My Husband's Affair My Anniversary Gift (Lily and David) novel Chapter 252

Lily woke with a sharp pull in her chest, like her breath had been yanked away. Her head felt heavy. Her eyes fluttered open, and all she saw at first was a cracked ceiling and dust floating in the air.

Her wrists burned before her mind caught up. They were tied behind the chair with a rough rope that scraped her skin every time she moved. Her ankles were bound too, tight enough that she couldn’t shift her legs. The chair itself wobbled a little, old wood, one leg shorter than the others.

The room smelled like sand, rust, and something damp. When her eyes adjusted, she realized she was in a desert house, the kind that looked like it hadn’t seen people in years. The walls were bare, patches of paint eaten away. A single bulb hung from the ceiling but wasn’t turned on. Light only seeped in through a broken window covered with a bent metal grille.

She listened.

Men’s voices drifted from somewhere far in the building. Not shouting, just talking, but it was enough to make her stomach twist. Their steps were heavy. Some laughed. The sound crawled up her spine.

Her throat tightened. Panic rose fast and sharp. Her fingers curled behind the ropes, trying to find even a little slack, but there was none. She breathed slow, but her breaths still trembled. Her heart wouldn’t calm down. It thudded so loud she thought they could hear it.

She swallowed and tried again to move. The rope cut deeper. She winced.

Then she heard footsteps coming closer. Not a group. Just two or three. Steady. Slow. Coming straight to her door.

“No, no…” she whispered under her breath, but the sound barely came out.

Their tones were low, careless, like they were talking about lunch and not a woman tied to a chair. Their laughter rose and fell, too cruel, too relaxed. It made her skin crawl.

Her heartbeat thudded in her ears. She tried to pull free again. The rope burned deeper. Panic rose like a wave that wouldn’t stop.

Footsteps started coming closer.

Slow. Heavy. Confident.

Her breath caught in her throat.

“Please… not now,” she whispered, forcing her breath to steady, but her chest kept shaking.

The door groaned open. It sounded like the whole room winced.

Three men stepped inside.

One wore a scarf around his face, only his eyes showing. The second carried a metal pipe in his hand, tapping it against his palm. The third leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching her like she was something he had already claimed.

They didn’t speak at first. They just stared at her, taking in her fear, the ropes, the room.

They watched her like hunters.

Lily’s breath caught. Her chest rose and fell too fast. Her eyes darted between them, hoping one of them looked less cruel than the others, but none did.

The man with the pipe took a step closer.

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