Elliana stared at the woman standing in the doorway.
The memories of the prison floor, the shattered ribs, and the taste of her own blood violently crashed into her skull. Her fingernails dug so deeply into her palms that the skin nearly broke. Her heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird.
She wanted to lunge across the room and wrap her hands around Jovita's throat. She wanted to squeeze until those fake, innocent eyes bulged out of her skull.
But Elliana forced her muscles to relax. She let her shoulders slump, mimicking the confused, irritable girl she had been ten years ago.
Jovita walked closer, carrying a glass of milk on a silver tray. She set it on the nightstand and sat on the edge of the mattress.
"Ellie, you look terrible," Jovita said, her brow furrowing in perfect, practiced sympathy. "Did you not sleep well? Did Damon... did he hurt you?"
Elliana's stomach churned at the manipulation. Jovita was planting the seed. She was trying to frame Damon's touch as a violation, stoking the fire of Elliana's past resentment.
In her previous life, Elliana had taken the bait. She had screamed, thrown the glass of milk at the wall, and stormed downstairs to demand a divorce from Damon before he even finished his coffee.
Elliana looked at the milk. She didn't touch it.
"It's nothing," Elliana said, her voice intentionally flat.
A flicker of surprise crossed Jovita's eyes. This wasn't the explosive reaction she expected.
Jovita reached out and affectionately linked her arm through Elliana's. "Sister, you don't have to force yourself. I know you don't love him. This arranged marriage is so unfair to you."
Jovita squeezed her arm. "Look at what he did to you last night. He didn't care about your feelings at all. A man like that, no matter how rich or powerful the Stirling family is, will never make you happy."
With her free hand, Jovita reached into her designer pocket and pulled out a small, unmarked plastic bottle. She pressed it into Elliana's palm.
"I got these from a friend. They're strong sleeping pills," Jovita whispered, her eyes darting to the door as if they were sharing a dangerous secret. "If he tries to force you again tonight, just slip a few into his drink. You can..."
Elliana stared at the little white pills rattling inside the plastic.
The memory hit her like a physical blow. In her past life, she had used these exact pills. During a screaming match, she had dumped them into Damon's whiskey. It had caused a severe gastric hemorrhage. Damon had been rushed to the hospital, and the entire Stirling family had turned against her in disgust.
Jovita had been paving her road to hell since day two.
Elliana tightened her grip on the bottle. Her knuckles turned stark white. She forced the corners of her mouth to lift into a weak, grateful smile.
"You're the only one who really cares about me, Jovita," Elliana said softly.
Jovita beamed, patting Elliana's hand. "We're sisters. You need to figure out how to divorce him quickly. The longer you drag this out, the worse it will be for you."
Jovita leaned in closer. "I heard Damon cares about the Stirling Group's reputation more than anything. You should go to his office today. Make a scene. Embarrass him in front of his employees. If he gets angry enough, he'll definitely sign the divorce papers."
Elliana nodded slowly, keeping her eyes wide and naive. "You're right. I can't just sit here and take this."
Satisfied that her poison had been swallowed, Jovita stood up. "I'll go wait for you downstairs. Mom has called three times already. She's so worried about you."
Elliana knew Greta Lewis didn't give a damn about her well-being. Her stepmother only cared if Elliana had successfully alienated the Stirling family yet.
"Okay," Elliana said.
The second the bedroom door clicked shut, the fake smile melted off Elliana's face, leaving behind a mask of pure, freezing ice.
She threw the blankets off and walked directly into the massive en-suite bathroom. She needed a moment to ground herself. She gripped the edges of the marble sink and stared at her reflection.
She looked so young. Her collarbones and the pale skin of her neck were covered in dark, purplish bruises-hickeys. The physical evidence of Damon's intense, desperate possession from the night before.
In her past life, she had scrubbed at her skin until it bled, disgusted by his touch.
Now, Elliana reached up and gently traced the marks with her fingertips. Her breath hitched. A strange, heavy heat pooled in her lower stomach. Damon. Even when she had been a monster to him, he had never truly hurt her.
She turned on the cold water and splashed her face, shocking her system into absolute clarity. After drying her skin, she slowly walked back out into the bedroom and approached the floor-to-ceiling window. Looking down at the manicured driveway, she saw Jovita standing near a black SUV. Jovita was whispering something to Damon's personal driver, slipping a folded piece of paper into the man's hand.
Jovita already had spies in the estate.
Elliana turned away, her resolve hardening into steel. She unscrewed the cap of the plastic bottle Jovita had given her. She dumped the white pills into the sink and watched them swirl down the drain.
This time, she was going to tear Jovita's life apart piece by piece. And she was going to hold onto Damon Stirling so tightly that nothing in this world could ever pry them apart.
Elliana walked into the walk-in closet. She bypassed the ripped jeans and graphic tees she used to wear to rebel against the family image. She pulled out a tailored, elegant beige dress that covered the marks on her neck perfectly.
She smoothed the fabric over her hips, took a deep breath, and opened the bedroom door. It was time to put on a show.
