Bass

heart. Caleb's face contorted, a mask of pure fury. His eyes, usually cold and calc

he snarled, l

am, a kaleidoscope of dark spots and flashing lights. I felt a sharp, searing pain explode behind my right temple, followed by th

ing. He didn' t seem to notice the blood now staining my finge

tasted coppery blood, but it wasn't just my own. It was t

y a whisper, the words catching on the raw pain i

Get out of my house! Get out of my life! I ne

y mind. The pain in my head suddenly felt secondary to the icy r

the promise tasting like a

through my skull. "You better. And don' t

kening concern as he rushed to Erica' s side. He carefully scooped her trembling form into

r face in his shoulder, her

of pain. My hand, still pressed to my temple, came away slick with blood.

d I had stumbled, cutting my knee on a jagged rock. He had been so young, so fiercely protective. He' d scooped me up, his small face etched with concern,

y this man, this stranger, who would strike me down without a second thought, his eyes blind to the truth, his heart consumed by

This was it. There was no going back. No trying to fix what was irr

ent need for a phone overriding the pain. I needed help.

a woman who had seen me grow up, was standing by

.. could you call a taxi for me? I' ll pay you, anything y

e Caleb's angry shouts could still be faintly heard. S

.." she began, he

e Holder family for decades, emerged from the shadows of the pantr

those who side with... outsiders. Job security, you know." His gaze lingered on my blo

sona non grata. The one Caleb hated most. Mrs. Gable, her fac

d Caleb' s cutting words, once yelled during a heated argument: "You're not one of us, Alina. You're just a visitor. An obligation." He had driven that point home time and agai

treated like a ghost, had unwittingly forged a resi

where Caleb had struck me. The screen was cracked, but it s

ol night air. I didn' t look back. I had

wound, her touch gentle. The doctor, a young woman with tired eyes, confirmed a mild concussi

to retrieve the last of my belongings. The staff gave me wide berth, their faces averted, their silence a stark testam

as small, dusty, but it was mine. A stepping stone. My plan was simple: finish my degree, fi

edom with every f

tle into my new routine, the phone rang. It w

thick with alcohol and something el

nting again, a hobby I' d abandoned years ago under Caleb' s di

my voice flat, betraying none of the i

. The raucous sounds of a party, which had been a muffled ba

," he repeated, his tone la

ding. I picked up my brush again, dipping it in co

. You said you never wanted to see me again. So what is this? Some elaborate game to get

felt hollow. They bounced off the new,

ool. "You said you never wanted to see my disgusting fa

d. "You... you c

I do." My voice w

ike that time you tried to manipulate my parents, isn' t it? Well, guess what, Alina? It won' t work. Get out of

d me. That cunning, ambitious actress

thought, a bitter smile touchi

u won' t be doing it on my watch anymore. And if Erica is suffering, maybe it' s because

, and maybe... maybe we can talk about you coming back. I' ll make thi

ou believed her lies without question? After you tried to blackmail me with fabricate

.." he began, his voice l

y cold. "If you ever call me again, if you ever try to contac

the phone final and decisive. The silence that followed was deaf