"Some hate in silence. Others survive without a sound. And then there are those, like him, who only speak when blood is spilled."
---
POV: Ana
I leaned against the kitchen counter, my gaze still fixed on the door Emma had just disappeared through. Her presence always left behind that same dull scent, that same heavy silence—like a trail of shadow.
"Seriously, Linda, how does Eyass still put up with that girl?" I muttered, my voice laced with disdain. "She's a walking disaster. A bad joke."
Linda, who had just arrived, raised an eyebrow, her expression hovering somewhere between curiosity and skepticism. She was my childhood best friend—she dropped by the villa from time to time.
"So that's her? The baby mama you keep going on about? The one he dragged in from the streets?"
I let out a dry, bitter laugh and crossed my arms.
"Yeah. That's her. That poor thing. She's completely lost. Honestly, I don't get how Eyass hasn't kicked her out yet—with her damn baby. This villa's not a daycare. She needs to figure her own shit out somewhere else."
Linda shrugged, unimpressed.
"Maybe Eyass didn't have a choice..."
I turned back toward the door, a mocking smile curling my lips. Then I faced Linda again, annoyed, unfiltered.
"She and that kid get on my nerves, you have no idea. I'd love to see them both rotting in the street."
Linda's eyes widened slightly, but she said nothing. She knew me well enough to understand I wasn't just being dramatic.
I clicked my tongue against the roof of my mouth, arms still folded.
"I don't know what Eyass was thinking, bringing them here. This is a villa, not a shelter for depressed moms. Have you seen her face? She looks like she's crying in her sleep."
Linda stifled a laugh.
"You really are poison, Ana."
I shot her a cold smile.
Denis, who'd been silently listening, set his glass down on the table.
"Ana, could you stop tearing her apart like that?" he said, frowning. "You have no idea what she's going through."
"Denis, please. Spare me the white knight routine."
Laurina walked in.
"Still talking about Emma?" she asked curtly.
"Yeah," I replied. "She'd be doing everyone a favor if she just vanished."
"Okay."
I stepped toward the window, arms crossed, watching the garden swallowed by darkness.
Linda dropped a bag on the table and came closer.
"You think she's gonna stay long?"
I shrugged.
"I don't know. I just know she's here, and she's a pain in the ass."
Linda stared at me for a moment, her light eyes searching for something under the surface.
"You really hate her, don't you?"
I let out a slow breath.
"Don't get it twisted. It's not just hate. It's survival. She's a thorn in Eyass's side. And that? That's unacceptable."
She nodded slowly.
I exhaled sharply, annoyed.
"A damn parasite."
Linda smiled faintly, though not at me—more out of some quiet empathy.
Denis's phone buzzed on the counter.
He answered, listened for a few seconds, and his face went serious.
"Who is it, baby?" Laurina asked, appearing in the hallway.
"One of Eyass's guys. They caught someone. An infiltrator. I have to go."
He set the bottle down, glanced at Laurina, and said lightly:
"I'll be back."
Laurina smiled—a strange, cryptic smile—and Denis left.
---
POV: Emma – Bedroom
I gently closed the bedroom door, my fingers gripping the handle like it was made of glass. Angelina was still asleep, her cheek sunk into the tiny pillow.
I turned toward the bed—but I couldn't bring myself to lie on it. I was scared to move the mattress, to break the quiet spell of her rest.
So I grabbed a pillow, slid it to the wall, and curled up on the floor, knees pulled to my chest. The cold from the floor crept into my bones, but I didn't care.
My eyes stayed locked on her.
My daughter.
My only truth.
My only refuge.
I could still hear Ana's voice in my head, her words like venom spat into the silence.
But I refused to cry.
Not now.
I just wanted to make it through the night.
---
POV: Eyass – Hallway
I walked slowly, deliberately, each step heavy and certain against the cold floor.
I stopped in front of Emma's door.
It wasn't completely closed.
I narrowed my eyes, peering through the narrow gap.
She was there, curled up on the floor like a stray.
I raised my hand, about to push the door open.
What was I going to say? Tell her to stop sleeping on the ground like a damn dog?
My phone vibrated in my pocket.
I pulled it out and answered.
"Yeah?"
"Boss, we caught someone."
"Who?"
"Some guy snooping near the greenhouse. Not from around here. He's an infiltrator."
"I'm on my way."
I hung up and glanced once more at the room.
Then I turned and walked away.