"One day, they'll see everything I had to kill."
𝗣𝗢𝗩 𝗘𝗠𝗠𝗔
The room was quiet. Too quiet.
Angelina slept soundly, curled up against my arm. Her tiny hand clutched my skin, a fragile anchor in a world that swayed around me. I watched her, mesmerized, trying to etch every detail into my memory—every soft breath that slipped through her parted lips. Her chest rose gently, undisturbed by the chaos surrounding us.
Her scent, sweet and pure, was a subtle mix of milk, soap, and something I couldn't name—but it filled me with both peace and dread.
I stayed still, unable to look away, as if I could freeze time. As if by sheer will, I could protect her from everything waiting to destroy us.
But I knew it was just an illusion.
In this house, every minute was a battle. Every breath, a gamble.
I brushed my fingers over her cheek, her skin soft beneath my touch—a silent promise I couldn't say out loud.
— Angelina...
I whispered her name, like a secret I shared with the dark.
Silence was my only answer.
My chest ached with the weight of exhaustion and loneliness.
But I couldn't break. Not in front of her.
---
I remembered the last time I had felt real peace.
It was before Eyass. Before the golden cage closed in on me.
I shut my eyes and the pain returned, dull and sharp all at once—like a cold blade wedged deep in my chest.
I inhaled slowly, trying to keep the shadows at bay.
A glance toward the door snapped me back to attention.
Maybe this was just the calm before the storm.
---
The door creaked open, shattering the silence.
Margot stepped inside, a lit cigarette dangling from her fingers, her face tired but resolute.
— You're still awake?
I shook my head, sleep far from reach.
— No… I just can't.
She sank into the armchair, her sharp gaze resting on me without judgment.
— Eyass is on edge.
I frowned.
— Again? Why?
She exhaled smoke, weary.
— Because of this morning.
I tensed.
— What did he say?
She bit her lip, hesitating.
— He threatened me. If he finds out I tried helping you escape again… it won't be just words next time.
My body stiffened, my chest tightening painfully.
The silence between us grew heavy, suffocating.
I clenched my fists, a slow anger bubbling beneath my skin.
A long pause.
Then Margot stood, grinding her cigarette into the ashtray.
— Yesterday, I saw Denis.
My heart skipped a beat.
— And?
She looked away for a second, then met my eyes. Did she tell him the truth?
— He doesn't know. And he never will. Not as long as the secret stays between us.
I nodded, a fragile wave of relief crashing against an undercurrent of fear.
---
𝗣𝗢𝗩 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗚𝗢𝗧 — 𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗠
The dim light from the bedside lamp barely touched my weary face. I sat on the edge of the bed, holding an old photograph—Kylian and me, smiling like fools, from a time when the world still made sense.
My fingers traced the faded paper, reaching for something lost in that snapshot of a better time.
I remembered that day—the wind sharp against my cheeks, Denis's voice hollow and strangled as he told me Evan was gone.
— Margot. Kylian's rip.
Those words still echoed, cutting deeper than anything I'd felt before.
The shock. The silence. The grief.
And the quiet rage that followed, filling a hollow that nothing else could.
A part of me died that day.
I pressed the photo to my chest, a single tear sliding down my cheek.
— I couldn't forget.
But I had to keep going. For Emma. For Angelina.
---
𝗣𝗢𝗩 𝗘𝗬𝗔𝗦𝗦 — 𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗨
The dark walls and suffocating silence of my office brought no peace.
My eyes were locked on a tiny toy sitting on the corner of the desk—left behind, a cruel reminder of the thing that disrupted my entire balance.
That baby. That presence.
A low, irrational anger rose in my chest, like black fire devouring everything I thought I controlled.
Why did that child irritate me so much?
Because she was the one thing I couldn't command.
Because she was the crack in my armor. The weakness I didn't want to name.
My fists clenched, jaw tight, heart pounding too fast.
— That fucking baby…
Everything was slipping.
And I couldn't let it.
I wouldn't lose control.
---
𝗣𝗢𝗩 𝗘𝗠𝗠𝗔 — 𝗞𝗜𝗧𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗡, 𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧
I walked slowly down the stairs, wrapped in an old sweater.
Angelina was sleeping peacefully in her bassinet, still as a breath held in the dark.
I carried a soiled diaper in my hand, every step heavy, like the weight of survival pressed into my bones.
The house was quiet, every sound echoing into the night.
I pushed open the kitchen door.
Denis stood by the counter, staring out the window. Ana was there too, speaking with a woman I didn't recognize.
They turned when they saw me.
— Hey, Emma.
His voice was calm, polite. Distant.
I nodded back, murmuring a quiet reply.
Ana approached, a cold smile on her lips.
— If only Eyass would realize this place isn't a fucking daycare, she sneered, arms crossed, eyes pinned to me. Kicking you and your little brat out would be the best thing they've done. I don't even know why they keep you here…
I froze. No words. Not even a breath.
Every syllable was a blade to the chest.
But I took it.
Again.
Always.
Silence cracked through the room like dry ice. Denis turned slowly, jaw clenched.
— Ana, for fuck's sake… don't be such a bitch to her, he growled, voice low but laced with tension. You have no idea what she's going through.
She laughed bitterly.
— What she's going through? Maybe she should just go back to wherever she came from. You want us to play sad violin music now?
Denis stepped closer, his voice sharper now.
— She has a fucking baby, Ana. She's not a stray dog.
Silence.
I lowered my eyes. My heart thumped so loud I felt it in my throat.
But I didn't speak.
Because here, my words didn't matter.
They burned my throat.
But I swallowed them.
Always.
I couldn't say anything.