ina

. Grandma. Gone. My knees buckled. I reached for her hand, still warm, but the lif

the sterile walls of the ICU. It was a sound of pure, unadulterated a

me. She pressed something into my hand. "Your grandmot

dmother's. With trembling fingers, I pressed pl

ve seen the pain in your eyes, even when you try to hide it. My little bird, you deserve so much more than a cage. Don't

ring love. The dam broke. Tears streamed down my face, hot and agonizing. I sank to the floor, clutc

st chains that bound me. There was nothing left to fear,

r coffin for three days and three nights, refusing food or water, lost in a haze of gri

eady for your signature, Celina." I signed without hesitation.

urst open. Elena. She looked haggard, her face still

voice dripping with venom. She was holding a small, intricate

th that?" I asked, my

n. It landed with a sickening thud at my feet, cracking open, s

innocence. "Clumsy me. Thou

esecrated. My vision went red. I lunged, my hands closing aro

voice a snarl. "Where are the

the dog food," she choked out, a defiant malice still lurking in her e

vicious, open-handed blow that snapped her head back. Again. And again. Each s

f Elena, bruised and gasping for air, clutching her face. He di

eyes. Without a moment's hesitation, he kicked me. A brutal, sickening blow to my chest. I doubled over

to kill me.

. With a surge of adrenaline, I snatched it and swung it wildly. It connected with his head w

utrage. "My face! You hit my face,

through his fingers. But his eyes were still on Elena, fille

ather them, to scoop them back into the broken urn. Jeremiah, regaining his balance, saw my attempt. He

gly cold. "She's dead. Just like your baby. Just like your w

finitive stroke. The last illusion of a hu

y steady, despite the excruciating pain in my hand. "You can kill me

more pain, the door burst open. Police officers, their u

est," a stern-faced officer announced. "For ass

lief. "Do you know who I am? I'm Je

us," another officer in

gnoring Jeremiah's sputtering protests. His eyes, filled with a searing concern,

a cold, predatory glint in his eyes. He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me protectively against h

comprehension. Alec's eyes, full of possessive tenderness as he looked at me, w