LOGINARLENEI didn't stop running until I reached an old bridge far away from the Pack house. My heart was thumping loudly against my ribs, and my breath had grown uneven.The lady's words echoed in my head, over and over, as I dragged my trembling feet towards the old bridge.I kept trudging forward, barely listening to the creaking warnings from the bridge.I slumped down and gripped my legs together as the bridge swayed slowly.There was a rushing lake underneath, and the air was cold. I closed my eyes, listening to the rushing waters, the whispering breeze, and the creaking sound from the bridge.A sigh escaped my lips, and my chest stung with pain.Was this my punishment for what I did to my sister? Or was this a warning from whoever sent that note?Sebastian was dead. He died a few days after my sister, and since his death, no one had heard any rumor of him being alive.I couldn't understand why they were all coming for me.Perhaps because I was the instigator of it all.“Just let m
ARLENE “Find Sebastian Vlad,” I whispered the words I saw on the paper as I stood in the middle of the hall, clutching a glass of wine while Celeste chatted away with the other women in the room.My body was gleaming with sweat, and my heart kept thumping wildly in my chest.Everywhere I turned, I felt the chilling feeling of someone watching me.This was supposed to be my night. But a few words had ruined it all.Besides, Sebastian was proclaimed dead a few years ago. Why should I look for a dead man? Or is this a trap?I sighed and rubbed my burning forehead, my head spinning slightly from the constant worry and fear.Celeste's sharp words were slowly fading into crashing waves. The ground beneath my feet was spinning, making my legs tremble.I staggered back, feeling my weak, trembling legs give way.“Arlene!” I gasped and slumped.The halls suddenly fell silent, but instead of drowning in peaceful darkness, I felt the burning glare of haughty eyes on my skin.I let out a short
ARLENEARLENEI trudged down the corridor, my mind clouded with thoughts and fear.Ever since Diana left, I hadn't been myself.I kept thinking about her words, and no matter how much I thought about them, they still made my skin crawl.Someone was after us. Someone was seeking revenge for my sister, Adriana, and whoever it was wasn't targeting the Scorpio, the organization that had caused her death. They were targeting us.Could I have been wrong about her death?I was trying so hard to convince myself that I wasn't guilty that I'd forgotten I was the true reason for her death.I rubbed my neck, gasping as chills washed down my spine.What if they knew? What if they knew the Scorpio was right here?I shook my head at the thoughts, refusing to believe them.“If they know, they won't go after Diana too,” I whispered to myself, nodding.Whether they were here for the organization or for each of us who had betrayed her, one thing was certain—I was in danger.I shook my head and rubbed my
ARLENE I froze as I looked up, and my gaze locked with the cold gaze of Diana.I gulped hard and lowered my head, my fist clenching beside me.“She is your best friend, isn't she?” Celeste whispered as she stole excited glances at Diana.I gulped hard and gripped my fist, sinking my teeth into my lips.If only she knew that the one she thought was me had always been my sister.“Arlene?” Diana called again and began to walk briskly towards us.I shivered and gripped my fist, gulping down nothing while keeping my head as low as possible.“Hey, your friend is calling,” Celeste whispered and pinched my arm.I jerked back, my head swinging to the side.Diana was closing up on me now, but the smile on her face was gone.She grabbed my hand before I could move an inch, her eyes piercing right into mine.“What's wrong? Aren't you happy to see me?” She asked. But I knew that wasn't the true question she meant to ask.She wanted to ask if I was afraid of meeting her. If I were afraid my secret
ARLENE “I got your report.”The false smile on my face faded and the cup froze on its way to my lips when the Luna's voice hit the peaceful air.Celeste stopped laughing and quickly got up, spinning around to pay respect to the Luna.I let out a sigh and dropped the cup, then shifted in my seat and turned my head towards the pool down the balcony I was sitting in with Celeste.The sun was quite hot today, and the preparation for their boring moon festival was ongoing.I never got invited to join in any of their activities before or during the festival, but I always went ahead to join them just to play the good daughter role I had always played all my life.I never failed to get insults and scorns as a reward for my ‘unwanted kindness,' as they coined it.“I am talking to you, Arlene!” She spat out, her voice louder than before.I didn't flinch like I always have, and my heart was cold and calm, unlike before.I slowly turned my head to look at her, my gaze cold and unremorseful.“I h
ARLENEI walked down the pathway to the building where my daughter was kept.When she turned two, the family had separated me from her with a flimsy claim that it was a tradition in the Sinclair family.For years, I knew it wasn't tradition. It was all planned to separate me from my daughter and create distance between us.They wanted her to despise me, fed with lies that I had never cared about her.I was only allowed to visit her three times every month but the Luna and her favorite daughters and ladies lived with their children and nurtured them.I wiped away the tears that rolled down my cheek, wondering why I was too dumb to endure their oppression for so long.I blamed myself for my sister's exile and death and saw their hatred and mistreatment as karma.It made me wonder if they had intentionally plotted everything right from the beginning.They used me to get rid of my sister, the only one who knew their secret and who they were.They were using me to mock the Nox family witho
ADRIANABefore he could react to my words, I grabbed the measuring tape and wrapped it around his neck, twisting him around.He screamed as I sent him to his knees and pulled the tape tightly, almost choking the life out of his eyes.He wheezed and coughed while twitching and trying to get out of t
ADRIANAWith a hoodie over my bent head and the bag still strapped at my back, I walked down the bustling crosswalk. I stepped onto the sidewalk and raised my head, darting my eyes over the addresses written above the doors of the shops I passed.My eyes fell on a number, and I reached into the bla
ADRIANA“Salvador Vlad!" I gasped and almost jerked up from my seat, but the police officer behind me held my shoulders down.Salvador looked over to the man and nodded him off. The cop bowed and left, leaving us alone.“What do you want?" I snapped the moment the cop disappeared.His full lips str
ADRIANAThe whistling sound in the kitchen got me looking up from the book I was reading. I stood up and shuffled into the kitchen, swinging my head around until I caught sight of the kettle set on a stove on the large counter.“Ma'am Felicia, the water has boiled," I called out, but got silence as







