"Leave me alone!" I screamed, desperation tearing through my voice.

The men laughed. Cruel, mocking laughter that echoed in my ears like something out of a nightmare.

Tears blurred my vision as panic swallowed me whole.

I had never felt so small. So helpless.

The situation crushed me, and for one split second, the only thing that came to mind was him.

My boss.

But how could I even reach him?

They dragged me into a dark, freezing room, lit only by a dim neon glow that made everything feel twisted and unreal.

They threw me to the ground with brutal force, the impact knocking the air out of my lungs.

Through the chaos, I heard Alexander Merchant shout, "I'm first!"

His voice was thick with sick excitement, like this was some kind of game to him.

The others laughed louder, deafening, while my heart slammed against my ribs like it was trying to escape.

The vulnerability was suffocating. Every laugh felt like it was tearing me apart.

One of them grabbed my arms, his grip painfully tight, and in that moment, it felt like my entire world collapsed.

Alexander Merchant… that bastard… pulled down his pants right in front of me.

Paralyzing fear flooded my body. I saw him, and a wave of pure disgust crashed over me.

Tears streamed down my face. I was shaking—not just from the cold, but from sheer terror.

It felt like time had stopped, like every second stretched into an endless nightmare.

When he leaned closer to my face, something inside me snapped.

Survival instinct.

I thrashed, trying to break free, but he only laughed, enjoying it.

Another man grabbed at my clothes, letting go of my arms as he tried to rip my blouse—

And that's when I saw it.

A small table beside me.

A glass cup.

I didn't think.

I grabbed it and smashed it, the glass shattering in my hands.

I didn't stop. I seized a sharp shard, my fingers tightening around it.

That disgusting man was trying to force himself on me, his laughter echoing like animals grunting in a pen.

Revulsion surged through me. Rage followed.

And before I could think twice, I drove the shard forward.

Alexander Merchant let out a scream I knew I would never forget.

He recoiled instantly, his face twisting in agony, and the others let go of me, horrified by what had just happened.

For a second, everything went still.

Like time itself had paused.

I scrambled away, curling into myself on the floor, still clutching the shard of glass in my hand.

Adrenaline rushed through me. My whole body shook, but I couldn't loosen my grip.

"No—no, you bitch! What did you do to me?" Alexander screamed, collapsing to his knees.

His voice rang in my ears, and the sight of him… the pain… it burned into my mind. A horrible mix of terror and something else I couldn't name.

The men scattered, panicked, running.

And me…

I couldn't take it anymore.

I felt like I was going to die—but I wasn't going to go down without fighting.

If I was going to die, it would be on my feet, defending my dignity.

Something had awakened inside me. A strength I didn't know I had.

It was new. Raw. A mix of courage and desperation that refused to let me break.

Time blurred.

I heard footsteps, but I didn't know how long had passed.

I was still trembling, my teeth chattering, the shard of glass clutched tightly in my hand.

Then a voice cut through the darkness.

"Vanessa?"

It sounded familiar, but my mind couldn't place it.

Light flooded my vision, forcing me to look up.

It was my boss.

He was crouched in front of me, his expression a mix of shock and something else… something close to concern.

Alexander Merchant was gone. Someone must have taken him away.

"Let go of the glass, Vanessa. It's over," he said, his voice calm—too calm for everything that had just happened.

Reality hit me all at once.

I looked down at the blood-covered shard in my hand, and suddenly, the adrenaline began to fade.

The fog in my mind started to clear, but the fear still lingered, heavy and suffocating.

My fingers finally loosened.

The glass slipped from my hand and hit the floor with a dull sound.

Blood slid down my palm, warm and sticky, and the terror came rushing back.

All my strength drained out of me.

And then everything went black.