Isabella: His Unseen Guardian

en basements. His body was a map of pain, each ache a landmark of the violence he' d endured. A fractured rib screamed every time he tried to breathe, and the dried blood on his face fe

areer, his body, and

. A groan escaped his lips, a pathetic, weak sound that echoed in the small, dark space

ouetted against the light, tall and indistinct. Liam flinched, expecting another blow, another dem

ression that seemed out of place in this hell, and an air of absolute control. This was Isabella. She was

voice was low and steady, a

h jolt of pain through his neck. "There' s nothing left. Just let it be over." He couldn't face the thought of living like this, a broken man

is easy," she stated, her tone cool and matter-of-fact. "Living is harder. I'm offering you the harder path." She

am could only stare at her. Hope was a foreign conc

life and on my honor, I will protect you. I will see you through this. Your pain will have a purpose, and your future will be your own." It wasn't just a promis

a phone pressed to his ear. He could hear Chloe' s voice, his fiancée, the woman he was supposed to build a life with. The kidnapper had

ind of money." There was a pause. "Do what you have to do." The line went dead. The casual dismissal, the utter

t Isabella, this stranger who offered him everything while the woman who was his everything had condemned him to de

, the word barely audible. "I'll go with you." He swallowed, his throat raw. "But first... I need to do something. I need to go back to my apartment.