جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 10

ZURI'S POINT OF VIEW “Nanny Tams—take Summer straight home after school, okay? And please, please don’t speak to strangers.” “Is everything alright, Ms. Zuri?” I paused mid-zip of my bag, caught off guard by the question. Of course she’d noticed—I was practically vibrating out of my skin, and that was not like me. “Everything’s fine. Just… do as I ask, please.” She nodded, and I turned to my daughter, who sat quiet as a mouse on the sofa. “Hey, baby. Mommy has to go now, okay?” She looked up, her lips forming a perfect pout. “Can’t you stay home today? Please?” She batted her big blue eyes at me—god, that look always made me want to give in. But I couldn’t. I had to go to work—especially now. If I skipped, Helios would only grow more suspicious. Normalcy was my only shield. “I’m sorry, love. But Mommy needs to go in today. You saw my boss yesterday, right? He’d be furious if I missed work.” Her face lit up. “Your boss with the same eyes as me?” My throat tightened.

ZURI'S POINT OF VIEW “TMI, babe! Way too much information!” Jenica’s face was bright red as she fanned herself, and I burst out laughing. “Sorry! Got carried away!” I grinned, still chuckling as she rolled her eyes. “God! You could’ve skipped the explicit parts, you know? My poor virgin ears!” She covered her ears dramatically, making me laugh harder. “Alright, alright—just keep going already. Ugh. I took a deep breath, letting the laughter fade before picking up the story. —— My head felt like it was being pummeled with a sledgehammer. God, I hated hangovers. I lay still, willing the throbbing to ease, when the door clicked open and a woman’s voice cut through the silence. “Hon, your mom—oh my God!!” I shot upright, wincing as my skull screamed in protest—but the pain was nothing compared to the shock of seeing my boss bolt upright beside me, stark naked. “AHHH!!!!” I shrieked, and he froze, staring down at his bare body as if just realizing he was undressed. He

ZURI'S POINT OF VIEW When I finished my story, Jenica was crying—her handkerchief pressed hard against her cheeks, and I winced as she dabbed at the same spot over and over. “Are you okay?” I asked, but she shot me a glare sharp enough to cut glass. “Why didn’t you tell me?!” she choked out, tears streaming harder now. I couldn’t help but laugh a little. I’d told no one about what happened—not even my parents. The pain had been too raw to revisit, too heavy to share. But somehow, spilling every detail to Jenica hadn’t brought me to tears. Instead, a weight I’d carried for years finally lifted from my shoulders. “It hurt too much back then—I couldn’t say a word to anyone,” I said, then smiled. “But I’m glad I did now. I think… I think I’ve really moved on.” She shot to her feet without warning. When she came back, she was gripping a bread knife, her knuckles white with tension. “Jen, what are you doing with that?” “I’m going to kill that bastard! The monster! He gets o

ZURI'S POINT OF VIEW "I can show you the world. Shining, shimmering, splendid. Tell me princess nanananana let your heart decide." A smile pulled at my lips as Summer’s voice drifted down the hall, sweet and clear as I passed her bedroom door. I pushed it open to find her folding clothes into a suitcase—everything she’d need for our flight tomorrow. Stepping inside, I picked up the melody where she’d left off. "I can open your eyes..." "Mommy!" "Take you wonder by wonder. Over sideways and under on a magic carpet ride." She darted across the room and held her arms up, and I lifted her easily, settling us both on the edge of her bed. My fingers combed through her hair, the soft strands sliding between my knuckles—a habit I’d kept since she was a baby, when lullabies and gentle touches were all it took to soothe her to sleep. Even now, she leaned into my touch, as if my voice was still her safe place. "What are you up to, baby?" I asked once the song faded. "I’m helping

ZURI'S POINT OF VIEW“Why don’t we all go inside and talk this through?” Mrs. Gallagher said, striding into the house before Helios or I could muster a word of protest. We had no choice but to follow in her wake.She sent Summer upstairs first, with a handful of toys to keep my daughter occupied, then settled into a single-seat sofa—every inch the matriarch. Helios and I faced each other across the coffee table, the space between us crackling with unspoken fury and fear.Nerves coiled tight in my stomach, hot and sharp. She wanted us back in the Philippines. With me? What game was she playing? And would she really let him take Summer away? I’d fight him to the death before I let that happen.“I can’t believe you knew about this, Mom! And when were you planning to tell me?!” Helios roared, his voice echoing off the marble floors. His mother just lifted a perfectly arched brow and sipped her coffee with deliberate poise.“Two years ago? Maybe one? I lose track.” She shrugged, bringing t