I wake with a start, my heart pounding against my ribs. The motel room is pitch black except for the faint glow of a neon sign seeping through the curtains. Estella whimpers in her sleep beside me, and I instinctively reach out to stroke her hair, my fingers trembling.\n\nLast night's events replay in my mind like a horror movie—my father's enraged face as he chased us through the streets, the collision with the wall that left blood on my forehead, and then... him.\n\nTyberias. Just thinking his name sends a shiver down my spine. His strong arms catching me when I stumbled, those intense eyes studying me like I was something precious rather than the broken, fleeing girl I truly am.\n\nI glance at the business card he gave me, crumpled in my palm. The edges are worn from being clutched all night. What would happen if I called? Would he actually help, or would he demand something in return? Men like him—wealthy, powerful—don't just help people out of the goodness of their hearts.\n\nEstella stirs again, and I pull her closer, wrapping my jacket around her tiny shoulders. My stomach growls painfully, reminding me I haven't eaten in over twenty-four hours. I need to get to work, need to earn enough for real food, maybe even a better motel room.\n\nBut first, I need to check if he's still out there. My father, waiting to drag us back to that house of horrors.\n\nTaking a deep breath, I rise silently and creep toward the window, my bare feet silent against the stained carpet. Peering through a crack in the curtains, I scan the parking lot, my pulse racing with each passing second.