ANASTASIA:
"And what exactly were you thinking this morning, Anastasia? Running off like a maniac and making everyone worry sick about you?" Dr. Helia's voice cut through the air as she loomed over me, her anger barely restrained. I have always hated how she pronounces my name. As if she really hates it. "Have you ever considered that maybe controlling your intrusive thoughts could save all of us a lot of misery?"
"I... I'm sorry... I just..." I stammered, trying to find the words.
"You just what, Anastasia?" she snapped, her scowl deepening. "You just thought it was a brilliant idea to run away from home in this ridiculous T-shirt, with your crazed mind leading the way?" She scoffed, her disdain palpable. "Have you ever thought what it would impact on the name of the Browns?"
I stayed silent, my throat tight as the sting of tears threatened to overwhelm me. But I wouldn't let them fall. I glanced around the room, where nearly twenty imposing men stood guard, supposedly for my protection. Yet, none of them could save me from this monster in front of me.
It was seven in the evening, and with my father's approval, Dr. Helia had tightened security around me. Now, she was ready to confront me—or rather, to make me suffer.
"Dr. Helia... I think she's just... overwhelmed," Rika, my nanny, interjected, trying to reason with her. Here I was, a twenty-five-year-old woman, yet I was treated like a child—something to be controlled.
Dr. Helia turned her icy gaze to Rika, a fake smile plastered on her face as she slowly approached. Towering over Rika, she eyed her up and down before speaking in a low, threatening tone. "Well, Miss Nanny, if I'm not mistaken, it was your responsibility to ensure Anastasia didn't slip out in this state. But you failed, didn't you?"
Rika remained silent, her eyes downcast.
"So, if we're being honest, you failed at your job, and now you need to keep your mouth shut while I do mine," Dr. Helia hissed.
"Ana isn't crazy!" Rika protested, her voice trembling. "Stop trying to make her out to be!"
"That's for me to decide, isn't it, Rika?" Dr. Helia taunted, turning her back on her as she addressed the guards. "Starting tomorrow, if I catch any of you slacking off, you're gone. Do you understand?"
They all nodded, fear evident in their eyes. I hated how she ran this house now, with that haughty attitude that could only belong to one person—my stepmother, Ava. She wanted me out of the picture, and it was probably her who convinced my father to bring in a doctor to declare me insane.
Ava is six months pregnant now, currently serving as interim head of the Alphas, and I'm certain she'll do anything to make that role permanent. I watched as Dr. Helia approached Robert, handing him something before he quietly disappeared into the kitchen. She then turned to me, that irritating smirk still plastered on her face. "I trust Anastasia will be a good girl and eat her dinner, then go to sleep without causing any trouble, right? After all, she'll only be allowed to attend college tomorrow if she promises to behave!"
The confident girl who would never tolerate this kind of treatment was gone. Months of being drugged, of being deliberately weakened, have taken their toll. But I won't back down. I refuse to let them break me.
Robert returned with my dinner and the ever-present glass of milk that Dr. Helia insisted I drink every night "for my health." But deep down, I know there's something in that milk that isn't good for me. Yet Robert, Rika, and everyone else I know are powerless under Dr. Helia's watchful eye.
"Princess," she cooed, that same infuriating smile never leaving her face. "It's time for your dinner."
Feeling utterly helpless, I walked to the dining table, casting a glance at Robert as I sat down quietly to eat. Finishing the glass of milk always makes my eyelids heavy, a fog descending over my mind. I tried to focus on the people around me, but they only blurred and faded as darkness closed in, swallowing me whole.
By the time I opened my eyes, I was back in my room. The lights were off, the curtains drawn tight, and the faint sound of my bodyguards' footsteps echoed from outside.
"Wanna go grab a drink?" one of them suggested.
"But what about the girl?" the other replied, hesitantly. "You know, Miss Karen will have our heads if anything goes wrong this time."
"She's out cold. The meds the docs give her will keep her knocked out till morning. We've got time for a quick drink."
I waited in silence as their voices and footsteps faded into the darkness. Once everything was quiet, I swiftly got out of bed and crept to the window. I peeked outside—four guards patrolled the grounds, and security cameras dotted the perimeter of the house.
"Damn it," I muttered under my breath. Grabbing my phone from the desk, I quickly sent a text. Tapping my foot impatiently, I watched as the red dots from the security cameras blinked off. That was my cue.
I climbed out the window with practiced ease, waiting in the shadows until the guards turned the corner. The gate was unguarded, and I took my chance, sneaking out into the night.
A car screeched to a halt in front of me, and a familiar face appeared through the window.
"Dave!"
"Get in," he urged, his voice tense. "The cameras will be back on any second now."
Without a second thought, I jumped into the car, and he sped off into the darkness.
"I'm sorry I was harsh this morning," David said, his eyes fixed on the road as we drove away from my house.
"Don't apologize. We both know it was just an act," I replied, my voice low. "Dr. Helia has us under constant surveillance, and we can't afford to get you on her radar. Especially with Ava pulling the strings behind the scenes. My father's practically her puppet now, doing everything she says. We have to be careful, Dave."
