LOGINGrace As soon as the car stops in the driveway, the driver steps out, leaving me and Tristin in the backseat. The heavy silence between us feels suffocating. Alexander is not Tristin’s son. We fought so many times over this, and it turns out, Ethan was playing us on this front, too.To make sure
TristinMy stomach twists. I clench my hands into fists and place them in my lap, hidden from everyone’s view.That boy’s face flashes before my eyes, and I release a slow breath, trying to control the rage simmering beneath the surface.It’s true that I just can’t feel the connection with him—a con
TristinI thought she would fall for that fucker’s trap again. I knew he wanted her to come to him and ask about that child. I wanted to stop her, tell her that she would be making another mistake, one that was eerily similar to all mistakes she had made before.But I kept quiet and followed her as
GraceThe door to the stuffy room opens, and he steps through the doorway. My hands lift from the cold table and land in my lap cautiously.An officer walks him towards the table in the center of the dimly lit room. His green eyes remain fixed on me—intense and cold.Instinctively, I break eye conta
Grace“ Why were you hurting yourself? ” I ask the boy, my eyes fixed on his drenched form.He remains silent and shivers with cold. My gaze flickers towards the air conditioner. I sigh, then reach for the remote and turn it off. “ That woman, Selene, your mother won’t come back. ” I sigh.Suddenly
GraceThe doctor Alma mentioned came with a black eye and a swollen cheek. I was shocked to see him cowering in front of Tristin, but the shock didn’t persist for a long time.After all, this was what was expected of Tristin. I knew he must have beaten this doctor up to get rid of the anger he felt
GraceHe wraps his arms around my knees and looks up at me, hoping for me to pick him up. He was gone for so long.I reach out with shaking hands and pick him up. He presses his face into my neck before I hear him sobbing against me. My knees give out from under me, making me drop in the middle of
GraceIt’s fine to see Tristin’s face, but what are those intense emotions?Ethan has moved on. Or that’s what he desperately wants me to believe. So why did he have that look in his eyes?I throw away the blankets and get out of bed. As I am passing by the mirror beside the door, I pause and look i
GraceMy head pounds like someone is smashing a drum inside my skull. I groan, my body heavy and sluggish, and that’s when I feel it—a hard yank on my body. Rough. Unforgiving. My eyes flutter open, and the blurry image of Tristin comes into view. I want to call his name, but my throat feels so dry
GraceEthan looks at me like I have grown two heads. Then, he shakes his head, his breath coming out heavy. “ If they were drugged, I would have been affected too. I drank the same alcohol you did, Grace. Don’t you remember? ”“No...” My voice falters, my knees threatening to give out beneath me. M







