CELESTE’S POV
The last thing I remembered before everything fell apart was the sound of the elevator doors sliding shut.
Brett had walked away without looking back, leaving me standing in the hallway of the Vesper Grand Hotel with more questions than answers and my pride burning like acid in my chest.
I chased after him without thinking.
I never reached the elevator.
A hand clamped over my mouth from behind. Another arm wrapped around my waist, dragging me backward before I could even scream.
Something sharp and chemical soaked into the cloth pressed against my face, and the world tilted violently as darkness rushed in.
When I woke again, I was in chains.
At first, I thought I was still dreaming. My head throbbed with a dull, relentless pain. Every part of my body felt heavy and sluggish, as though I had been submerged underwater for hours.
The air smelled of oil, rust, sweat, and something sour that churned my stomach.
