Return

"No! Mom, stop! Please—!"

Raina flinched as her mother’s hands reached for her again.

Her face burned.

Glass shattered.

Her scream echoed—

She woke with a start, heart pounding.

Silence.

Only the low hum of the air conditioner filled the hotel room. Sweat clung to her back. Her hand shot to her cheek as if expecting blood or bruises.

It was dry. Smooth.

But the ache was still there.

She sat up, pushing off the heavy blanket and perching on the edge of the bed, elbows on her knees. Her breath came in shallow waves.

"Five years," she whispered. "And she’s still haunting me."

The nightmare was always the same.

Her mother. The screaming. That cold, twisted smile.

And the baby—the one she never got to hold.

She stood and walked into the bathroom, flicking on the light. Cold water. Splash. Again. Again.

She stared into the mirror.

Her reflection stared back—elegant, polished, but exhausted. 

Her phone buzzed on the counter.

Unknown number.

[The truth you’re looking for lies in Elaris. Go back—if you dare to face it]

Her blood went cold.

She scrolled back. Dozens of similar messages.

Different numbers. No names.

One had included a photo of her mother’s old research lab—burned down years ago.

Another had shown a baby bracelet.

A name tag she wasn’t supposed to have seen.

Elaris.

She hadn’t said that name aloud in years.

...

That morning, Raina packed all her belongings and rushed to the airport.

Jasper Hale—her ex-fiancé—had come in person to invite her to his engagement ceremony. She rejected him without hesitation.

But after the text she received last night, everything changed.

It was time.

Time to uncover the truth buried five years ago.

The plane hummed steadily through the clouds, but Raina’s mind was anything but still.

Her eyes stared out the window, blank and unfocused.

It had been five long years.

She hadn’t even been allowed to hold her baby after birth. Just one sound—that single, soft cry—and then... nothing. They took the child away before she could even see their face.

She was told the baby didn’t survive. But something deep in her soul had always said otherwise.

Later, a man claiming to be her uncle had whisked her out of Estravia after the scandal. Under his protection, she’d undergone treatment, reconstructed her face, and vanished from public view.

But she hadn’t come just for the child.

She was back to settle old debts.

She pulled out a slim folder from her bag. Inside were profiles and updates on the current elites in Elaris. If she was going to stir the hornet’s nest, she had to know who still held the power—and who would stand in her way.

She barely had time to flip the first page before a loud crack and an angry voice split through the cabin.

“What are you, blind? Do you know how much this suit cost? You better get on your knees and wipe this up before I have your job!”

Raina didn’t even need to look to know who it was.

Jasper Hale.

Of course.

She turned her head slowly. There he was, slouched in first class, radiating arrogance in a sickly green tailored suit that did his ego more favors than his figure.

The very same man who had demanded her mother’s research—LYNX-V—while she was hospitalized. The same man who cut off their engagement the moment she was no longer useful to him.

Now, just the sound of his voice made her stomach twist.

A flight attendant stood frozen, apologizing repeatedly while trying to clean up spilled champagne. Her hands shook. Jasper leaned back, clearly enjoying the discomfort.

“You’re lucky I’m in a good mood,” he sneered, his tone dripping with smugness. “But maybe if you’re sweet to me later, I’ll forget this little accident.”

Even speaking quietly, he wasn’t subtle.

Raina let out a soft, mocking laugh.

Some things never change.

Jasper’s ears perked up. He turned toward the sound and saw a woman sitting alone two rows back—slender, elegant, masked. But her eyes... her eyes were mesmerizing.

He stood and sauntered over like a wolf in designer shoes.

“Hey, gorgeous,” he said, flashing a practiced smile. “That laugh was something else. You got a name to go with it?”

Raina didn’t even blink. “No.”

Jasper froze, caught off guard. “Come on, don’t be like that. I’m just being friendly.”

She didn’t respond.

He hesitated, debating whether to pull out his full Hale charm set—until the announcement system crackled on.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are now preparing to land at Elaris International Airport. Please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts.”

He frowned but turned back reluctantly.

Not now, he thought. But soon.

As soon as the plane touched down, Raina moved.

She didn’t wait for the rest of the passengers to shuffle off. She moved quickly, slipping on a large hat and a long beige coat that concealed her figure.

At the terminal exit, she spotted them.

Three men in plain clothes—watching the arrivals too closely. Coordinated movements. Subtle earpieces.

Not police. But definitely trained.

She couldn’t be sure if they were watching for her… or someone else.

Either way, she wasn’t about to take chances.

Raina slipped past the crowd, adjusted her mask, and ducked into a side corridor leading to the VIP lounge. From there, she used a secondary security gate to exit through a restricted-access car lane.

***