章 163: Smile for the camera

The cold, damp cell was suffocating. Each breath I took felt like inhaling shards of glass, the air thick with the scent of mold and despair.

My body ached from the beatings and rough handling. Bruises blossomed across my skin, a painful mosaic of my captivity. But worse than the physical pain was the gnawing fear and uncertainty. Where was Carmen? Would she find me in time?

I had spent the night clinging to fragments of hope, but morning brought a cruel clarity. I was still here, and the torment was far from over. Sydney's footsteps echoed down the hallway, a harbinger of more pain. She entered the cell with a cold smile, her presence like a dark cloud blotting out any light.

"Well, well, if it isn't the model in distress," she sneered, her eyes gleaming with malice. "How did you sleep, Elena?"