Chapter Four

Maya’s POV

When I opened them, Elena was standing at my bedside with a lighter in her hand. 

“What… What the hell is going on?” My voice cracked. The metal cuffs bit into my wrists as I thrashed, chained like an animal. “Elena? What are you doing here?”

She didn’t answer. Not right away. They just exchanged a look. And then, she started laughing. Soft at first. Then full, throat-deep cackles.

“One thing I’ve always loved and absolutely hated about you,” Elena said, circling the bed slowly like a predator playing with her food, “is how incredibly easy you are to manipulate.”

She stopped at my side, tilted her head, and leaned in with mock sympathy. “Oh my God, you look so pretty today,” she crooned, placing her jaw in her hands like a child admiring a doll. “You work so hard. And honestly? It’s Mr. Kensington’s fault for not seeing your value. You’re the soul of this company. Irreplaceable.” tears streamed from my eyes as I remembered those exact words that were spoken to me by the intern.

Elena burst into laughter, doubling over like she couldn't contain it.

“I… I don’t understand,” I whispered. My voice felt small.

Elena sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. “You’re so slow. It’s painful, really.” She leaned in close, the flame of the lighter still flickering between her fingers. “I’ll do you one last favor, sister to sister because that’s what we are, aren’t we?” She sneered. “I’m going to tell you everything. So you don’t die as clueless as you’ve been your entire life.”

She dropped the lighter on the bed with a soft clink.

“Oh. The intern you loved so much and took as your own is the reason for your downfall. The promise of a full-time job with a great pay was all it took for her to hand over the paperworks to the Stefans.”

My breath caught. My stomach churned with the weight of betrayal.

“You’re a monster!” I screamed at Elena.

Elena laughed again, but this time it was hollow. Cold. Her eyes glittered like broken glass.

“If it weren’t for you,” I hissed, “Aiden would’ve given me another chance. He would’ve chosen me.”

She stopped laughing. Her face went still. Too still.

I froze. My pulse kicked against my ribs.

“You think…” She stepped back, eyeing me like I was pathetic. “You actually thought you stood a chance with him?”

She grabbed an apple from the table and bit into it loud, sharp and slow. Juice dripped down her fingers.

“Aiden was in on it too.”

The world tipped.

“Huh?” The sound barely left my lips.

She chewed deliberately, then smiled, lips red from the apple, like a wolf in lipstick.

“We had this grand plan. We knew that you loved him so much and would do anything for him. The plan was for him to get married to you and cause you to sign over the company and the rest of your inheritance to him. Then, he’d divorce you and marry me.” she then laughed as though it were a great plot that she created.

“Jokes on you Elena, I only gave him company. I still have my mothers shares and the rest of her properties. I can take back Arizona holdings if I want.”

“No, darling. You signed those papers yesterday.”

I paused. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh. it was in between the divorce papers. I am surprised that you didn’t read through. Aiden said you wouldn’t but I didn't think so because I thought you were a little bit smart. You proved me wrong.

“You little bitch!  How could you both do this to me?” I kicked my legs and tried to get her to put the chain that was holding me in place. I could feel it cutting my wrist.

“The drama this morning was just for aesthetics.”

“I’m going to tell dad everything. He will finally believe me.” I told Elena and she tsked and shook her head.

“You think dad married your mother because he loved her? No, he didn’t. He’s always loved my mother and hence the affair. The original plan was to get her to fall in love with him and sign everything to him. But that bitch signed everything to you before she died. That inheritance is the only reason dad still kept you in the house." It felt too much. My head was hurting badly.

“That was where I and Aiden came in. what your mother couldn’t do in ten years, you did it in two years. You deserve a round of applause.” They started clapping and laughing.

My eyes traded to Soren Stefan on the floor.

“What does he have to do in any of this? Let him go and face me.”

“Oh, you mean him? I don’t know but Aiden's father said that he has to go too.” the entire Kesington family were also on it?

Then she opened the lighter and dropped it on the floor. “Bye, sister.” She said and ran out of the room.

I didn’t understand what she did until I saw two gas cylinders beside Soren. There was also a liquid on the floor coming from outside. It smelt like petrol. My eyes went wide and I kept struggling to release myself ignoring the pains I was feeling. 

I called out his name but he wasn’t budging. The smell was so strong and the smoke was getting thicker. I coughed hard. I could feel myself getting weaker but I kept calling his name.

I saw him stir. Finally,

“What’s going on?” he asked. He tried to stand but he couldn’t because he was tied. I could see the panic on his face as he kept trying to release himself.

Then, I heard an explosion. After the explosion, I felt my body on fire. I screamed and shut my eyes because I didn't want to see myself on fire.

“Don’t worry, I will save you.” I heard him say.

Then, another explosion.

My entire life played like a movie in front of me. The scene where my mother gave me my first toy. The scene where we went on an ice cream date like a family. The scene where I was told that my mother had lost her life in a fire accident. The scene where my father brought a girl and her mother home and introduced them to me as his other family a day after my mother’s death.

The scene where I was alone crying under the rain in front of my mother’s grave. The scene where I felt like an outsider as I watched my father play with his other family. The first time I saw Aiden, I thought he was handsome. When Aiden helped me with my injury, I developed a crush on him. When Elena brought Aiden home and introduced him as her boyfriend. 

When I woke up in bed with Aiden. My father told me that I have to get married to Aiden. The wedding and then, the betrayal.

I saw Soren Stefan approaching me and asking me to hold his hand while I stared at him in tears.

I couldn’t pray because, if there was any God, he wouldn’t have watched while I suffered for nothing my entire life.

I felt like Truman Burbank. My life was a movie and everyone except me knew it.

I just closed my eyes and accepted my fate.