Chapter 3

"Finished your drink?" The woman in designer clothes moved in closer, her face calm as usual. Only when she caught the strong scent of herbs around the girl did she finally let out a quiet sigh of relief. "Yeah." Freya masked the frostiness in her eyes and put on a quiet, obedient face. Coming back to life in an environment she knew nothing about, it was best to keep a low profile until she figured out what cards this woman was playing. "Vanessa, remember I mentioned there's a family dinner tonight? Now that you're feeling better, come along-it'll help shake off the bad vibes. I have a dress ready for you." The woman opened up a dress box and pulled out a slinky little slip dress. Seriously? That kind of sexy outfit for a eighteen-year-old girl? What exactly was she trying to pull? Still, there's no point fighting the wind when the storm's not over. Her current body might only be eighteen, but it was already fully grown in all the right ways. The dress hugged her curves perfectly, striking a stunning balance between sweet and sultry-so gorgeous it was hard to look away. Freya sighed inwardly. Life could be weirdly fair. After all the hell she'd gone through in her past life, waking up in this beauty of a body seemed like some kind of cosmic trade-off. She slipped into the dress and stepped out of the bedroom, only to be startled by the loud bang of the door flying open. A teenage boy with loud, mismatched fashion and hair dyed every color of the rainbow barged in. "Auntie, I'm starving! Got any food?" His voice cracked awkwardly, stuck somewhere between a boy's and a man's. "Xander, can't you see your sister just woke up? And you don't even say hi? There's food in the kitchen." The woman's tone stayed gentle, soft as ever, achingly sweet. Xander Brooks gave her a grin, all sunshine and mischief, but as soon as he looked over at Freya, his gaze turned icy. "Sister, huh? Not in my book. She's dead to me." With that, he swaggered off toward the kitchen. The woman turned toward her, eyes apologetic. "Vanessa, don't take it to heart. You two came from the same mother. Be patient with him, okay?" "Okay." Freya nodded, though her mind whirled with questions. This family setup was baffling. So, she and Xander were full siblings, and her name was Vanessa Brooks? She tried the name out in her head. Vanessa. That would be her from now on. But why did Xander act like he hated her guts? He seemed to have a serious grudge. She didn't have time to figure that out, though. The woman had already started urging her out the door. Vanessa followed her, sneaking one last glance backward at Xander, whose cold stare held something more-some cocktail of jealousy and resentment. The dinner was supposed to be a "family gathering," but oddly, the woman didn't even bring Xander along. Vanessa, keeping up her sweet-girl act, followed her into a fancy hotel and into a private room. Her supposed uncle, John Wallace, and his daughter Chloe Wallace hadn't arrived yet. The woman gave her a slight tug and led her in, giving her a once-over. There was an unexpected flicker in her eyes. Vanessa didn't miss it. She instinctively touched her forehead, swayed a little, and said, "Auntie, I'm feeling kinda dizzy..." "Sit down for a moment. I'll get some medicine for you," the woman said, voice full of concern. But in her eyes, something glinted-excitement, barely hidden. "Thanks," Vanessa replied softly, eyes closed as she sat in the chair with a calm that didn't match how her heart slammed in her chest. As the woman stepped out of the room, Vanessa's eyes snapped open like a flash of lightning. She stared at the door, cold and alert. Wow. So that's how this "family" rolls? Drugging her and setting something up behind the scenes? She padded silently to the door, peeked out, and saw the woman slinking into a room a short way down the hall. Vanessa followed, careful and quiet, all the way to the door. Luckily, it wasn't fully shut. She gently leaned toward the small crack and caught a clear view of what was going on inside. Inside the private room, the "family of three" was already cooking up their plan.