The Year She Stopped Being Crazy for Him novel Chapter 189

The sharp, pulsing pain in her ankle spread in waves, while her heart felt suffocatingly cold and bitter.

The trailing SUV pulled up in front of her. The door opened, and Natalie saw Nancy curled tightly into a ball on the floorboard, her face pale and horrifyingly vacant.

Panic gripping her chest, she hurriedly climbed inside, pulling the door shut and immediately raising the privacy partition between the front and back seats.

Nancy's eyes were blindfolded, her mouth taped shut, and her wrists bound tightly behind her back. Her skin was flushed a dangerous red.

Natalie quickly untied the ropes, gently peeled the tape from her mouth, and removed the blindfold.

She could hear Nancy gasping desperately for air. Her breathing was erratic as she mumbled incoherently, "No... please, please let me go. No... let me go, please let me go."

Her eyes were squeezed shut, already swollen and red from crying, as terrified whimpers tore from her throat.

Natalie pulled her into a tight embrace, gently rubbing her back. "It's okay, it's okay. You're safe now. No one is going to hurt you. I'm right here. I'm with you."

"Ah..." Nancy let out a stifled, agonizing wail. The veins in her neck and forehead bulged from the sheer force of her panic. "N-Natalie."

Saying Natalie's name, she finally broke down completely. Her body convulsed with violent sobs, crying until she was as weak and helpless as an infant.

It took a long time before she slowly began to calm down. Clinging to Natalie, she rested her chin heavily on her shoulder. Her breathing was jagged, her hollow eyes staring blankly into space.

"Natalie, I'm so sorry," she rasped, her voice completely shredded. "He was right. I am going to end up dragging you down with me."

Natalie's eyes filled with confusion. "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Nancy lowered her head, fresh tears spilling over. "You must have guessed it by now. Someone is hunting for me. If they ever find me, you'll be caught in the crossfire."

"That won't happen. You're so incredibly careful. You barely even leave the apartment, and you leave zero trace. How could anyone find you? Stop torturing yourself over things that haven't even happened."

"I'm sorry. I didn't tell you because... because I was terrified that the more you knew, the more danger you'd be in." Nancy shook her head as tears continuously tracked down her cheeks.

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