Before coming home, Amelia bad played out thousands of scenarios in her head, imagining what her parents migla say
She’d known it would hurt, but she’d never experied the pain to be this fucking heutal,
She stated directly into her father’s eyes, her voice shaking with Jnraly controlled rage: “What the hell do you mean ‘older nastar in tika s seertal mother? We’re twins. I came out maybe twenty minutes before her–that doesn’t make me responsible for her entire life,”
Hain’t she already sacrificed enough of her childhood to that meaningless accident of birth order?
Seeing her defiance instead of the compliance he expected, her father’s face twisted with fury.
“You selfish Tule buch! Are you really going to stand there and watch your entire fandy get destroyed? How can you goddamn heartless?”
“This is YOUR disaster, not mine Aurelia’s voice cracked as years of suppressed rage finally erupted.
Her father’s control snapped completely, his hand flying toward her face with vicious intent.
Aurelia squeered her eyes shut and braced for the familiar sting of his palm–a sensation she’d endured countless times growing up
But the blow never landed,
When she opened her eyes, Inc whs gripping her father’s wrist in what looked like a bone–crushing hold, the two men locked in a staredows that radiated pure violence,
“Who the fuck are you to interfere with family business?” her father snarled.
Isaac’s voice was ice–cold as he twisted her father’s wrist the older man winced. “Aurelia is classified government research personnel under federal protection. I’m her assigned security detail
He stepped protectively in front of her, his body radiating lethal energy. “Nobody touches her. Ever. I don’t give a shit if you’re her biological father–lay on finger on her and you’ll be eating through a straw.”
Her Eather’s face went purple with humiliation as he tried to jerk free, but mac’s grip was unbreakable.
“Assaulting federal personnel is a felony. You want to spend the next decade in prison? Keep trying me
Only then did haar release him, sending her father stumbling backward.
Her mother rushed forward with tears streaming down her face, desperately trying to salvage the situation..
“Please, this is all just a horrible misunderstanding! Your father is losing his ound with worry about Rosaba–he didn’t mean it.”
She reached for Aureha’s hands, but Aurelia recolled like she’d been burned.
“Don’t take it personally, sweetheart. You and Rosalia are both our precious girls. It’s just that those loan sharks are terrorizing every day, and we’re falling apart. Your father’s just scared and stressed.”
Isaac’s laugh was harsh and bitter. “Scared and stressed? Lady, the favoritism in this family is so extreme it’s criminal”
His protective fury was blazing as be locked between Aurelia’s parents with pure disgust. “Aurelia has the shittiest Luck in the universe, ending up with toxir parents like you*
He grabbed Aurelia’s elbow and started steering her toward the exit, his entire body vibrating with barely contained violence.
Before they left, I turned hack with a promise that sounded more like a threat: “Predatory lending is federal crime territory. Fin having this whole situation investigated by people who actually know what they’re doing fut if either of you tries to manipulate or hurt Aurelia again if you se much as send her aga trip test–you’ll find out exactly how creative federal security can get.”
Outside the hospital, Aurelia
found enough breath to speak
“How..how did you even get here? Her voice was hallow, shell shocked
Chapter 25
Isaac’s expression transformed from bethal protector to gentle concern as he looked at her. “1 putted every string t
follow you. You’re too important to the program–and to me–to Dicè this nightinare alone.
His voice cracked slightly. “Jesus, Aurelia, if I’d been thirty seconds later, Im would’ve hit you Again, How many times has de…” İta question
“It doesn’t matter anymore. I stopped feeling those hits a long time ago Aurelia’s words came out flat, practiced, but four could see the B behind them who had learned to shut down her pain to survive,
Actually, she preferred their cruelty. It made everything clearer, easier to walk away from
Their occasional moments of fake kindness were what facked with her head and made her hope for imposible things.
“What do you want to do now?” Isaac asked, his voice gentle but his eyes still bring with protective age
Aurelia looked utterly defeated. Tneed to understand what really happened with Rosalia’s delt. Get the real story behind the manipulation.”
“They created this mess you don’t move them anything.” It wanted to grab her shoulders and shake some gence into her, but he could she was already hanging by a thread.
Aurelia’s voice was barely a whisper: “Whatever else they are, they’re still the people who raed me for eighteen years.”
Despite their toxic favoritism, they had fed her, clothed her, and funded her education until she could escape.
She couldn’t be a complete monster and abandon them entirely. She’d handle Rosalia’s crisis and then walk away forever. Isaac watched her resignation with a breaking heart, wanting to protect her from her own misplaced loyalty,
“I have federal contacts here who can cut through the bullshit and get us real answers fast.”
For the first time all day. Aurelia looked at him with something approaching gratitude Isaac thank you For everything”
“Don’t” His voice was fierce. “You never have to thank me for protecting you Ever.”
The trony was devastating–strangers who owed her nothing would move heaven and earth for her, while the people who should love her most demanded she sacrifice everything for them.
At least this nightmare would be over suon
Once she Handled this crisis, she’d be thousands of miles away with no obligations, no guilt, no connections
