When I regained consciousness, I found myself in another hospital room. Harsh fluorescent lights glared down at me, antiseptic clinging to my skin like a second layer, and my body felt as if concrete had been poured into my veins.
And there he was.
Darian.
Sitting beside my bed, that permanent scowl etched on his face—but this time, his jaw was tight, and dark shadows lingered under his eyes, hinting at a concern I had never seen before.
“You really need to stop testing me like this,” he said, his voice rough, low, dangerous. “I didn’t want it to get that far, Lyra. But you keep pushing me, and I break. I warned you not to keep provoking me.”
I turned my head, staring at the stark white wall beside me.
“I know,” I murmured softly. Too soft. “It won’t happen again.”
He stayed quiet for a moment. My calm, passive tone—it unnerved him. He could handle my screams, my sobs. But this… silence? It made him feel unmoored, like control was slipping from his grasp.
He leaned closer, cupping the back of my head with a possessiveness that still made me shiver. “Don’t act like this. Don’t make me think you’re afraid of me. You know I hate that. I’ve got something planned… something big for you.”
I didn’t speak. I only listened.
“Our anniversary is next week,” he said. “Three years. I reserved the yacht, docked under Carrington Bridge. Midnight.”
Of course he had.
A floating palace on the water, moonlight reflecting off polished surfaces, candles scattered like stars, glasses of champagne waiting for me—no escape, no privacy.
“I dropped seven figures on it,” he added, as if money could impress me. “So dress nicely and show up.”
I stayed quiet.
After a moment, I asked, “Where’s Enzo?”
He pulled out his phone, tapped a few times, and angled the screen toward me. A live video feed. There was my little brother, seated cross-legged on the floor of an opulent room, a tutor guiding him through phonics. A quiet nanny poured juice for him from behind.
“He’s fine,” Darian said. “Homeschooling starts today. The best teachers, twenty-four-hour monitoring. Nothing happens to him—as long as you don’t give me a reason to change that.”
I gave a single nod. Silent.
He studied me for a long moment, trying to read the expression I no longer wore.
But he couldn’t.
Because I wasn’t the same anymore.
---
Later that night, stepping onto the yacht, I was met with a deck bathed in candlelight. Crystal flutes shimmered on a table, each filled with champagne I didn’t want. White orchids twisted along the railings. A violinist played softly beneath the stars.
And above it all, Carrington Bridge loomed, glowing as if the entire city were watching.
He took my hand, drawing me into a slow dance beneath the moonlight. His breath tickled my neck as he murmured, “Three years, baby. We made it.”
I didn’t respond. No blink, no smile.
Something inside me had gone quiet.
Looking out over the dark water, I made a silent vow: one more month to erase every trace of myself. To disappear completely. This time… not even Darian Carrington could find me.
Then the elevator chimed. Doors slid open. And there she was.
Vivienne.
Darian immediately went to her, and she draped her arms around him.
A bitter smile spread across my lips before I could stop it. It wasn’t deliberate. Just instinct. Pain coiled in venom.
He noticed instantly and moved quickly. “Don’t start,” he said. “She just dropped something off for you. That’s it.”
I looked down, pretending I didn’t notice the way his fingers intertwined with hers. But I did. He did too. He straightened, giving me a look that said, don’t make me clean this up tonight, Lyra. Not here. Not under these stars.
“Thanks,” I said quietly. “That’s… nice of her.”
The fake composure pleased him. He finally let go of her hand and circled to wrap his arm around me, cold lips brushing my temple like a deliberate insult.
Vivienne said nothing. She simply pulled a velvet box from her clutch and handed it to me with that soft, condescending smile that never reached her eyes.
I opened it slowly by the glass railing, the dark water below shimmering like ink.
Inside rested a silver hairpin. Intricately etched. Familiar. My mother’s. Not just any pin—the pin. Slightly burned. The one with our family crest, with a hidden blade in the stem. She had worn it the day she died. The same day Vivienne set her ablaze.
My fingers curled tightly around the box.
“Where… Where did you get this?” I whispered.
Vivienne blinked, feigning innocence. “Lyra… I found it at a tiny estate sale on the East End. I thought it was pretty. I didn’t realize it meant anything to you.”
“You’re lying,” I hissed.
“I’m not,” she said, eyes glossy. “I just… I wanted to give you something special. It’s your anniversary. I thought… I wanted you to be happy.”
“You knew exactly what this was. You knew,” I pressed forward.
Vivienne stepped backward slowly, voice trembling just enough for the guests and crew to hear.
“Why do you hate me so much, Lyra? I’ve tried to stay out of your way. I smile, I stay quiet, I’ve done everything I can. And still…”
Step by step, she backed toward the edge of the deck, tears falling as if rehearsed.
“I only wanted to be happy for you… for both of you…”
Another step.
“Vivienne,” Darian warned, his voice taut. “Don’t.”
“I’m sorry I survived,” she sobbed. “I’m sorry I came back. Maybe I shouldn’t have…”
Then—one final step. She fell.
Her body disappeared into the black water with a splash that silenced everything.
Gasps shattered the night like breaking glass. Guests froze. Forks clinked against plates. The violinist stopped mid-bow.
“She jumped…”
“Oh my god…”
“What did Lyra do to her?”
“I heard she tormented that woman for months…”
“She was always unstable…”
“Vivienne!” Darian’s voice broke, raw and ragged. He didn’t even glance at me. He leaped into the water after her, crashing into the waves as though the world itself would end if she didn’t resurface.
The crew scrambled. Radios crackled. Spotlights swung across the water.
I didn’t move. I remained at the railing, fingers still gripping the velvet box.
Below, I heard coughing, splashes. Her name echoing endlessly.
“I told you she was jealous,” someone whispered.
“She always hated Vivienne. This time, she went too far.”
“She should be ashamed. What kind of woman ruins her own anniversary?”
