I clutched my phone tightly, my fingers trembling as I scrolled through the videos I'd secretly recorded. Evidence of Dream's cruelty—her forcing me to eat spoiled food, her taunting me about my mother's death, her whispered threats about my grandmother. This was my chance to show Cole the truth.
"Cole," I called, my voice steadier than I felt as I approached his study. "Please, just look at this."
He glanced up from his desk, his expression guarded. "What is it now, Violet?"
"It's Dream." I held out my phone. "I have proof of what she's been doing to me."
Something flickered in his eyes—doubt, perhaps, or the faintest flicker of the man I once knew. He reached for the phone.
But before he could take it, the study door swung open and Dream glided in, her face a perfect mask of distress.
"Cole," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I was just coming to talk to you about this."
His attention immediately shifted to her. "What's wrong?"
Dream's eyes welled with tears as she looked between us. "Violet's been... she's been threatening me, Cole. She's trying to frame me."
"What?" I gasped, disbelief washing over me. "That's not true!"
"She's been recording me," Dream continued, her lower lip quivering. "Trying to make me look bad. She even threatened to hurt me if I didn't leave."
Cole's expression hardened as he looked at me. "Is this true?"
"No! I'm just trying to show you what she's really doing!" I held out the phone again. "Please, just watch—"
Cole snatched the phone from my hand. "Enough, Violet."
"Cole, please—"
"This stops now," he said firmly, pocketing my phone. "You're becoming paranoid."
Dream moved to his side, her hand slipping into his with practiced ease. "I'm scared of what she might do next."
I watched in horror as Cole's arm went around her shoulders. "You won't have to worry about that anymore."
---
"I'm assigning Marcus to protect you," Cole announced the next morning, his tone leaving no room for argument.
I looked at Marcus Chen—Cole's head bodyguard—standing stoically by the door. His presence had always made me uncomfortable, but now it felt suffocating.
"Protect me?" I echoed hollowly. "Or keep me prisoner?"
Cole's jaw tightened. "Don't be dramatic, Violet. Marcus is here to ensure you don't hurt Dream."
"I would never hurt anyone," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
"That's not what Dream says." Cole's eyes were cold, distant—the eyes of a stranger. "From now on, you're to remain in the house unless accompanied by Marcus."
I felt the walls closing in around me. "You're imprisoning me."
"I'm protecting my family," he corrected, turning away. "Your phone will remain with me. Marcus will escort you wherever you need to go."
As Cole walked away, Marcus stepped forward slightly. "Mrs. Hart, is there anything you need?"
The formality in his voice, the careful distance he maintained—it was all so surreal. This was my home, my life, yet I was now a prisoner in both.
---
With Cole at work and Marcus hovering nearby, Dream's true nature emerged without restraint. She sauntered into the living room where I sat, her camera hidden in the folds of her sweater.
"Prisoner Violet," she sang softly, circling me like a predator. "How does it feel to lose everything?"
I kept my eyes fixed on the window, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a response.
"Oh, don't be boring," she pouted, dropping onto the couch beside me. "I have so many new games to play with you."
"Leave me alone," I said quietly.
Dream leaned closer, her breath hot against my ear. "I don't think so. You see, I've been doing some research on your precious grandmother."
My head snapped toward her, fear spiking through me. "What about my grandmother?"
Dream's smile widened as she pulled out her phone, showing me a photo of my grandmother's care facility. "Such a lovely place. So... vulnerable."
"What are you doing?" I demanded, reaching for the phone.
She pulled it away, laughing. "Nothing yet. But accidents can happen to anyone, especially old people who live alone."
My blood ran cold as I stared at her, finally understanding the depths of her cruelty.
"Think of it as insurance," Dream whispered, leaning back with satisfaction. "As long as you behave, your grandmother will be safe. But if you try anything... well, I hear falls are quite common among the elderly."
I felt trapped in a nightmare I couldn't wake from, with no way to protect the last person I loved in this world.
