The silence had become my only weapon.
I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the tray Damien had placed on the nightstand. It tasted like nothing when I finally forced myself to eat. I ate mechanically, fork moving from plate to mouth without thought or pleasure. I had stopped refusing the food after his threat about Sofia. The image of my best friend getting hurt because of my stubbornness was too heavy to carry.
But speaking? Engaging? Giving him even one word of acknowledgment? That I wouldn’t do.
Damien watched me from the armchair across the room, elbows on his knees, hands clasped together. His eyes never left me. He had moved me back here days ago, thinking the familiar space might soften me. It only made the cage feel more personal.
“You don’t have to do this,” he said quiet