"Yeah..." he murmured, turning the car towards his office. The building loomed ahead, its lights still on, casting an eerie glow. As we stepped inside, I noticed the chaos—piles of files strewn across his desk, the whiteboard behind it a tangled mess of red string connecting photos and notes. At the center was a photo of Aurora Romano, the red thread leading to a blank face labeled "The Devil", AKA Benny. There was also this young woman with the child before Romano's mansion. Beside it were pictures of San Dios, Diana Moretti, and a large red question mark next to a photo of my mother.
"Your office looks like a crime scene," I quipped, trying to lighten the tension.
"Yeah, thanks to you," he mused, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.
My gaze softened as I looked around the room. What David was doing for me was beyond anything I could ever repay. "Thank you, Dave," I whispered, reaching out to squeeze his hand. "This means the world to me."
As we settled in, David began to walk me through the clues and reports he'd gathered on San Dios and Diana Moretti. The disturbing part was that both of them had vanished without a trace. Then there was a mystery body found near Romano's old, abandoned mansion, still awaiting identification.
"Do you think the Devil has anything to do with this?" I asked, my eyes scanning the chaotic scene in the photos.
He shrugged, a deep frown creasing his forehead. "I'm not sure. But my gut tells me this isn't the Devil's work." He pointed to the pictures of the house where San and Diana were last seen. The living room was a disaster, furniture overturned as if someone had been searching for something. It didn't feel like the Devil's usual style—it felt desperate.
"I'm more inclined to believe that someone else is working against us—and against the Devil. Someone who's trying to erase any trace of Emma Winston Brown. And as far as I know, the Devil's on our side, not against us."
"How can you be so sure?" I asked, frowning. It felt strange to see a cop putting trust in a criminal.
"Don't you see the pattern?" David replied, his voice steady. "Even during the Preston case, we initially believed the Devil was behind those murders. But with all the clues and the footage that surfaced, it became clear—he wasn't our enemy. He was targeting the real monsters."
"And now you're defending him?" I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest, trying to mask my unease.
He laughed, a sound that echoed with irony. "Defending him? No, A, I'm not defending him. He's a criminal, a sociopath, a killer. But we can't ignore the fact that everything he's done has not only been driven by something personal—his sister, but more. Just like us, he's hunting down the mastermind behind all this... Mr. X."
I nodded slowly, knowing he was right, yet still struggling to reconcile my feelings. The Devil was a psychopath, his mocking laughter and taunts still fresh in my mind. But despite that, there was a strange sense of relief in knowing he was still out there, alive. How twisted was I to feel at ease with that?
"You saw him today, didn't you?" David asked, breaking through my thoughts. "He's alive?"
"Uh... yes..." I replied, feeling a twinge of awkwardness.
"We were right then. He survived," David said, his tone a mix of confirmation and anticipation. "But why would he fake his own death? What's the motive behind this twisted game?"
"Uh... maybe he's just toying with us..." I replied, though the words felt hollow.
He nodded, his expression darkening. "No... It's not just a game." I stared at him, confused. "I'm certain he's setting up for the master move. We just have to wait for his next strike—that might be our only chance to figure out what he's really after and get closer to Mr. X."
As we talked, David filled me in on the progress of the cases he was working on. We used to discuss everything, spending hours piecing together the puzzle. But now, with my father's strict orders hanging over us, we had to be careful. Not that I ever listened to him anyway.
"But what about that bizarre oversized T-shirt you wore today?" David's voice carried a note of suspicion.
"Uh... bad wardrobe day!" I forced a smile, trying to laugh it off. There was no way I could tell Dave the whole truth about the Devil—that it was him who gave me the most toe-curling orgasm I've had in a long time, then made me wear his clothes home.
And his promise? How could I forget about that?
If it were any other time, I might've laughed it off. But now, I'm very sure he'll do anything to keep his word. I groaned, leaning back.
We ordered American chop suey tonight, and for once, I ate to satisfy my hunger rather than just to keep up appearances. We laughed and talked for hours, and it felt like a breath of fresh air—like I could finally be myself again.
Thanks to Robert, who cleverly switched the glass of milk that Dr. Helia insists I drink every night with a normal one, I've managed to avoid the sedatives she's been slipping me. Since he discovered her scheme to keep me subdued, Robert has played his part well, helping me maintain the illusion that I've fallen into her trap.
"So, you ready to start college again tomorrow?" David asked, slurping his noodles with a grin.
I nodded, still enjoying my meal.
"Lara must be excited?"
I laughed. "She's always excited. She even asked me to ask you if you could help her with something. I'm not sure what, but I'm betting it has to do with her new boyfriend, Mark."
David chuckled, nodding. "Anything for Miss Pink."
It was a genuinely good day—a rare one. Tomorrow, I'd start a new semester at Preston, a campus that was finally free from terror, bullying, and the looming threat of the Falcon Group. For once, I could believe that Aurora's soul was at peace.
"Still haven't heard from Enzo yet?" David's question hit like a gut punch, and I paused, the ache in my chest flaring up again as tears stung my eyes. It's been exactly five months, one week, three days, and eight hours since Enzo left me.
I looked at David, forcing a smile even as I shook my head, trying to push back the sadness that threatened to overwhelm me.