LOGINThe crowd continued to applaud as Thea took one final bow before exiting the stage. The moment she was out of sight, Elijah grabbed my hand.“Come on,” he said, already pulling me toward the aisle. “Let’s get backstage before everyone else.”We made our way through the crowd, accepting congratulatio
AgnesEight years had passed by.The concert hall was packed to capacity, not a single empty seat in sight. My spine ached like hell from sitting on the hard wooden chair for the past two hours, and my pregnant belly made it impossible to find a comfortable position. Elijah kept rubbing his neck and
“Mom?” Thea’s voice called. “Everyone’s waiting. Are you ready?”I took one last look in the mirror, adjusted the mask slightly, and turned toward the door.“Ready,” I said, opening it to find my daughter standing there in a midnight blue dress that she had designed herself. Her own mask, shaped lik
AgnesOne year later.I stood in front of my mirror, hardly recognizing the woman staring back at me. Two years. It had been two years since I met Elijah—not counting that foggy night we conceived Thea seven years before that, a night neither of us could fully remember thanks to whatever drugs had b
Initially, I resisted. The thought of sharing my pain with a stranger when I had spent so many years being treated like a madwoman for my trauma scared the hell out of me. But Elijah was persistent, reminding me that we all carried burdens that were too heavy to bear alone.And so, twice a week, we
AgnesThe weeks following the destruction of the Lunaris Stone passed in a blur.Elemental Enterprises, of course, was immediately shut down by the authorities. Every known international law enforcement agency descended on Richard’s territory, working alongside Richard and us to document the crimes
Agnes“Where?”“By the east wall,” Elijah replied. “Older woman, gray hair in a bun, wearing a navy blue dress. James said her name is Dr. Rose.”I looked around and instantly spotted her—a petite woman who looked to be in her sixties, sipping from a flute of champagne and nodding politely as some m
ElijahThree days.Three fucking days since Lena had stolen the stone and escaped into the night. Three days of search parties combing the woods, guards patrolling the perimeter, and not a single fucking trace of her to be found. It was like she’d vanished into thin air.The house was locked down ti
Narrowing my eyes, I watched her face carefully, searching for any sign of deception. But all I could see was hurt and confusion. Lena’s cheeks were flushed, and her eyes had filled with tears.“You said we were friends,” she said softly, and the tears spilled over. “I would never betray you like th
AgnesThe stone was gone.Stolen right from under our noses.“Elijah,” I breathed, whirling around to face him. “It’s gone.”“What do you mean it’s gone?” he demanded, pushing past me to see for himself. His eyes widened when he saw the empty space where it should have been. “Fuck.”My mind raced. I







