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Author's POV -

Darkness.

Light.

Shadows.

Voices.

Naina drifted in and out, like a feather caught in the current of a brutal storm. Her body felt heavy, like lead, but her mind floated somewhere between reality and a fog of forced unconsciousness.

She could feel the vibration of the car. The muffled hum of the tires over gravel. Her head lolled to one side, cheek pressing against rough fabric. A faint ringing filled her ears, drowning out most sounds, but sometimes, in the stretches of semi-wakefulness, she could catch pieces.

"...almost there..."

"...watch her head..."

"...don't drop-"

Then silence again.

Her limbs refused to obey her. Her body didn't feel like her own.

But her heart... her heart pounded in her chest as if trying to alert her that something was very, very wrong.

The car came to a stop.

Doors slammed.

More voices.

Then-hands on her again. She whimpered, barely audible, and tried to move, but her limbs twitched uselessly. Still, her body remembered-remembered fear, remembered trauma, remembered pain. Her skin recoiled instinctively at every brush.

Then she heard a voice.

Distinct.

Sharp.

Masculine.

Laced with venomous anger.

"What the fuck did you do to her?"

Her breathing hitched even in her dazed state.

Her body went cold. Her pulse spiked.

No... no no no...

One of the men carrying her stammered quickly, "S-sir, she was struggling... she was screaming, kicking, someone could've seen us... so we used the sedative."

There was silence for a moment.

Then footsteps.

Measured. Heavy. Confident.

Her mind was foggy but her fear was clear.

Then-

A hand touched her cheek.

And every fiber in her body rebelled.

Even unconscious, her skin recognized that touch. Her chest heaved. She flinched.

Goosebumps rose on her skin-not the kind born of thrill or cold-but the kind born of gut-wrenching, soul-splitting terror.

He noticed.

And he laughed.

A low, breathy chuckle that made her nausea spike even in her sedated state.

"Looks like you recognize my touch, even when you're out cold."

He leaned in closer.

His breath ghosted over her ear.

"Surprise, chérie." The word slithered like poison.

"I missed you..." he said, his tone dripping with false tenderness. "And I know you missed me too. But don't worry... I'll make up for all the lost time."