Chapter 1

Chapter 1

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In the dazzling heart of Hallon City, the Dalton family was throwing a massive celebration. The star of the night? Selena Dalton, who just snagged the Best Author Award.

Guests were dressed to the nines, sparkling under the lights, as laughter and chatter filled the air, creating an atmosphere of pure joy and festivity.

But behind all the glitz and glam lay a dark secret. In a cold, damp basement, Hailey Dalton, the family’s forgotten heiress, had been locked away for seven years.

At twenty–seven, she should’ve been living her best life, but instead, she’d been stuck in this hellhole for the past seven years,

The heavy basement door slammed open, and a thin shaft of light cut through the dark. Hailey’s heart jumped.

She looked up, eyes wide with the smallest spark of hope. ‘Is it Mateo? Is he finally here to rescue me?”

Her heart dared to believe it, though the hope flickered weakly–she didn’t dare believe too much, but she couldn’t help. herself. Maybe just maybe–this nightmare was finally over.

The sound of sharp high heels clicking on the concrete floor drew closer, and a figure stepped into view.

Hailey squinted, trying to make out the face, and then it hit her: it was Selena. Her half–sister. The very same person who had locked her away here in the first place.

At that moment, Hailey couldn’t bring herself to hate Selena anymore. Her legs were shattered, and she could barely move, the pain unbearable as she dragged her broken body off the bed.

With every ounce of strength, she crawled toward Selena, finally collapsing at her feet.

Her voice was raw with agony, filled with nothing but pleading, “Selena, please… I’m begging you. Let me go. Just let me see Mateo one last time, even if it’s from afar. Please, just give me a moment with my family…”

Selena stepped into the light, wearing a nude–colored gown, her red lips parting in a cold, calculated smile. “Alright, I’ll let you out,” she said in a voice that was sweet but absolutely frigid.

For a second, hope flickered in Hailey’s chest, but Selena quickly dashed it to pieces with her next words.

“Too bad… your adoptive parents are both dead. Now what?” Selena’s tone was a sickening mix of fake sympathy and cruel

amusement.

Hailey froze. Her heart sank. “No… that’s not possible.”

Selena smirked, pulling out her phone, and Hailey watched as she showed her a news article with the headline: [Family Tragedy Strikes–Parents and Sister Dead.]

“You didn’t see the news, did you? Your parents died in a car crash three years ago. And your sister? Yeah, she killed herself six months ago.” Selena glanced at the laptop in the comer, her smile turning wicked.

She paused, then added, “I almost forgot. While I was out there making my future, you were stuck working on that manuscript. The signal here was so spot–on, wasn’t it? Too bad no one would ever see it.

“Your work could only exist in this house. So, thanks for all your effort, sis.”

Hailey’s blood ran cold. “You! You killed my family!” she hissed, fury burning in her chest.

Selena played the victim, dramatically throwing her hands up. “Mateo, look at her! She’s glaring at me like she’s going to murder me. I’m so scared, she mocked, her voice dripping with sarcasm

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she had thought might save her, stepped into

her–hard. Her already fragile body couldn’t handle the blow. She

and she crashed into the bedframe. Blood

mixed with her tears, making her look like something straight out of a nightmare.

to be all concerned. “You okay, babe?” he asked, his voice dripping with fake

tenderness.

watched them, her heart breaking. The perfect couple, so full of love and light. And then,

all. She felt so stupid, so pathetic. All this pain, all for him.

her sister, the one she had thought was innocent? Just a monster feeding off her. All the love she had believed in? It was poison–the

Hailey’s laughter, marched over and drove her high heel into Hailey’s stomach, twisting it with a sick smile. “Bitch. You’ve done

could barely breathe. Blood mixed with her tears as she

hoarse, deadly whisper. “Selena Dalton, Mateo Stafford… I swore, even as a ghost,

grabbed a handful of Hailey’s hair and slammed her head into the ground with a vicious snarl.

started to go blurry, her body weakening with every passing second. Just as she was about to lose consciousness, she saw Mateo’s face

familiar voice called through the darkness: “Hailey.. you little goose.”

calling me? That

up. Breakfast is

her body jerking upright, gasping for

She was slim, with tanned skin that couldn’t hide her striking beauty. Her

Hailey murmured without thinking.

look on Hailey’s face, waved a hand in

quietly tossed off the blanket, slid out of bed, and glanced around the room, full of memor This was the place–the one she’d

go back to their happiest place before they die?

she was spaced out and rolled her eyes. “Come

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Lydia, confused. “Lydia, how old am I now Then, de pouched the polis

was crazy. “Are you for real

shoes,

jolt of electricity had hit her. Without even bothering to put on choro, de droed open the door and ran outside, standing in the middle of

was blazing, but she didn’t even

was Densborough–her hometown, the place she loved more than anything. And in that moment le far bep the hud

years later, Densborough was still the same–quiet, isolated, surrounded

had that small–town stubbornness

in the Brown family’s tiny kitchen, things were

am not okay with this!” Lydia snapped, her voice shaking with emotion as she slammed her fork onto the the

waltzing in and taking her away? What the

to let Hailey go either, but she knew deep down t

Lucia said softly, her voice full of

blinking back tears. She stood up, walked over to her adoptive parents, and bowed

what’s wrong?” Lucia asked, her

spoke “Mom, Dad, thank you for everything. But I have to go back

the Daltons.”

anger had festered in

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