Liam
“It was I who fled willingly. I wasn’t outrightly kidnapped. I left off my own violation.”
What the f**k?
I looked at Elena, really looked at her, and waited to hear something countering what she just said, but instead she smiled, a hollow one that told me she’d not minced words and wasn’t done yet.
She grabbed her coffee cup, took a sip, and dropped it back.
Then—
“After I left home, I thought I would be free. That the world outside would be better, and I would be safe. I mean, I was finally away from mom. I could finally breathe.” The smile on her face turned wry. When she spoke again, her voice faltered briefly, but she soon steadied it. “I…I was so wrong. I met the wrong people and was… trafficked.”
My fists clenched. Hard.
“I was sold to black market dealers. It’s a mir
