Chapter 4

Maya woke to the throbbing pain that consumed her body.

The old stable was cold, damp, and smelled of decay. Dust motes danced in the single sliver of light from a cracked windowpane.

Her head ached, her ribs screamed with every breath. Olivia's punishment had been brutal.

A gruff estate security guard, one Julian had hired recently, unlocked the door hours later.

He shoved a bottle of water and a stale piece of bread at her.

"Boss says you stay here for three days. Orders from Mr. Harrison himself."

Mr. Harrison. Julian.

The confirmation that Julian had sanctioned this, even in his amnesiac state, deepened her despair.

She was truly alone, at the mercy of his coldness and Olivia's sadism.

Maya sipped the water, her throat raw.

Three days. She could endure it.

Her escape with Noah was her only focus. This was just a temporary hell.

She clung to the thought of California, of sunshine and freedom.

This suffering was a price, a final one, for her new life.

On the second day, Olivia sent a message.

Not words, but pictures. Delivered by the same surly guard.

Photos on a cheap burner phone. Julian and Ava, laughing together in the gardens. Julian and Ava, his arm around her, looking at blueprints for what looked like a nursery.

The final picture was of Julian and Olivia, a selfie, Olivia's lips pressed to Julian's cheek. He wasn't smiling, but he wasn't pulling away.

The accompanying text message: "He's forgotten you completely. He's mine. And Ava is the sister he adores. You're just a bad memory he doesn't even have. Enjoy the stables, trash."

The psychological torture was almost worse than the physical. Humiliation burned through her.

On the third evening, the guard unlocked the door.

"You're out. Clean yourself up. You're working tonight."

Working?

She was dragged to the staff showers, then given a plain black uniform.

The Harrisons were hosting a lavish party. For Ava Sterling. A "welcome home" celebration.

And Maya, bruised and aching, was forced to serve drinks, a ghost at the feast.

The humiliation was a constant, grinding weight.

Julian made a speech, welcoming Ava.

He presented her with an extravagant diamond necklace. "To my sister, Ava. Welcome to the family."

His voice was warm, his smile genuine as he clasped it around Ava's neck.

The public display of affection for Ava, the real daughter, was another twist of the knife for Maya.

She watched from the shadows, her heart a cold stone in her chest.

Guests whispered. Maya caught snippets.

"...Julian seems so different with Ava..."

"...heard he was obsessed with that other girl, the adopted one..."

"...amnesia can do strange things. Maybe it's for the best..."

Their words were like tiny shards of glass. They knew. Or they suspected.

The dramatic irony of her situation was a cruel joke.

Ava, radiant in her new diamonds, found Maya by the kitchens.

"Still here?" Ava asked, her voice sweet, her eyes cold. "I hope your time in the stables was... instructive."

The taunt was deliberate, a reminder of her powerlessness.

Maya didn't reply, her face a careful blank.

"You know," Ava continued, stepping closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.

"I heard stories about you and Julian. How he preferred you. How my parents doted on you."

Her eyes glittered with a deep, resentful anger.

"You had everything that should have been mine. For twenty years."

The revelation of Ava's long-held bitterness was almost a relief. It wasn't just about Julian now; it was about a stolen life.

"I'm going to make sure you pay for every moment of it," Ava hissed, her smile never wavering.

"You'll wish you'd never set foot in this house. By the time I'm done with you, you'll beg to leave."

The threat was chilling, explicit. Maya felt a cold dread creep up her spine.

Ava was not just entitled; she was cruel.

Suddenly, Ava gasped, clutching the diamond necklace Julian had given her.

"My necklace! It's gone!" she cried, her voice rising in panic.

She spun around, her eyes landing on Maya.

"You! You were standing right here! You took it!"

The accusation, loud and public, drew every eye in the vicinity.

Maya stared, shocked into silence. This was another setup. More elaborate, more dangerous.

Julian, alerted by the commotion, strode towards them.

His eyes, cold and piercing, fixed on Maya.

She saw the immediate suspicion in his gaze, the hardening of his jaw.

He didn't need to say a word. His look was a judgment.

Fear, sharp and suffocating, clawed at Maya's throat.