From Their Stand-in to Center of His Universe

Everyone in Vallermoore knew I was Cole Mitchell and Finn Archer's most treasured princess.

At 12, Cole saved me from my abusive dad's grip and gave me a second shot at life. He vowed to protect me always.

At 13, Finn rented out an entire amusement park for my birthday and whispered that guarding my smile was his mission for life.

Now I was 23, and they locked me in a pitch-black, freezing attic for three winter days.

As I slowly lost consciousness, they were busy fawning over Zoey Hart, their long-lost childhood friend.

"Everything you have is mine, so it's time to give it back."

After hearing what Zoey said, I left without making a scene or shedding a single tear. However, for years after, they tore the city apart and tried to find me like mad.

With a sharp crash, a gust of wind shattered a tiny attic window and rained glass panes near my feet.

It was pitch-dark up here in the attic, while the air was damp and bitterly cold. Panic gripped me as I pounded my fists against the iron door.

"Cole, Finn! I can't stay here any longer, please… Please let me out… I'm going to die in here…"

Shivering in the cold, I wore nothing but a thin party dress. The shards of glass scattered all around my feet cut into my skin.

As I slammed on the cold iron door, my hands throbbed in pain, but my desperate, fearful pleas did nothing other than fuel waves of mocking laughter.

"She won't die! Three days won't kill her!"

"Say… How long will she last? Wanna place your bets?"

The sound of footsteps faded away, and they took my last shred of hope with them. Through the only tiny window in the attic, I saw Zoey Hart's birthday party in full swing below.

The two men who usually treated me like the apple of their eyes stood by her side. Cole Mitchell draped his cashmere scarf around her shoulders, while Finn Archer blew warm air on his hands and cupped them on her chilled, red ears.

Encircled by a crowd, they looked up at the dazzling fireworks in the sky with awe.

Cole Mitchell had once been my savior. He'd led me into a whole new world and promised me the best of the world.

Finn Archer had been my warm sun. He couldn't bear to see me hurt and would do anything to keep me laughing. But now, my life meant nothing to them as they turned a blind eye to me while I was locked in this freezing cage.

Even as I teetered on the brink of despair, they only had eyes for her. All that affection that used to shower on me felt like a fleeting dream, now clearly bestowed upon Zoey.

Someone sent a housekeeper to bang on the iron door just to make me scream, and they laughed harder the more I shrieked. When my voice went hoarse, they bolted the door tighter and sealed out the last sliver of light.

I was just their toy to liven up the party, discarded the moment the game got old.

As I slid to the floor, the cold seeped into my bones. I sat utterly still in the cold and pitch-black attic, feeling frost forming on my lashes as I struggled to curl in on myself. Slowly, I drowned in fear.

As time ticked by, despair gave way to numbness until the darkness swallowed me whole.

Time was a blur. And when my dulled senses gradually returned, the sharp sting of antiseptic filled my nose, and I heard the doctor say, "Ms. Fletcher's awake. Call Mr. Mitchell and Mr. Archer now.

"You were in a high fever and were unconscious for ten days, Ms. Fletcher. You must feel very weak now, so don't try to talk just yet."

My mind felt heavy and slow. It took a few moments to remember that I'd gone to Zoey's birthday party with Cole. I remembered her big, innocent eyes blinking up at everyone as she suggested a game of blindfolded archery. Whoever lost would have their date locked in the attic for three days.

All of this happened with Cole and Finn's approval.

The high fever that seized me after surviving the attic nearly claimed my life. For the past ten days, I drifted in and out of nightmares replaying that same horrific scene.

Watching as Cole and Finn fastened their blindfolds with great interest, I'd clutched the former's arm in panic. "The attic's freezing and pitch-black! Whoever gets locked in there will die!"

He'd unhurriedly pulled the bow and released the arrow impatiently.

"Can't you trust me and behave for once, Emma? Today is Zoey's birthday. Don't ruin it."

His words stunned me because though Cole came from privilege, he'd never spoken to me in such an arrogant tone. Without hesitation, he released the arrow and hit a perfect bullseye. But of course, that outcome was predictable because he'd been a professional archer.

Just when I thought he'd win, he gave Zoey a soft, reassuring glance. Finn leaned close to her and whispered, "I won't let you lose."

The thought that my fate rested on those few arrows sent a horrible feeling swelling up in my chest. Cole was currently in the lead, and as we were down to the last arrow, I could hear my heart pounding in my ears.

The last arrow missed clean off the mark. Cole took off the blindfold and gave me a small, apologetic smirk. "Sorry, I lost, Emma. A bet's a bet."

I could barely believe my eyes, knowing that anyone could miss the mark but never him.

Zoey dramatically spread her hands and turned to me with a sly smile of triumph. "Three days in the attic, Ms. Fletcher. Not a single minute less."

Tears streamed down my face as I helplessly shook my head. "Cole, Finn, please… I can't go up there… I'm scared…"

But Cole and Finn, who once swore to protect me, stood beside Zoey. Their lips curled up in amusement as they watched me beg.

With that, I was pushed into the attic, and what came next was three days of ungodly torture. Fear from the darkness and cold never left me. And I knew that I'd carry the terror and despair I'd felt to my grave.