No Strings Attached

Left to fend for herself in this godforsaken place, Leonora knew she couldn't let things continue this way.

Just then, she felt something being poured over her head.

Curious, she tilted her head back, catching a woman in the act of emptying a basin over her.

Leonora, who had always lived a life of privilege, had never experienced such indignity.

She sprang up and charged at the woman, with teeth clenched in rage. "What the hell did you just dump on me?"

The woman burst into raucous laughter. "Take a whiff. You'll figure it out."

It was then that Leonora noticed the foul, rancid odor invading her nostrils. She instantly realized what the liquid was. Furious, she raised her hand to strike the woman.

But her hand was only halfway up when it was abruptly seized, and a thudding blow came crashing down on her head.

A chair smashed over her, sending her world into a dizzying spin.

That was followed by a flurry of punches and kicks.

After a brutal half-hour beating, Leonora was left nearly dead.

Heidi

her knees, begging for forgiveness. Sᴇaʀ*ᴄh the FɪndNovᴇl.nᴇt website

finally made

crawled and stumbled onto the

as she lay down, she saw

but not as she remembered. Gone was her porcelain skin. Her eyes lacked

close look, she was

welled up in

Heidi, sobbing, "Heidi, how are

Leonora away as she swore viciously,

widened in disbelief. "Heidi, it's me, Leonora. Don't you

don't know you. Get any closer, and I'll have the queen

as the pain in

her savior, but now it was clear that

had narrowly escaped the beatings and didn't want to invite trouble

Heidi so cold and ruthless, Leonora felt both heartbroken and

don't know each other. Nobody

Heidi stepped

Heidi could scream,