The night felt unbearably short and torturous.

My mind raced in frantic circles, replaying everything that had happened. My body ached, my skin throbbed under the faint chill of the air-conditioned room, and though the sheets were soft Egyptian cotton, they felt coarse against the bruises on my shoulder. I lay awake long before dawn, staring at the ceiling, feeling the weight of another day crash down before it even began.

Then his voice cut through the dark.

“You have a long day ahead of ...