Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Sterling Brothers’ Lost Sister: Kabanata 31 - Kabanata 37

“Are you kidding me? You mean Lewis did all this to you?” I shouted, my voice bouncing off the hospital room walls. The sound startled me, but I couldn’t stop the anger boiling up inside me. My hands were shaking as I stared at Maya on the hospital bed. “Oh my God, Maya,” I said, my voice cracking. “I’m really sorry this happened to you. I’m really sorry I wasn’t there when you were going through all this. Look at you… look at how battered you look.” Tears flowed down my face uncontrollably. Maya looked so fragile, so unlike the loud, fearless girl I’d known for years. Her once bright eyes were dull and tired. Bruises covered parts of her face, and the bandages on her arms made my stomach twist in pain. Maya just kept crying. She tried to speak several times, but the words got stuck in her throat. Her lips trembled like she was fighting to say something, but the trauma was still too raw. I quickly leaned forward and wrapped my arms around her carefully, trying not to hurt her.

I woke up slowly, my body heavy, my mind feeling even heavier.For a moment, I did not remember where I was.Then I saw him.Sebastian was standing across the room, already dressed in a black suit, fastening his cufflinks as if nothing were wrong. Like night didn't happen. Like I didn't exist."Last night was something, huh?" he said casually, not even looking at me.Something inside me just snapped."Really?" I said, sitting up in bed, my voice shaking with anger. "Is that all you have to say? Why are my things even here? You're just a bipolar piece of shit.”The room got really quiet.Slowly, he turned to face me."Enough " he said coldly. "Don't think that just because we fucked last night, you can insult me."His eyes got really dark."Don't test me, Zara. Know your place."My chest felt really tight."Besides," he added, fixing his Rolex watch "you’re my wife. You’ll be staying in my room from now on."And just like that, he walked out.Like nothing was wrong.Like, it did not ma

It has been two weeks since I told Sebastian what I found out about Elena at the hospital.Two long and hard weeks.Nothing had changed.If anything, things had gotten even worse.Sebastian barely talked to me unless he had to. When he did talk to me, his voice was cold and distant… like I was nothing more than someone taking up space in his life. Maya had finally been discharged from the hospital.The first time I saw her standing on her own again, looking a bit like herself, I almost cried.She was still getting better-both physically and emotionally. She was stronger than I had ever seen her. There was a strength in her now, maybe the whole situation had changed something in her.—“Pack your things,” Sebastian had said that morning, his voice flat as he adjusted his golden Rolex watch. “I'm going on a business trip to South Africa, tomorrow. You’re coming with me.”I blinked at him, surprised."Me?" I asked him."Yes, " he said. "You are my wife."His words did not sound warm or

“Help! Help! Don’t touch me!!!”She shouted at the top of her lungs.The scream tore through the jet like a knife.For a second, everything just stopped.My heart stopped beating.“What the—” I started, but my voice failed me.The door burst open instantly.Sebastian walked in, and Adrian was behind him. Two flight attendants followed them.Everything happened so fast, it did not even feel real.Elena stumbled backward, her body shaking like she had just been through something horrible. Tears streamed down her face, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she pointed at me.“She tried to hurt me!” she cried, her voice trembling perfectly. “She locked the door and came at me!”My stomach dropped.“What?!” I gasped, my eyes wide with disbelief. “That’s not true!”Sebastian’s gaze snapped to me.Cold, furious, and terrifying.“Zara…” he said slowly.“No, Sebastian, listen to me…”“I walked in, and she was already aggressive,” Elena continued, cutting me off, her voice breaking as if she