เข้าสู่ระบบMaya’s POVI was sitting on the edge of the hard hospital bed, rocking my body back and forth. My hair was a mess, and I had spent the last hour practicing my stare. I had to look like I was seeing ghosts in the corners of the room.The door opened. I didn't look up. I began to hum a nursery rhyme, making my voice crack and tremble. "Maya?"I didn't answer. I kept humming, louder this time. I felt a shadow fall over me. "My name is Doctor Malik," a new voice said. It wasn't the regular doctor. This man sounded younger, and he didn't have that boring, tired tone that the other doctors had. "I’m here for a surprise inspection of the wing. I just need to check your vitals and I’ll be on my way."I felt his hand reach for my wrist. I jerked my arm away, letting out a small, high-pitched scream. "Don't touch me! The birds... they have needles in their beaks! Thea sent them!" "Thea?" the doctor asked. He sat down on the small plastic chair next to the bed. "Who is Thea, Maya?" "The
ELIAS’s POV I stood by the floor-to-ceiling window in my office, watching the city below. I hadn’t slept more than four hours.I heard the door click open behind me. I didn’t have to turn around to know it was her. The scent of her perfume, something light and floral filled the room."Elias?" Thea’s voice was quiet, hesitant.I turned around and saw her standing there in a simple but elegant white dress. She looked so small, so fragile. I felt a sudden, fierce need to pull her into my arms and hide her from the rest of the world. I had spent three years ignoring her, and now I felt like I was drowning in the need to make it up to her."The hearing is about to start," I said, my voice sounding rough to my own ears. "The medical board is reviewing Maya’s file right now."Thea walked closer, her eyes searching mine. "Do you think they will believe her? What if the judge grants the appeal and delays the trial?"I stepped forward and took her hands in mine. Her fingers were cold. I squeez
MAYA’s POV The leather straps were cold against my skin. They had tied my arms and my legs down to a narrow metal frame, pinning me flat on my back so I couldn't move an inch. I stared up at the ceiling. The lights in this place never went out. They were long, white tubes that hummed with a low, annoying sound that vibrated straight through my skull.My throat felt like sandpaper. Every time I tried to swallow, it burned. But I couldn't let myself stop. I had to look at the corner of the room where the small glass camera was watching me.“Remember what Serena said,” I thought to myself, keeping my lips completely still. “If they think you are sane, they will send you back to the central jail. If you go back there, you lose. Thea wins.”The thought of Thea’s face made my stomach turn over with a sick, oily heat. Just a year ago, I was the one living in a mansion. I had a closet full of designer shoes, credit cards with no limits, and a family name that made people bow. Thea was noth
The study inside the main Vane family estate was large, dark, and smelled heavily of old leather and expensive tobacco. George Vane stood by the roaring fireplace, his face twisted in a deep, ugly frown. He held a glass of dark scotch in his hand, but he wasn't drinking it. His knuckles were white from how tightly he was gripping the crystal glass. Sitting on the red velvet sofa across from him was his wife, Beatrice. She was dressed in a pristine gray silk dress, her diamond necklace catching the light of the fire. "Serena left for Paris yesterday," George said, his voice dropping into a low, angry growl. He tossed the scotch back into his throat. "Her father called me from the airport. He said Serena was too stressed because of that newspaper scandal. She is completely out of our reach now. We cannot tie Elias to their family anymore." Beatrice let out a soft, elegant sigh, her long fingers stroking her silk skirt. "What a disappointment Elias has turned out to be. He is complet
THEA’s POV I stepped out of the car and walked into the grand foyer. Usually, the house felt cold and empty, since Elias doesn’t come home early. But tonight, as I hung my beige coat on the rack, I smelled something different. The air didn't smell like furniture polish and bleach. It smelled of rich tomato sauce, fresh herbs, and toasted bread. I walked toward the kitchen, my heels clicking softly on the marble floor. When I pushed the swinging wooden doors open, I stopped in surprise. The grand kitchen was bright. The heavy copper pots were hanging neatly from the ceiling, and a large pan was simmering on the stove. Standing in front of the marble island was Elias. He had taken off his expensive business suit. He was wearing a simple pair of dark trousers and a plain gray cotton shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He had a white linen apron tied around his waist, and he was carefully chopping fresh basil leaves with a silver knife. "Elias?" I asked, tilting my head
THEA’s POV I walked through the lobby of Elias’s workplace with a calm face, but my mind was working fast. When the elevator doors opened, Elias’s head secretary, a woman named Sarah, stood up immediately. She looked nervous. Her hands were gripping a tablet so hard her knuckles were white."Mrs. Vane," she whispered, her voice shaking just a little. "Mr. Vane is... he is in his office. He said to send you in the moment you arrived.""Thank you, Sarah," I said. I gave her a small, polite smile. "Is he having a busy day?"Sarah swallowed hard and looked toward the heavy double doors. "He hasn't left his desk since the morning. He seems very focused, ma'am."Focused was a nice word for it. I knew Elias. When he was focused, it usually meant he was waiting for a problem to solve. I walked to the doors and pushed them open.The office was very quiet. The large curtains were half-closed, blocking out the bright afternoon sun. Elias was sitting behind his desk. He wasn't writing or lookin







