"It’s you," I say as my eyes widen in astonishment. I see Carttal give a half-smile, enjoying my surprise. "That’s right, Palomita. I told you I’d come for you — or were you waiting for someone else?" he says, emphasizing the last words."No, not at all. It’s just that I’m surprised you took the time to rescue me — honestly, I didn’t expect you to," I tell him, my eyes shining under the lights. I watch him close the door behind him and walk toward me with slow steps. When he reaches me he raises one hand and begins to caress my face. "I told you, Palomita, that you are only mine from now on. I will not let you drift away from me," he says with a note of possessiveness and authority in his tone, which makes me swallow hard and feel my cheeks flush.I didn’t know why this man provoked these feelings in me; I felt my heart leap with just the sound of his manly voice. This feeling I was experiencing was new to me — something I had never felt before.I feel his face drawing closer to mine

I stood in my place for a few minutes while Carttal’s words repeated in my head over and over, like a broken record. I felt fear, especially because of Alexander. I didn’t want him to find me—if he caught me, escaping would be nearly impossible.But I had to do something to buy my medication. The last thing I wanted was for Carttal to find out about my illness. He wanted me to stay with him forever, but that was impossible, no matter how much he wished it. I knew exactly what I was going through and had to slowly start planning my escape.Setting my thoughts aside, I approached the bed and lay down, gazing at the forest visible through the window. That view slowly lulled me to sleep.I opened my eyes, feeling a bit drowsy. I looked around and saw that it was already morning. Without thinking, I tried to get out of bed quickly, but it was immediately impossible.There was an arm wrapped around my waist, restricting my movement. When I looked up, I saw Carttal’s beautiful face very clos