LIANA I opened my eyes to darkness, the air heavy with the scent of must and dampness. Panic surged through me as I realized I was locked in some kind of godown. "Hello? Is anyone there?" My voice echoed off the walls, but there was no response. I clasped my hands together, my heart racing. “Lara?” I called out, but there was no response. "Please, someone, anyone, help," I whispered, my voice barely audible in the suffocating darkness. But the darkness remained indifferent to my pleas, swallowing them whole. My heart hammered against my chest as fear clenched at my throat. I hated darkness! Tears welled in my eyes as I mumbled, “I hope someone comes and saves me.” Who could care enough for me to save me? I left a text to Zaylen though. Only he could rescue me from this nightmare. But I couldn’t give up and had to try to find a way out. With trembling hands, I approached a small window, its glass coated in grime. Peering out, I saw nothing but darkness, the moonless s

LIANAMy heart leaped with hope as I saw Zaylen, his presence a ray of light in the darkness. But Lara's words cut through the air like a blade, shattering my newfound sense of relief. "Oh, it looks like your knight in shining armor must be here. But too bad, it's new moon night. He is still weak," she taunted, her voice dripping with spite.Fear surged within me as I realized Lara also took notice of Zaylen and started approaching me."Let me prepare you for our beloved boss. I won't let him get in the way today," she declared, her tone sending shivers down my spine. “I will definitely get to my goal.”Desperation clawed at my heart.With trembling hands, I attempted to fight back, hoping that Lara would be fragile as she always portrayed herself to be. But my efforts were futile against her relentless strength.Even though I tried to resist her, Lara fought back with a ferocity that left me reeling.“Let go of me!” I yelled, but it was totally useless.I struggled against her gra

ZAYLEN“You are so stupid,” I muttered while driving the car.Liana, who was awfully quiet, finally spoke up, “It’s impossible, Zaylen.”I turned to her and arched an eyebrow. “Oh, but I can vouch that you being stupid is not impossible at all.”I thought she would retort or react to my teasing, instead she shook her head and said, “Zaylen, how can Lara be my half-sister?”“What?” My eyes widened at the revelation. “Lara is your half-sister?”She nodded. “She told me that herself.”“But… she is a werewolf,” I mumbled, which didn’t go unheard by her. “Exactly. How can my mother do this? This is totally disgusting,” she spat out. “I know my dad is a bit of a handful to handle, but cheating on him? I hate cheaters!” When I took a scan of her facial expression, I realized she might have been recalling the way James cheated on her. “Why did Mom hide her from me, though? I have always craved for a younger sibling. I would have accepted Lara with open arms, Zaylen,” she uttered as I liste

LIANAI was waiting in a five-star restaurant, wearing a stupid fancy dress.Today was the day I was supposed to meet my dad, and I couldn't shake the sense of dread that accompanied his arrival. He always wanted me to look up to our standards, and according to him, a nice lady from a well-off family should wear dresses.He always used to get mad at me for going out in jeans and tops back when I was in high school. I had to dress up like a mature lady—all posh and pristine. But I have to say, I did earn a lot of compliments for my elegant fashion sense.Even now, I still dressed elegantly, but their point was to be comfortable, not look loaded.“So you couldn’t get a bigger table? Table for two only? A corner one at that?” I heard my dad’s voice and lifted up my gaze to look at him. His honey brown eyes squinted in disappointment as he pulled a chair to sit in front of me. This was Maves Clarins — my so-called father and to summarize: a terror.“It was a last-minute call, so they onl

LIANA"Where do you want to go?" Zaylen asked as we settled into his car."How about going on a long drive and then off to the beach?" I suggested, already relishing the idea of my first day of official freedom.Zaylen grinned at the suggestion. "Sounds perfect to me," he agreed, starting the engine and pulling out onto the open road.As we cruised along in his convertible, the wind tousling our hair and the music blaring from the speakers, I couldn't help but feel a sense of exhilaration.It was like shedding all the weight of my worries and obligations with every passing mile.Zaylen glanced over at me, concern etched on his face. "How is your wound?" he asked, his voice filled with genuine care.I furrowed my brow in confusion. "What wound?" I asked, genuinely puzzled.“That wound on the back of your shoulder,” Zaylen reminded me. "Oh, it is healed," I assured Zaylen with a casual shrug."What? So fast?" he exclaimed, genuine surprise evident in his voice."Yep," I confirmed with