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Prologue

Ayla

There usually comes a time when the darkness becomes too much and you succumb to it You drown in it, suffocate until you are breathless

The darkness never truly leaves you It’s always there, waiting for the right moment to strike

And just like that, the darkness never truly left ht me I ran for my life I ran for my freedom

Until I had stuhtmare

Oh, little did I know…

He beca in our blissful times

Chapter 1

Maddie and I alking back to my room after dinner when she suddenly stopped on the top stair Stopping in ?”

Instead of answering, she called out, “Alessio”

My head snapped in the opposite direction, and I saw Alessio’s back to us He alking toward his office At the sound of Maddie’s voice, he turned around, his eyebrows furrowed in question

“What is it?” heus

Maddie dragged me up the last step and stopped in front of Alessio “I was thinking of taking Ayla out shopping to with us for some time now and doesn’t have any clothes except for her ot her on the first day”

Shopping? Shocked, I stared at Maddie She didn’t tellabout this

Frolanced up, and our eyesmy lips nervously, I played with the heaze sent a shiver down my body

“Of course You can take her,” Alessio said, keeping his blue eyes onat Maddie suspiciously

Maddie rolled her eyes Letting out a huff of annoyance, she crossed her ar you There’s a difference I’o batshit crazy and start panicking when you don’t see Ayla”

I didn’t pay attention to Maddie’s words because ister what Alessio said

I was allowed to go out Alessio was lettingslightly

I was never allowed to leave ates The furthest I had ever gone was to our back garden I wasn’t allowed to roahts were spent locked in my room or the piano room I didn’t know much about the outside world