**Chapter 3: Fractured Light**

The air was heavy with tension as Alev's menacing gaze lingered on Ashley, his eyes seeming to bore into her very soul. Ender, sensing the darkness emanating from him, buried his face into Ashley's chest, his tiny body trembling with fear. Ashley's heart ached as she wrapped her arms tighter around him, her eyes locked on Alev's. "I'm just trying to get some rest," Ashley said, her voice firm but controlled, as she took a step back, her eyes never leaving Alev's face. Alev's smile was a thin-lipped, cruel thing. "You're not going to sleep, Ashley," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "Not until we've had a little...talk." Ashley's mind racing, she glanced around the room, searching for an escape route, a distraction, anything that could help her and Ender get out of this situation. But they were trapped, alone in the apartment with no way out. Franklin, oblivious to the tension, continued to snore softly on the couch, his gentle breathing a stark contrast to the storm brewing between Ashley and Alev. Alev took a step closer, his eyes glinting with a malevolent light. "You've been texting your mother again, haven't you?" he spat, his voice venomous. "I told you to cut ties with her, Ashley. I told you she was a toxic influence in your life." Ashley's anger flared, but she kept her cool, her eyes never leaving Alev's face. "She's my mother," she said, her voice firm. "I have a right to talk to her." Alev's face twisted into a snarl. "You have a right to do what I say you have a right to do," he sneered. "And I say you need to cut ties with her. Now." As he spoke, Alev reached out and snatched Ashley's phone from the coffee table, his fingers closing around it like a vice. Ashley felt a surge of panic as he scrolled through her messages, his eyes scanning the screen with a growing look of rage. "You think you can just hide from me, Ashley?" he spat, his voice rising. "You think you can just talk to your mother behind my back and I'll never find out?" Ashley knew she had to act fast. She couldn't let Alev discover her mother's response, couldn't let him know that she was planning to escape. With a surge of adrenaline, she reached out and tried to grab her phone back, but Alev was too quick. He held it out of her reach, his eyes glinting with triumph. "You're going to regret this, Ashley," he said, his voice low and menacing. "You're going to regret ever crossing me." As he spoke, Alev turned and walked out of the room, Ashley's phone still clutched in his hand. Ashley felt a sense of desperation wash over her. She was running out of time, and she knew she had to act fast if she was going to save herself and Ender from Alev's clutches. She took a deep breath, her mind racing with possibilities, and began to formulate a plan. She would get out of this, no matter what it took. She would rise above this, would find a way to shatter the chains that bound her to Alev. And she would start by getting her phone back.