron.
n straight into the adjoining marble bathroom. She slammed her hands onto th
ed at th
A psychotic break? She touched her cheek, feeling the warmth of her own skin, her mind spinning in a chaotic vortex of panic and disbelief. How could the pain
urrent time: Three months be
, shattering the quiet hum of
t her ribs. Three months. Sh
first-floor lobby. Use the whip to punish the villain, Byron Se
hind her eyes. Her stomach violently rejected the memory. She leaned ove
ezing water onto her face. The shock of t
, looking at the water dripping from he
she stated
bliteration." The system's ice-cold voice echoed in her mind, accompanied by a gla
laugh. She grabbed a velvet towe
e," she thought back, her internal voice dripping wit
faint static buzz hummed in her
he bathroom and back into the massive bedroom. She marche
y way, or we both die ri
m. The system finally ch
d. Vicious female route closed.
le, ticking countdown timer in the corner of her vision. Julia let out
loudly. The physical
open the double doors. Rows of haute couture dres
f denim jeans and a soft cashmere sweater. She stripped off her silk pajamas and pull
here, the screen lighting up with over a dozen missed calls. P
hone and swiped it
w. She pulled open the drawers until she foun
and pressed the nib hard against
unker. S
ed on the first word. She had no idea how m
aside empty velvet jewelry boxes and a stack of previously declined, maxed-
stack of credit card bills and three bl
ted to the manor's Wi-Fi. She downloaded the banking app an
creen. Julia held her breath, he
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