Chapter 20: The Unexpected Rescue

The sounds of the waves and the smell of damp wood immediately told me where I was: still on a boat, somewhere near the shore. My body was heavy, my limbs numb, and a dull pain radiated from my wrists where the ropes had left deep marks.

I blinked several times before my vision adjusted to the dim light. I was in a small cabin, narrow and poorly lit. A faint light filtered through a porthole, and I could hear the sound of water splashing against the hull.

Turning my head, I saw them. Luca. Mila. And another young woman I didn't recognize. Luca was crouched near me, while Mila stood a bit further away, near the door. The third woman, younger, remained silent, her gaze lowered.

A knot formed in my stomach at the sight of Luca. A dull anger rose within me, but I didn't have the strength to let it explode. My body betrayed me, still weak from exhaustion and the events of the past hours.

"She's awake."