Jordan’s head rang from the impact. Her breath came in ragged gulps, each inhale laced with pain. The metallic tang of blood coated her tongue where she’d bitten it in the struggle. Above her, Brian loomed. His shadow seemed larger than the walls, his grin gleaming in the dim generator light. “You always make me do this,” he said softly, crouching down until his eyes locked with hers. “Always pushing back. Always making me the bad guy.” His voice lowered to a near whisper, venom hidden behind a mockery of tenderness. “But you’ll learn, sweetheart. You’ll see. In the end, family is all that matters.” Jordan forced herself upright, the room tilting. Her chest heaved as she scrambled back toward the steel wall, her palms scraping against the cold floor. “Stay away from me,” she choked out. Brian tilted his head, his gaze sharp. “You sound just like her. Do you know what she said to me, the night I—” He chuckled. “The night I saved you? She begged. Begged me to let her live. Said she’d take you, leave me, that we could pretend none of this ever happened. Can you imagine? Pretend.” Jordan’s stomach twisted. Brian’s voice grew darker, harsher, each word slicing into the air. “She called me a monster. Told me I didn’t deserve you. And she was right about one thing — I don’t share. You’re mine. You’ve always been mine.”Her heart hammered in her chest, every instinct screaming at her to move. She reached blindly, her hand finding the edge of the generator panel, searching desperately for something sharp, something she could use. Her fingers curled around a loose metal wrench. Brian saw the movement. His smile faded. “Don’t.” But Jordan had already swung. The wrench connected with his jaw, a sickening crack echoing through the room. Brian stumbled, cursing, his hand shooting up to clutch his face. Blood streamed from the corner of his mouth, his eyes alight with fury. “You little—” He lunged. Jordan screamed as he slammed her to the floor, the wrench skittering out of her grip. His weight crushed her chest, ribs groaning under the pressure. His hands clamped down on her arms, pinning her. “You think you can fight me?” His spit flecked her face as he roared. “You think you’re better than her? Better than me?” Jordan bucked against him, twisting, clawing at his wrists. Panic surged through her veins like fire. “You killed her!” she spat, tears blinding her. “You killed her and you’ll never touch me—” Brian’s fist drove into her stomach, stealing the breath from her lungs. “You don’t get it, do you?” he hissed. “I killed her for you. She was dragging you down. She was the weak one. But you…” His gaze softened in a grotesque mockery of affection. “You’re mine. My perfect girl. And now, we’ll finally be a family again. Just us.” Jordan’s throat tore with a sob. “You’re not my family. You’re a monster.”Something in his face shifted. His eyes hardened, his jaw clenched. The fragile mask of calm shattered. “Then you don’t deserve to live.”