LOGIN"Princess!"Princess sat at the edge of her small wooden bed, her chest heaving as she fought to catch her breath. Sweat slicked her skin, plastering strands of hair to her forehead. She had just woken from another restless, agonizing night.The door swung open, and twenty-one-year-old Anna burst into the room. Over the past three years, Anna had become a permanent fixture in Princess's life, coming and going as she pleased. She no longer even flinched at the glares Master Zay threw her way whenever she barged in; spending time with Princess was simply too irresistible to pass up."Are we going to get the herbs today—" Anna cut herself off mid-sentence, her bright smile fading as she took in Princess's distressed state.She hurried over, dropping onto the mattress and taking Princess's trembling hands. "Did you dream again?"Princess gave a faint, exhausted nod, her vocal cords too tight to form words.The dreams had started a few months after she woke from her eight-month coma. Maste
Three years ago, the morning mist had barely lifted off the coastal cliffs when the roar of the tide brought an unimaginable sight to the shores of the isolated fishing hamlet.The village women, carrying woven baskets down to the pools to fetch water, had frozen at the edge of the wet sand. Half-buried in kelp and ocean foam lay a body. Blood, dried to a crust, clung to the tattered fabric of her silk clothes, and her skin was as pale as marble. It had taken ten minutes of hushed whispers and trembling courage before the village elders finally approached, only to gasp as they felt a faint flutter beneath her wrist.She was alive.Panicked shouts echoed through the village as four men carefully lifted the wounded stranger, sprinting through the paths toward the cottage on the edge of the forest—the sanctuary of Master Zay.When the young doctor opened his clinic doors, his usual stoic expression had faltered for a fraction of a second. A total stranger, washed ashore like a broken do
THIRD PERSON POV The sweet smile vanished from her face the second the bedroom door latched shut, leaving her alone in the quiet corridor.Ungrateful little brat.She smoothed down the front of her dress, her eyes narrowing as she stared at Remy's door. For three years, she had bent over backward to win that boy over. She had brought him sweets, offered to read to him, played the gentle, grieving aunt who simply wanted to cushion his motherless world. And yet, the child remained as cold, guarded, and impossible to tame as his father.He was, by far, the most frustrating project she had ever undertaken.A muted vibration chimed from the inside pocket of her leather tote. She slipped her phone out, casting a glance at the screen. Her lips pressed into a tight, irritated line.She contemplated letting it ring out, but the caller was relentless. If she ignored him today, he was stupidly brave enough to show up directl
THIRD PERSON POV The door of the upper wing study closed behind Remy, bringing an end to another four-hour advanced tutoring session. At seven years old, his mind was sharper than most children twice his age, but the weight of the daily routine left him perpetually exhausted. He adjusted his dark blue sweater and walked down toward his bedroom, eager to shut out the world. He was halfway down the hallway when a slim figure stepped out from the side gallery, blocking his path. "Hi, darling." Remy paused, swallowing his annoyance. He forced his face into an unreadable blank as he looked up at the intruder. It was her again. "Do you need anything?" she asked, her voice dripping with a sickly sweet warmth as she reached out, cupping his chin. "Why don't I help you with your homework today?" Remy flinched subtly, jerking his head back to break her grip. His jaw tigh
THIRD PERSON POV On the other side of the mansion, the air in Noah’s study still carried the aftermath of violence.Blood speckled the front of Noah’s rumpled shirt. One corner of his mouth was split. He stood breathing hard, shoulders tight, eyes locked on the man across from him. Mike looked no better—collar torn, a darkening bruise along his jaw, the same raw fury banked behind his stare. They had already gone three rounds of blame and fists. Mike for the niece he had not been there to protect. Noah for the woman and the son he had sworn nothing would touch.The room smelled of sweat and the metallic edge of blood.Mike was the first to speak again, voice rough. “So you’re delusional now. You got my niece killed and you can’t even admit it. Are you that much of a coward?”Noah’s expression did not change. “Aria is not dead, Mike. I know she isn’t. And I will not stop looking.”Something in the absolute certainty of it made Mike’s shoulders drop a fraction. He exhaled hard, the fig
THIRD PERSON POVThe visitation room at the correctional facility was all hard surfaces. Bolted tables, scratched plexiglass dividers, the constant low murmur of other conversations under the watch of officers along the wall. Lora sat in the orange jumpsuit—her face hollowed out, her left hand, still wrapped in thick, stained medical gauze—throbbed with a dull, incessant ache where her fingers had been severed.She had stopped counting the days. Her mother had not come. Jamie had not come. She had begun to believe no one would.When the officer called her name, a thin, irrational hope still rose. Someone had asked for her. Someone still cared.Stephanie Langford was already waiting.She looked more expensive here—tailored coat, clean hair, the faint scent of floral that did not belong in a room that smelled of disinfectant and metal. Her eyes moved over Lora’s prison clothes with open assessment, the corner of her mouth lifting.“Wow,” Stephanie said. “You look… really different.”L
ARIA'S POV This wasn't an accident. Mario didn't have the brains or the motive to pull off something this huge alone. There was only one person ruthless enough to orchestrate this kind of public humiliation. Stepsister charming, Lora. Everything started adding up in my head. The two strange me
ARIA'S POV When the morning light hit my face, everything hurt. My head throbbed so hard I almost fainted right back onto the pillows. My limbs felt like lead, completely pinned down by a deep-seated ache and my lips were cracked, dry, and bitter. Parting them sent a sharp sting across my mouth.
ARIA'S POV I dropped to my knees on the carpet of the suite, clutching my stomach. My breath came in short, ragged gasps.The room was turning upside down. I was drowning in waves of unnatural, terrifying heat that felt like it was cooking me from the inside out. My skin felt so hot it was actu
ARIA'S POV The ultimate power couple. That's what they call them. A bitter taste filled my mouth as Jamie and Lora looked at each other with loving eyes on that stage. Seeing how perfectly they fit each other felt like a blow to my chest, a pain so deep I literally wanted to rip my heart out jus







