Chapter 2

While the nurse dressed my wounds, I caught fragments of conversation between Caspian and Dad in the hallway.

“Jesus, Dad,” Caspian whispered harshly, “Val’s already destroyed. Do we seriously need to leak the assault footage to TikTok and Twitter?”

After a calculated pause, Dad responded with chilling detachment.

“Post it. No reputable ballet school will touch a student with that kind of viral scandal.”

Something shattered inside me as fresh tears spilled down my cheeks.

“Am I hurting you?” the nurse asked, alarmed by my sudden reaction.

I couldn’t even form words, unable to separate the searing pain in my legs from the gaping wound in

my soul.

The two men I’d built my entire world around weren’t satisfied with breaking my body–they were methodically erasing everything I’d ever been.

My entire existence reduced to collateral damage.

Within minutes, my phone exploded with notifications. Hands trembling, I unlocked it to find clips of my torture trending on TikTok, spreading across Twitter, and dissected in gruesome detail on multiple university subreddits.

beneath them gutted me:

always acting so perfect at Manhattan Dance Academy. Karma’s finally caught up! #FakePrincess #ExposeHer]

she’s TOXIC af. Constantly undermining other dancers, sleeping with instructors for solos. This

Maxwell Dagonet watching your golden child crash and burn this spectacularly. Guess

91.5%

air from my lungs until I was hyperventilating, my vision

in, instantly performing his protective brother role. He gently

snatched my phone away, his Academy Award–worthy performance beginning: “Caspian, what the FUCK? I specifically told you

but someone must’ve saved footage. Don’t panic,

synchronized deception was flawless–practiced, precise,

rise

my face with practiced sincerity: “Valentina Catherine Dagonet, listen to me. No matter what vicious

destroy anyone who tries to hurt you, sis. That’s what family

does.”

videos disappeared within hours.

they’d already been downloaded thousands of times, reposted,

I knew it had been completely obliterated. The digital assassination had worked

future at SAB had evaporated like

Dagonet has sustained compound fractures to both tibias, two broken ribs, second–degree burns on

her arms.”

choosing his words carefully. “Most concerning are the facial lacerations. Fifteen distinct knife wounds, methodically inflicted. We’re looking at significant permanent

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