Chapter 3

Since she would soon be heading somewhere dangerous, Maya decided to lay her grandmother to rest first. She bought a small cremation pendant, tucked a lock of Belinda's hair inside with a pinch of ash, and buried the rest in a cemetery plot. Kneeling at the headstone, she curled her fingers around the pendant at her chest. "Grandma, don't worry," she whispered. "I'm finally going to do what I've always wanted. I'll take care of myself." By the time Maya got back to the villa, dusk had settled. Laughter spilled from the living room the moment she stepped inside. She froze, and in that instant, Cole spotted her. He crossed the room, took her by the elbow, and steered her in. "Come on and meet a couple of friends." A man and a woman stood from the couch and turned toward her, amusement flickering in their eyes. It was Valerie and Carter. Maya's body trembled before she could stop it. It was a reflex she could never control around Valerie. Cole's tone stayed easy. "Valerie grew up with me, and Carter is my twin. They just got back from overseas and will be attending our wedding." Valerie raised a hand and gave Maya a sweet smile. "We know each other. We were roommates in university." She slipped forward, hooked an arm through Maya's, and leaned in to murmur in her ear, "Right, Maya?" A reel of old scenes snapped to life behind Maya's eyes. Every time the bullying ended, Valerie would breathe the same line against her ear. "It's just a joke between roommates, right, Maya?" Maya flinched hard and shoved her away on instinct. Valerie landed on the rug and looked up with wounded eyes. "You still don't like me? I'm only trying to get along." Both men's expressions darkened. Cole rushed to pull Valerie up, his eyes turning cold. Carter's brows pinched. "Cole, your fiancee's got quite the temper. She's not even married to you yet, and she's already throwing her weight around?" Cole stepped in front of Valerie and didn't bother to soften his tone. "Maya, apologize!" Maya stared at the three of them, her hands curling at her sides. The words she'd heard the night before ripped through her chest like a jagged tear. She turned without a word and headed for the door. She barely made it two steps before a hand clamped around her wrist and yanked. She stumbled and looked up into Cole's furious eyes. "Who told you to leave?" Carter said with an edge to his voice, "Our family has always cared about manners. Cole, maybe you should teach her some." "You're right," Cole replied with an icy gaze. "Maya, you're about to marry into this family. Watch your mouth and your behavior. Take the rest of the night to think about what you did." He dragged her to the basement, shoved her into a room, and slammed the door before she could catch her breath. No light seeped through the seams. Only then did Maya realize it was a windowless room. The suffocating dark sent her breathing into a panic. She pounded both fists against the door and called out until her throat burned, but the hallway stayed silent. Terror swallowed her whole. Back in university, Valerie had locked her in a dark utility room for three days. Everything was silent and dark, time dragging on until it seemed to break apart. She'd been shattered after that, and darkness had terrified her ever since. The claustrophobia never left. For years, she slept with every lamp on. At first, Cole struggled with it, turning and staying awake all night, but when he learned what she'd been through, he pulled her close and murmured, "It's okay. We'll sleep with the lights on from now on. You don't have to be afraid." Whenever she offered to try turning them off, he would refuse. "Maya, you don't have to force yourself. I can adjust." He knew. Both of them knew. Yet, they chose to lock her in a dark room because she had pushed Valerie. A dull ache throbbed in her chest. She slid to the corner, wrapped her arms around herself, and held on as the shaking took over. The affection they showered her with had only been an act. They had staged every moment. Even this little dark room felt like it had been designed just for her.