Jane The Virgin - K.M.

3

Chapter Three

As the haze of the drugs slowly started to clear from my mind, a growing sense of dread and unease began to set in.

My eyes flickered open, and even the solitary light in the corner of the room felt like it was searing my sensitive eyes, causing them to roll back in discomfort.

The pounding in my head was relentless, my throat painfully dry, and the nausea that had plagued me earlier had returned with a vengeance.

Disoriented and confused, I struggled to make sense of my surroundings, desperately trying to recall how I had ended up in this unfamiliar place.

A faint groan escaped my lips as I fought through the fog, the sound of my own voice startling me.

"Ugh..." I repeated, the single syllable conveying the sheer misery I was experiencing.

Mustering what little focus I could, I strained to piece together the events leading up to this moment - Esther's cryptic words, the unsettling feeling that had crept up on me, the sinking suspicion that something was terribly wrong.

And then the realization hit me, sending a jolt of panic through my body. They had drugged me, taken me somewhere against my will.

My eyes shot open, my body jerking upright as I began breathing heavily, hands clenching the covers in a vice grip.

As the initial surge of anger subsided, I forced myself to think rationally, to try and make sense of this nightmare I had found myself in.

Why had they done this? Where was I? Esther had spoken of making the "right decisions" - but whose idea of "right" was this? The uncertainty was maddening, leaving me feeling powerless and trapped.

And then, that voice - the one I had been replaying over and over in my mind for the past two days.

I didn't need to look to know who it was, the mere sound of it sending a shiver down my spine.

Despite my better judgment, I remained facing forward, wrapping the covers tighter around myself in a futile attempt at some semblance of protection.

Klaus's dark laughter only served to heighten my unease, and I steeled myself for the confrontation to come.

"Come now, don't be shy," he taunted, his amusement palpable.

I refused to give him the satisfaction of a response, keeping my head turned away and my arms crossed defensively over my chest.

But he was relentless, pressing me for answers. "What am I doing here? Where's Esther?" I demanded, my voice laced with a mixture of fear and defiance.

The sound of a book slamming shut followed by the shifting of his weight as he stood told me he was approaching, and I fought the urge to flinch away.

"God, I've been waiting a long time for you to wake up," he murmured, his tone a strange mixture of anticipation and annoyance.

I steeled myself, determined not to show any weakness, but when his cold hand suddenly grasped my face and forcefully turned it towards him, I couldn't help the sharp intake of breath.

His piercing gaze bore into mine, his nearness suffocating. "Why do you wish to keep my child from me?" he hissed, the underlying threat in his words unmistakable.

In that moment, something inside me snapped. The power I had felt slipping away from me during my captivity suddenly surged back with a vengeance, the familiar warmth coursing through my veins as I glared defiantly into his eyes.

"It's my child too," I reminded him, my voice steady despite the turmoil raging within. "And I had no wish to see it harmed through your impulsiveness and power-hungry attitude."