Elizabeth’s POV

The phone was pressed against my ear, cold and hard, as if it could somehow transmit the weight of the world into my bones. My hands were still tied, my mouth gagged, and my heart thudded in panic.

The voice on the other end made my chest tighten. My mother.

“Elizabeth,” she said, her tone sharp, accusing. “Why do you make everything so difficult? Why can’t you just… be easier for me?”

I froze. The words pierced me more than any whip ever could. I ...