The North was buried under a thick nket of snow, thendscape a frozen white as far as the eye could see. A frail woman, dressed in threadbare clothes that did little to shield her from the cold, was carefully guided out by two policewomen.

This was Ste Hayes, a survivor of abduction, finally rescued from Dusty Pines, a small town, after three long years. Home, atst.

Her once-luminous eyesrge and striking-were now sunken deep into her gaunt, hollowed face, no bigger than a child’s palm.

She kept them tightly shut, the daylight too harsh after years spent in darkness. Then she ducked her head slightly, the dimmer light easing the strain on her sensitive eyes.

The officers supported her as she shuffled forward, her legs weak and uncooperative.

She hated being a burden, but years of confinement in a sunless cave had left her muscles atrophied, her cirction so poor she could barely stand, let alone walk. For now, she had no choice but to lean on them.

Max Hayes, Ste’s brother, had been on the phone with Anna, his another sister. When he spotted the three of them, he stepped out of the idling SUV, the heater still sting warm air inside.

“Mr. Hayes, you came alone?” one of the officers asked.

“Yeah,” Max replied smoothly. “The rest of the family’s at home, putting together a wee for her.”

The officers nodded. It made sense-after three years missing, of course the Hayes family would want to celebrate Ste’s return. Satisfied, they gently transferred Ste into Max’s care before heading back.

The moment the officers were out of sight, Max’s grip loosened. Ste, unprepared, crumpled to the ground. A sharp jolt of pain shot through her legs-the faint sensation she’d only just begun to regain now ring into agony.

Max’s polite facade vanished. His expression turned icy, his voice dripping with disdain. “Three years gone, and you’re still pulling the same act,” he sneered.

His voice was calmer now, but the contempt was the same. The same old favoritism, and the same disgust reserved only for her.

38

The words cut deeper than the pain in Ste’s legs. When the kidnappers had demanded 1.5 million to free just one of Anna and Ste, their parents were torn. It was Max who made the decision without a second thought: “Take Anna.”

That choice sealed Ste’s fate-she was sold off, nearly shipped to Middle-South Yaria, and survived hell only to end up trapped in Dusty Pines.

Swallowing the bitterness rising in her throat, Ste tried to push herself up. Her legs trembled, useless. She copsed back onto the snow.

Max scoffed, “I’d think three years would’ve taught you-your little performances have never worked on me, and they never will.”

Ste froze. She and Anna were twins, identical in looks but not in how they were treated. While Anna seemed delicate, Ste came across as maniptive for the same

reasons.

Like when Anna snuck hot water when no one was around. When she spilled it and screamed, the whole family rushed over, fawning over Anna and asking, “Ste, are you so jealous that you’d try to burn your own sister?”

And Ste was left right there, scalded and forgotten. The scars still mark her legs.

Ste gritted her teeth and forced herself to stand upright, trembling slightly. Then, with a deliberate air of calm, she gave a sarcastic nod. “Thank you, Mr. Hayes, for picking me up. Sorry to waste your time.”

Max’s chest tightened, an invisible fist squeezing around his heart. When he’d decided toe get her himself, he’d imagined something different—a real reunion, the way it used to be.

Ste had always been the vibrant one. No matter how long he’d been away, she’d be the first tounch herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck, grinning as she demanded, “Max, tell me everything! Was it cold out there?”

When he’d broken his arm in a basketball game, she’d stuck by him for three months, relentless in her care. Even when he snapped at her, she’d justugh, undeterred.

And she’d taught herself to cook his favorites, shrugging off his indifference every time with that same unwavering smile. “You’re my brother. Who else should I spoil?”

Guilt twisted inside him. He’d been the one to choose Anna that day. He’d handed Ste over to hell.

8:22 pm

Chapter I

For two years, he’d buried himself in work, wing his way to the top of thepany. Yet today, he’d cleared his schedule and driven here himself, clinging to some foolish

hope.

But all he got was a hollow formality, like he was nothing but a viin. The sting of betrayal and hope sharpened into anger.

“Get in the car,” he ordered. “Our parents and Anna are really happy about your return. They’re throwing a party at home. Don’t keep them and the guests waiting.” Then he opened the car door and slid inside.

38

The bitter winter wind cut deep, and she shivered, having forgone a down jacket. Words like “parents” felt foreign on her tongue-even though it had only been three years since she’dst said them, it might as well have been a lifetime.

Ever since she was a kid, she was always expected to take a backseat to Anna, just because she was the healthier one.

Over time, she even started to believe that she’d somehow taken Anna’s share of nutrients in the womb, leaving her sister frail and sickly. So, she tried to make up for it by always putting Anna first.

But her patience hadn’t earned her parents’ approval-if anything, it had only made them harsher.

The day she was kidnapped, the ransom had been paid. But when the kidnappers changed their terms-iming 1.5 million could only save one child-no one had to say it out loud. The choice was clear. They were taking Anna.

When Ste still hadn’t gotten in, Max rolled down the window. His anger had cooled, but his voice was edged with impatience. “What, are you waiting for me toe down and open the door for you like some kind of chauffeur?”

Ste forced herself forward, but the sharp pain in her feet made her wince. This was the first time she’d walked unassisted since the rescue-before, someone had always been there to support her.

To Max, though, it just looked like an act. With a scoff, he shoved the door open, stepped out, and yanked her forward. The rough motion mmed her against the car, sending a jolt of pain through her body-but at least it gave her something to lean on.

“Ste,” he said, his voice low and bitter, “I know the whole family owes you. But do you have to look so damn miserable the second you see me?

38

“Back then, we couldn’t save both of you at once. Who knew the bastard would change the termsst minute? Mom and Dad were just ying along to buy time-save Anna first, and then figure out how to get you back.

“If we hadn’t kept pushing all these years, you wouldn’t even be standing here right

now.”

Three years had passed. Ste had thought she was numb by now, that nothing could cut deeper than what she’d already endured. But Max’s words-so callous, so ungrateful -pierced through her like a knife.

Just as Ste opened her mouth to respond, a familiar voice cut through the air-Lionel Quinn. “Ste, I’vee to pick you up.”