The house felt lighter after the dinner, yet the weight of everything that had happened lingered in the air. The revelation about Maya had shaken the room, but it had also brought relief. Finally, the truth was no longer hidden.Elias remained seated in the lounge room with Mr. and Mrs. Denovan, still looking humbled. His hands rested on his knees, and his eyes shifted to Maya more than once. She stood quietly beside her father, her presence steadying him.“Thank you,” Elias said at last, his voice low but firm. “Thank you for accepting me despite the way my grandmother treated Maya. I know she caused hurt, and I cannot undo that, but I promise you this… I will never allow Maya to go through something like that again.”Mr. Denovan studied him carefully, his sharp eyes revealing nothing at first. The silence stretched until Mrs. Denovan placed her hand over her husband’s arm.“We do not measure people by their family’s mistakes,” she said gently. “We judge them by their heart. And Elia
The Carter family returned home after the dinner at the Denovan estate. The ride back had been silent, the kind of silence that pressed heavy on everyone’s chest. Even as the car rolled into the driveway of the Carter mansion, no one spoke. The air was full of thoughts they were too proud or too afraid to say aloud.When the driver opened the doors, everyone stepped out slowly. The great house loomed above them, tall and grand, yet it felt small compared to the shame they carried back with them.Grandma Carter was the first to enter. Her cane tapped hard against the marble floor, faster than usual, as if she wanted to escape from the eyes of her family. She had been humiliated at the Denovan estate, forced to hear with her own ears that Maya the girl she had mocked and insulted was not a maid at all. She was the lost daughter of the wealthiest family in the city.Her lips were pressed in a thin line. She said nothing to anyone as she went straight for the stairs. Catherine glanced at
Maya’s hands trembled as she held onto the rail of the grand staircase. The quiet thud of her footsteps echoed in the hall, each step heavier than the last. Down below, she could see the Carter family gathered with her parents. The long dining table glittered with silver and crystal, but the sparkle did nothing to hide the thick tension in the air.Elias’s eyes found her first. His expression softened, relief flickering across his face as though the sight of her eased something heavy inside him. Catherine turned slightly, whispering to Ava, who clutched her mother’s skirt. Grandma Carter, however, stood stiff with her cane, her gaze sharp as a hawk’s.Maya took a steadying breath and reached the bottom step. She moved toward her family, her dress flowing lightly as she walked, but the weight in the air made it feel like she was carrying stones.The silence broke with Grandma Carter’s voice. Low, cold, and edged with scorn.“So,” she said, her cane tapping once against the floor. “You
The Denovan estate carried a heavy air that evening. It was not the usual calm of family dinners. This time, there was a tension that could be felt in the walls, the steps of the servants, even in the silence of the halls. Everyone knew this was not an ordinary night.The servants moved quickly, polishing the floors, arranging flowers in tall vases, and setting the long dining table with silver plates and shining glasses. The smell of roasted meat, fresh bread, and soup filled the air, but even that could not cover the nervousness.Upstairs, Mrs. Denovan stood before her mirror. Her gown was elegant, her necklace simple but valuable. She checked her reflection again, even though she looked perfect. When her husband entered, she turned to him.“Are you ready?” she asked quietly.Mr. Denovan gave a small nod. His voice was calm, but his eyes showed the truth. “I am. But I know this dinner will not be easy.”She sighed softly. “No, it will not. But we must face it. For Maya.”At the othe
Maya woke up early that morning with a heavy feeling in her chest. Sleep had not been kind to her; she had tossed and turned, replaying her last tense moments with Colton. His silence since then had been unbearable. She could deal with his anger, his shouting, even his harsh words but his silence was the worst. It made her feel cut off from him, and she hated it.She knew her brother’s temper well. He always carried things in his heart too strongly, and sometimes it twisted into anger before he could control it. Maya also knew that if she didn’t face him, that wall between them would grow taller.So she decided she would go to him, no matter how nervous she felt. She dressed simply, pulled her hair back, and grabbed her car keys. As she drove out of the Denovan estate, her fingers tapped restlessly against the steering wheel. When she reached his residence, the tall gates loomed ahead, guarded by men in uniform. She rolled down her window, her voice polite but firm. “Please, tell Co
The room was quiet except for the faint ticking of the wall clock. The curtains hung half closed, blocking most of the light. A dull shadow spread across the floor, where strands of hair were scattered like fallen feathers.Lena sat on the edge of the bed with a blank face, holding a pair of scissors in her hand. Her fingers gripped it tightly, almost painfully, as if letting go would mean losing control. She lifted a lock of her hair and cut it off without care. The uneven strands dropped to the floor, mixing with the others.Her breathing was shallow, her lips pressed together. She did not blink much, as though she were stuck in a trance.But in her head, it was not silent.The voices from jail came back to her. The way the guards shouted. The cold meals shoved at her. The sneers of other women locked up with her, whispering and laughing when she cried at night. Every day in there felt like dying slowly.And for what?Her chest heaved, and she clenched the scissors tighter.For Maya