Zoe's P.O.V.

"I don't understand why someone kidnapped and tortured me, Sky," I question him as we sit on the plane. He convinced me to return to New York, but the truth is, I'm not returning just because of him. I have my reasons. After my kidnapping, I can't stay alone anymore. I'm so afraid. The last two weeks were worse than any nightmare I've ever had.

I was kept in a dark basement, tortured and starved. The first few days, I tried to keep track of time, counting the hours in my head, but eventually, I lost all sense of it. Every time those footsteps approached, my heart would race with dread, knowing what was to come.

They didn't just beat me—they played with my mind. They'd leave me in there for hours, maybe days, without food or water until I was too weak to even cry out. Then, when I thought I couldn't take it anymore, they'd drag me out and force me to eat, only to take it away before I could finish.

They would come into the room, blindfold me, and whisper horrible things in my ear, telling me that no one was coming for me, that Sky would forget about me, that I would die in that dark basement, and that no one would ever know.

Sometimes, they would tie me up and leave me like that for hours, my wrists and ankles burning from the tight ropes, my muscles screaming in pain.

The worst was when they burned my feet when I tried to escape. I begged them, shivering in fear as my captors heated an iron rod. But they didn't listen; they held me down and pressed the rod against the soles of my feet until I screamed my lungs out. The pain was so intense that I thought I would lose my mind. Even now, I can still feel the searing heat, like my skin is being peeled away.

Tears well up in my eyes as I remember those moments. "I'm so afraid, Sky. They tortured me, they kept me in a dark basement, they made me starve. What if... what if they kidnap me again?" A sob escapes my mouth, and my entire body shudders in fright at the thought. What if I have to go through that hell again?

The darkness, the endless suffering—it all feels like it's still a part of me. Even though I'm with Sky now, safe, I can't stop myself from feeling that at any moment, I'll be dragged back to that hell.

Sky instantly holds me closer and reassures me, "Trust me, they won't come again, Trouble."

"How can you be so sure?" I stare at him with fear in my eyes, my hands trembling.

He takes my hands in his and squeezes them. "Because I know who kidnapped you."

My eyes widen in shock. He knows who kidnapped me.

My heart races as I ask him, "What? Who?" His eyes lower in shame, causing my brows to narrow in confusion. "Tell me, Sky."

"It's... my father."

I gasp. "What?"

He nods, staring at me dejectedly.

Sky's father kidnapped me. But why?

"Why would he do that, Sky? Why would he want to see me suffer?" I give him a look of disbelief. "I heard my captors conversing with their boss. Their boss used to order them to torture me as much as possible. Why did he..." My voice trembles as I search his face for answers, but all I find is pain in his eyes. It's a look I've never seen before, and it scares me even more than the nightmare I've just escaped from.

He shakes his head, seeming as clueless as me. "I don't know. Zoe, I couldn't believe my father didn't just kidnap you, but he also tortured you. I cried out in front of him about how lost I was without you. He promised me that he would find you. I never thought in my wildest dreams that he would do something like this. I'm so sorry, Trouble..." he sheds silent tears, holding my hand.

Sky's tears break my heart, but I can't let him blame himself for something he had no control over.

"Sky..." I wipe his tears. "It's not your fault. You couldn't have known. Please don't blame yourself."

Sky's forehead rests against mine, his breath shaky as he fights back more tears. "I feel so terrible that my father tortured the person I love the most."

I can see how much this is tearing him apart, but I know that none of this is his fault. Sky has always been there for me, and he's the reason I'm even alive right now. But I'm terrified that I could be pulled back into that darkness, that suffering. I need to make sure that this nightmare is truly over.

"Sky..." I start, my voice trembling slightly as I pull back just enough to look into his eyes. "Where is he now? Will he... will he try to hurt me again?"

"Never." He clasps my face, fixing his eyes on me. "I promise, Zoe."

I place my head on his chest and whisper, "I trust you, Sky."

He kisses my head, holding me close.

***

As the driver stops the car in front of his penthouse, I speak, "Sky, I can't live here with you."

"What do you mean?" He looks at me, his brows furrowed in confusion. "Why can't you live here?"

I close my eyes and take a deep breath before saying, "I'll live in my apartment."

"What? Why?" His confusion deepens, and I can see the hurt in his eyes. But I know this is the right decision. Although I'm afraid to stay alone, I can't live with him.

I explain, "When we were just friends and living separately, everything was fine. Your life was saved. So I've decided that we should go back to living as friends."

Sky's expression shifts from confusion to deep hurt. He stares at me as if he can't believe what I just said. "Zoe, are you serious? After everything you've been through, you still want us to live separately?"

I nod, my heart aching. "Yes, Sky. I think it's for the best. Ever since we became more than friends, so much has gone wrong. You almost died, I was kidnapped and tortured... Maybe it's a sign that we should keep things the way they were before."

"Zoe, that's never going to happen." He holds my face and makes me look into his eyes. "After what you've gone through, I won't let you live alone. I know you need me more than anything else right now. Nightmares won't let you sleep, and you can't even walk properly right now. Please, don't push me away again."

"Sky, I'm not pushing you away. I'm just asking you to go back to being friends. Please, for me. I can't live with you with the fear of losing you every day. I need some time."

I know it's completely impossible for us to go back to being just friends, but for Sky's safety, I'm ready to do anything. Maybe with time, my fear will go away, but right now, I can't bear the thought of something terrible happening to him because of me.