My world tilted as I read the menacing words on the document. It was a cruel irony that the very hand they tried to erase was now their only hope. An internal battle raged within me. The weight of their betrayal crushed my spirit, and yet, the thought of refusing to save a life—innocent of their cruelty—haunted my conscience.
Bella’s eyes met mine. I saw desperation, a silent plea for mercy. Unlike her parents, she had done me no harm. The walls I had built around my heart trembled, threatening to collapse.
But I couldn’t succumb. Not yet.
