INICIAR SESIÓNThe 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
AgnesThe restaurant Elijah had chosen was just a twenty-minute walk from our villa.“Here we are,” Elijah said, stopping in front of a charming little place with tables spilling out onto the sidewalk. “It’s supposed to have the best pasta and wine selection around.”“It’s beautiful,” I murmured, ta
Agnes“Did you pack my blue swimsuit? The one with the fishes?” Thea asked as she watched me fold clothes into our suitcases.I smiled, holding up the child-sized swimsuit in question. “Right here. Along with your goggles, floaties, and sunscreen.”Thea bounced excitedly on the mattress. “I can’t wa
Agnes“Because I love you.”The words hung in the air between us, simple and profound all at once. I stared up at Elijah, my mind struggling to process what I’d just heard.He… loves me?My heart seemed to expand in my chest, swelling with an unexpected emotion that I could barely contain. The fog f
And if Olivia tried to cause trouble tonight, if she had another meltdown or tried to manipulate the situation… Well, I would do what I should have done years ago. I would unmark her, even if it meant risking her life. I didn’t want it to come to that, but I couldn’t let her hold me or Thea or Agnes







