But I dragged myself to the bathroom. My hands shook. Every step was a war. My breasts ached—so much pressure. So much pain. I needed to feed my baby. My child needed me. I came back to the room after bathing. I put on the dress Alex left for me. When Alex came in, I begged. “My breasts are hu
ESSENCE Yvonne fell with a thud that echoed in my ears, but I wasn’t done. I didn’t even pause. I straddled her and hit her again, and again. My palms were fire, my blood boiling as if I was purging something ancient from my bones. She tried to shield her face, but I wouldn’t let her. Her shrill
ESSENCE I wasn’t proud of it. Okay...maybe a little. Fine, I was proud of it. I slapped her. Twice. And while my hand still tingled with the memory, what lingered even stronger was the question no one had answered yet, how did I know? Nobody had told me about her slipping into my bathroom li
I didn’t realize how tightly I was clenching my jaw until I felt the dull ache in my temple. The tension had crept up on me slowly, like a fog crawling in through the cracks. As Yvonne’s mother ran her mouth and her daughter kept throwing daggered glances in every direction, something inside me was
LUCIAN I watched her sleep. Her breath was soft, her lips parted just slightly, lashes casting gentle shadows across her cheeks. Essence always looked peaceful when she was like this—lost in dreams, untouched by the weight of the world. And yet, even in sleep, I could feel the heaviness inside h
After the call ended, I folded my arms, brows raised. “Why did he sound so desperate?” Lucian chuckled softly. “You really need to remember your father. Then that look of surprise on your face would make a lot more sense.” He stood and looked at Hailey and Sky. “You girls go on. Keep chatting. I