21-year-old Florence Ivelle struggles through college to claim freedom but gets trapped into a deal with her brother, Alastor, leaving her at his mercy until she graduates. She doesn't expect to be kidnapped into breaking it.
Three masked men take h...
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The basement was lighter when I woke up to Toska using Taehyung's computer. He was sitting beside her, and I watched them drowsily, my head lolling back and forth as my eyes fluttered.
"She said her mother was dead," Taehyung said, focused on the computer screen.
Toska clicked around, going through the familiar motions of her digital art. "Yeah, because she is, but Flo's fever confused her." Rolling her eyes, she muttered, "Everything she told you was the truth."
He considered her and her words. "How long have you known her?"
"Two years."
"And when did she tell you about Killian and Alastor?"
She sighed, moving the mouse around. "A few months ago. She came into our dorm bleeding and full of bruises." She shook her head rigidly. "She didn't tell me much, just that Alastor was blackmailing her into going over on the weekends, but her hope was one more year and it would be over."
She clicked the mouse aggressively. "Ugh, Jesus, Taehyung. When are you going to upgrade to touch-screen? This is difficult."
"Bring your own tablet."
"You know what?" She glared at him. "I wasn't planning on being here for longer than twenty minutes until I saw that you'd kidnapped my best friend."
He ruffled her hair, earning a pinch to his side. "How're classes?"
"You think I want to talk classes when my best friend is tied to a chair?" She scoffed. "You're funny."
"You're doing digital art."
"I draw when I'm stressed!"
"Ah." His lips quirked the slightest bit. "I thought you partied when you're stressed."
"No." She waved her finger in his face. "Parties are distractions, drawing is grounding. God, don't you pay attention to anything?"
"I'm busy keeping the town in check, so forgive me if I forget which of your coping skills is which."
She flicked her fingers in dismissal. "Annoying, just like Jungkook." Her head snapped to his. "What is up with him?"
"The murderers," Taehyung said lowly. "They're getting to him."
"They're getting to all of us," she returned heatedly. "He doesn't have to be a dick to the people working on the same side as him."
"He's losing people he cares about."
"We all are." She bit her lip, gnawing on it before releasing it. "Is he still blaming himself for Akita's death?"
Taehyung nodded curtly.
"It wasn't his fault," she muttered. "He couldn't have done anything."
