"Speak up, Isabella, let me hear that gentle voice of yours," he said, his voice laced with a chilling threat as he tightened his grip on my chin. My lips quivered under his intense gaze, struggling to meet his eyes through my watery tears. "I... I'm sorry, Ace," I stammered, trying to find the courage to apologize. "You're always sorry, Isabella. You'll always be just a weak, crying baby," he sneered, his hold on my shoulders intensifying. The mere mention of it caused a humiliating tear to slip from my eye. "You're so pitiful, I'll continue to hurt you until you're nothing but a memory beneath my feet," he warned, his proximity causing a surge of fear within me. I instinctively closed my eyes, bracing for whatever might come next. My heart skipped a beat as his breath brushed against my cheeks, then suddenly, he was gone. Once, he was the object of my crush and our childhood bond was unbreakable. Now, he's a nightmare, consumed by hatred. He swears to turn my life into a living hell because of one big mistake I made – choosing to live when I should have given up.
