Just as I opened my mouth to call back, Hernan leaned close, voice low in my ear. “If I let him in,


    what makes you think I wouldn’t just take both of you?”


    He was trying to mess with my head, make me too scared to fight back.


    “Rea?” Jace called again, his voice sharper now, more urgent.


    I couldn’t just sit there. So I did the first thing that popped into my head–I bit down on his hand,


    hard.


    Hernan jerked back, his grip loosening just enough for me to break free. I bolted for the door,


    yelling,” Jace, help-!”


    But then I felt a chill against my neck, and before I could react… everything went ck.


    When I woke up, the room was pitch–ck, with just a few dim floor lights casting eerie shadows. I


    was lying on a soft bed, wrapped in nkets.


    Thest few minutes before I’d cked out hit me in a sh. Heart pounding, I threw back the


    covers, checking my clothes.


    Seeing I was in a random set of pajamas, a chill ran through me. I barely had time to process it


    before the door creaked open, and Hernan walked in. He was in pajamas too, which somehow


    made it worse.


    Ice shot through me as I red at him, both freaked out and furious. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    “So fierce?” he said, smirking.


    I pulled the nket tighter around me, too unnerved to even ask who’d changed my clothes or why I


    was in pajamas at all.


    Hernan strolled over and sat on the edge of the bed, holding a ss of red wine. In the low light,


    with his pale skin and European features, he looked like something straight out of a gothic thriller.


    “You’re upset about… this?” he asked, motioning to my pajamas.


    I held the nket even tighter, trying to stay calm. I wanted to ask if he’d done anything to me, but I


    knew how stupid that would sound. If he had, I’d know.


    “You’re such an innocent little thing,” Hernan chuckled, taking a slow sip of wine.


    “Why did you bring me here? What do you want?” I asked, even though Lalready knew.


    He swirled the wine around. “Didn’t Haddy… tell you?”


    Haddy? Hearing him call Hayden that, with this weirdly familiar, almost affectionate tone, threw me


    off. Like there was some secret connection between them I hadn’t seening.


    But he’d brought Hayden up, so I decided to go for it. “Don’t think you can use me to get to Hayden.


    We’re done. He couldn’t care less what happens to me.”


    “Is that so?” Hernan’s mouth curved into an amused smile. “Well, guess I’ll have to test that


    theory.”


    My heart skipped as he set down his wine ss and casually reached for my phone on the bedside


    table.


    He scanned my face to unlock it, then tapped around before ncing up at me.


    “Is this him?” He held up the phone, showing Hayden’s contact open on the screen. His finger


    hovered right over Hayden’s profile picture,beled with the nickname I’d saved: Haddy.


    “What are you nning to do?” I lunged for the phone.


    Hernan just lifted it out of my reach, that annoying smirk never leaving his face. “Looks like we have


    something inmon. You like calling him Haddy, too.”


    And then the ringing sound of a video call filled the room.


    I knew exactly what he was up to, and my stomach twisted. I thought back to myst conversation


    with Hayden, letting out a bitterugh. “Calling him won’t help. He won’t care. Last I saw him, he


    was picking out rings with his fiancée.”


    Hernan’s eyebrow arched, his smirk widening. “Is that so?”


    “Hayden and I are done. We broke up after myst trip here.” I tried to make it clear that there was


    nothing left between us, hoping he’d believe it and maybe, just maybe, let me go.


    But just then, Hernan turned the phone to me, and there he was–Hayden. He’d answered.


    Hayden’s gaze was sharp, intense, locked right on me. But before I could say a word, Hernan


    pulled the phone back in front of himself, grinning. “Haddy, can you see her?”