my husband doesn't touch me on our wedding night he claims he's too tired and asks me to wait then he sneaks into the basement in the we hours of each night whenever he returns he needs to shower to wash away an Indescribable smell in the center of the room stood a large heavy table cluttered with tools and jars the tools were unfamiliar a mix of what looked like surgical instruments and strange archaic devices some of the jars contained murky liquids While others held objects I couldn't identify my stomach churned at the sight of a jar
with what appeared to be a piece of hair floating inside the walls were lined with shelves each holding stacks of papers photographs and more jars on one shelf I spotted a notebook its cover stained and worn hesitating for only a moment I reached for it and flipped it open my hands shook as I scanned the pages the handwriting was zay's there was no mistaking it at first the entry seemed innocent enough measurements date locations but as I turned the pages the notes grew darker detailed diagrams of human anatomy filled the margins alongside cryptic symbols I
didn't recognize some entries were accompanied by names each crossed out with thick heavy lines what is this I whispered to myself my voice barely audible in the Stillness before I could piece anything together I heard the faint sound of the front door opening Panic surged through me Zay was home frantically I searched for a place to hide spotting a large storage cabinet in the corner I slipped inside clutching the notebook to my chest I barely managed to pull the door shut before his footsteps reached the top of the basement stairs who's here zay's voice was
low and sharp you must have noticed the basement door open I know someone's down here the stairs creaked under his weight as he descended through the slats of the cabinet door I watched him scan the room his eyes narrowing as they fell on the distur table he muttered a curse under his breath damn it he growled his hands clenching into fists he walked to the table and began rifling through the items clearly searching for something my heart pounded as I realized he was looking for the notebook just when I thought he might leave he stopped
abruptly and turned toward the cabinet my blood ran cold come out he said his voice calm but menacing I know you're in there I didn't move maybe he was bluffing maybe he wasn't sure but then he stroe forward and yanked the cabinet door open his eyes locked onto mine and for a moment neither of us moved his expression was a mixture of Fury and something else fear what are you doing he asked his voice low and controlled but I could hear the edge beneath it I tightened my grip on the notebook refusing to let it
go what is all this Zan what are you hiding he took a step closer and I instinctively backed away until I was pressed against the wall of the cabinet give me the notebook he demanded his voice Rising you don't understand what you're messing with then explain it to me I shot back my fear giving way to anger why are there diagrams of bodies why are there jars with God knows what inside them what have you been doing down here Zayn ran a hand through his hair his jaw tightening for a moment I thought he might
try to grab the notebook from me but then he sighed and stepped back you don't understand he said quietly this isn't what it looks like like then tell me what it is my voice echoed in the basement the desperation clear he hesitated his eyes ding between me and the notebook finally he spoke I'm trying to fix something he said something that went wrong a long time ago fix what I pressed he didn't answer right away instead he turned toward the table and picked up one of the jars you wouldn't understand he murmured but everything I'm
doing it's for us for you for me I repeated incredulous do you think I'm stupid nothing about this is normal Zayn you disappear every night you won't touch me and now this how could any of this be for me he set the jar down and turned to face me his expression was unreadable but there was a strange intensity in his eyes you want the truth he asked fine I'll tell you everything but once you know there's no going back a shiver ran down my spine I wanted answers but something about about his tone made me
wonder if I was ready for them tell me I said my voice steady despite the fear bubbling inside me I deserve to know Zayn exhaled his shoulders slumping slightly he said but you have to promise me one thing whatever happens you can't leave his words sent a chill through me why wouldn't I be able to leave instead of answering he walked to the table and picked up the notebook I had been holding it started years ago he said flipping to a page near the beginning before I met you before any of this I listened in
silence as he began to tell his story the further he went the deeper the pit in my stomach grew this wasn't just about the basement it was about something much bigger something I could barely comprehend zay's fingers traced the worn edges of the notebook as he spoke his voice low and measured it was the voice of someone unraveling a confession they had buried for far too long before I met you he began I made a mistake a choice that seemed small at the time but became something else entirely he paused staring at the notebook as
if the words written there were too heavy to Bear it all started with a man named Dr Callaway I furrowed my brow who is Dr Callaway Zay glanced at me the flicker of fear in his eyes unsettling his he was a researcher he worked in experimental medicine pushing the boundaries of what science could do but his methods were unconventional what does does this have to do with you I asked my voice trembling Zayn hesitated then took a deep breath I was desperate back then my sister was dying an illness no doctor could cure cway promised
he could help I didn't care about the cost or the risks I just wanted to save her the basement seemed to grow colder as I listened the gravity of his words settling over me like a thick fog Callaway's work wasn't exactly legal Zayn continued he had a lab hidden much like this basement he told me he needed subjects to test his treatment and I brought people to him people I didn't know strangers I told myself wouldn't be missed a sickening realization dawned on me you handed people over to him for experiments zay's jaw tightened I
thought it was worth it I thought if my sister survived it would make everything okay I stared at him horrified and did it work did he save her he shook his head the weight of his failure evident in the way his shoulders slumped no she died anyway and by then it was too late I was already in too deep what does this have to do with now I demanded my voice Rising despite my fear why are you still hiding things why the jars the notes what's going on in this basement s he set the notebook
down turning to face me fully cway disappeared years ago but his work didn't die with him someone else took it over they found me said they knew what I'd done what I'd been part of they blackmailed me into continuing his research continuing it my voice cracked you mean I don't hurt anyone Zay interrupted his voice sharp I gather materials for them samples data I don't ask questions and they don't ask me for more than I'm willing to give I stepped back shaking my head this is insane you're telling me you've been working for some underground
operation that still helping them I didn't have a choice Zayn shouted his voice echoing off the walls they threatened to expose everything to destroy my life your life and if I refused they wouldn't just come after me my blood ran cold you mean they'd come after me Zayn nodded his expression Grim that's why I've kept this from you why I didn't want you going into the basement the less you know the safer you are I couldn't believe what I was hearing the man I married the man I thought I knew was a stranger a pawn
in some horrifying scheme and yet even as anger and fear bubbled inside me another question lingered why won't you touch me I asked softly the words cutting through the tension like a blade why do you act like I disgust you zayk face softened his anger melting into something that looked almost like guilt I'm not good enough for you he said his voice barely above a whisper I've done terrible things things that can't be forgiven I can't let myself get close to you because because you deserve better his words hung in the air heavy and raw
for a moment I didn't know how to respond my mind was spinning trying to reconcile the man I thought I knew with the man standing before me Zan I said finally my voice trembling you can't keep hiding things from me if we're going to get through this if we're going to survive this you have to tell me everything he looked at me his eyes filled with a mix of Hope and despair do you really mean that you'd stay even knowing what I've done I hesitated the weight of his question pressing down on me I didn't
know the answer but before I could speak a loud crash echoed from upstairs both of us froze what was that I whispered my heart racing zay's expression darkened they here who I asked Panic rising in my chest he grabbed my arm pulling me toward the stairs the people I work for they must have found out you were here my breath caught as the sound of footsteps thundered above us Zayn led me to a small door at the back of the basement shoving it open to reveal a hidden tunnel go he urged his voice urgent I'll
distract them just get out of here no I said grabbing his arm I'm not leaving you you have to he shouted if they find you they'll kill you tears filled my eyes as I realized the gravity of the situation I didn't want to leave him but I didn't have a choice with one last look I turned and ran into the darkness of the tunnel zay's voice echoing behind me whatever happens don't look back
