#Chapter 223: Waking Nightmares

Ella After everything went dark, I found myself in a dream—no, a nightmare, as I quickly found out. I was in my old bedroom, back at my parents’ penthouse. The room was dark, with only the lights from the city shining through the window, casting a blue shaft of light across the room. I stepped into that shaft of light and tilted my face up at the sky. Everything was peaceful; it was as if I was a teenager again, enjoying my solitude. “Ella.” The sound of Moana’s voice caught my attention. I turned to see her standing behind me, half of her face shaded by the shadows. A soft smile touched my lips, and I held my arms out for her. “Mom.” But she didn’t come. She just stood there, staring at me, and that was when I saw it: her eyes, so filled with hatred, so filled with malice. “Mom?” “I never wanted you,” she hissed, motionless, her eyes glinting in the dark. “You always ruined everything. Always made it so difficult. Just like your real mother.” I furrowed my b