At the farmhouse...
Bella's restlessness grew, sweat beads pricking her brow. "It's hot," she mumbled, rubbing her throat. Her fingers danced unsteadily against the buttons of her blouse.
Theodore, seated beside her, watched with growing concern. Just yesterday, they had met, and she had been okay, all enthusiastic and determined. But now she was fragile and vulnerable.
Questions swirled in his mind. Why did she go to a dangerous place like that alone in the first place? What was she doing with those thugs? Those weren't the kind of people common men willingly associated with. Had they taken her by force?
A cold shiver slithered down his spine. Kidnapping? That was the only explanation for Bella's state. Otherwise, she wouldn't end up like that.
'What kind of trouble are you in?' he thought, frustration twisting with his worry. 'What are you hiding, Bella?'
