Chapter 132

Christina's POV "No, that's not what I meant at all!" Priya's eyes filled with tears again, her thin shoulders trembling under the worn coat. "I just didn't explain it well..." She wiped her eyes with her hand, and I noticed something that made me feel bad. Her fingers looked awful. They were red and cracked, with skin peeling off her knuckles and sore looking patches everywhere. "It's barely November," I frowned, pointing at her hands. "What happened there?" Akira growled softly in my head. "Someone worked this girl like a slave." Priya quickly tucked her hands into her sleeves. "It's nothing. Just from doing chores." I studied her hunched form as she tried to disappear into that oversized coat. The way she made herself small reminded me of how I used to shrink around my father when he'd go on his rants about my "inadequacies" compared to perfect Beatrice. "Listen," I said, softer than before. "You can't go back to being their personal maid. Your mother was talking about marrying you