003

Stephanie's POV:

I groaned softly, stirring from the bed. My eyelids fluttered as a sharp beam of sunlight landed squarely on my face. At first, I tried to fight it, squeezing my eyes shut tighter, but the stubborn rays seemed intent on pulling me from sleep.

Reluctantly, I cracked one eye open, only to be greeted by an unfamiliar ceiling, high and painted and immaculate white. Alarm prickled at the back of my mind, but before I could process it, movement caught my eye.

A figure stood by the window, silhouetted by the golden morning light. A girl, dressed in a crisp black and white uniform, was pulling the curtains open. The sunlight flooded the room, illuminating furniture I didn't recognize—an ornate dresser, a plush armchair in the corner, and the edges of a large canopy bed I was lying in.

This wasn't my room.

Panic began to rise in my chest, sharp and suffocating. My breaths came quickly as I sat up, clutching the unfamiliar sheets to my chest. The events of the night before began to unravel in my mind like a sinister thread.

The club. The stranger who tried to take advantage of me, lying in his own pool of blood. The devil twin holding a gun in his hand. His eyes glowing red, then suddenly shifting to a piercing shade of blue. The cars that were chasing me. The dangerous-looking men introducing themselves as my stepbrothers.

Tyler, Alex, Nicholas, Aiden, and Caden.

The darkness that enveloped me after Alex had pressed a white handkerchief on my face. Then nothing.

Nothing until now.

My heart thundered in my chest as my eyes darted around the room, searching for anything familiar, anything that could ground me but there was nothing. Just the sterile perfection of a place that wasn't mine.

I shot up from the bed, my bare feet hitting the cold, polished floor with a thud. That got the lady's attention. The lady turned to face me.

“You're awake, ma'am,” she said in a tiny voice. I didn't say anything as I stared at her with a blank expression on my face. Judging from her looks, she was my age mate, or rather, younger than me, so hearing her call me ma'am irked me.

“Good morning, ma'am," she continued, bowing her head slightly. "I'm Nora Roberts, your personal maid."

Her name rang a distant bell, but I didn't care enough to dwell on it. There were far more pressing matters at hand.

“First of all, my name is Stephanie, not ma'am,” I snapped, my tone sharper than intended. “Secondly, where am I?”

Her expression didn't falter, though I caught the briefest flicker of unease in her eyes. “I'm sorry, ma'am, but I can't answer your question. I was instructed strictly not to give you any information requested from you aside from my name.”

Her words lit a fire of frustration in my chest, and I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay calm.

“Okay, you can go now,” I said, trying so hard not to lose control and lash out at her. She wasn't the right person to direct my anger towards. Clearly, she was just doing her job.

“Your mother said you should shower….

“My mother is here?” I cut in, and she nodded. “Yes, ma'am,”

I didn't know what I felt at that point, but hell, I knew I couldn't wait to see her. She's got to explain herself.

“She said you should change into that dress.” I followed her gaze and saw a beautiful white dress, adorned with silver patterns, hanging on the wardrobe. I hadn't noticed it before. “Then join the family downstairs for a family dinner. She said to be on your best behavior,” the maid added, and I scoffed.

Unbelievable. She has the effrontery to kidnap me and tell me how to behave for her family dinner. She must be delusional.

“The family dinner, which is starting by 8 am, and it's 8:30 am right now.” Her voice pulled me out of my reverie.

Not sparing the maid a glance, I stormed out of the room.

“Ma'am!” She called after me, but I didn't stop in my tracks. I was really angry and lashing out at my mom—the perpetrator of everything is what is going to calm me down.

“Mum!” I shouted, my voice echoing through the grand walls. My surroundings were opulent—golden accents, polished floors, and towering ceilings—but I was too furious to care.

“Excuse me,” I stopped a passing maid. “Where is the dining room?”

“Just downstairs, when you go through that door,” she replied.

“Thanks,” I said before walking through the big golden door she showed me. I walked down the corridor. When I looked down from upstairs, I could see the big living room, which was furnished richly. I could tell about how this house was massive and probably the best house I've ever seen in my life, but I didn't have that time. I had other things in my mind.

I descended the massive staircase.

“Stephanie,” I heard my name, and I turned to see my mother, who had a smile on her face. Of course, she was looking so good, like I saw her days ago. Her hair perfectly styled, her designer dress pristine. Her husband must be taking good care of her.

“I'm so glad you're here,” she said, trying to hug me, but I stepped back before she could.

“Don’t you ever touch me,” I hissed.

Her smile faltered, replaced by a flicker of pain.

“I'm sorry for bringing you here in that manner….

“In that manner, do you mean kidnapping me?” I cut in.

“I know it was wrong," she admitted. "But I had no choice. I know I haven't been a good mother to you for a long time, and no explanation of mine is going to make sense now, but I'm trying to make things right now. That's all that matters.”

“Well, that is not all that matters to me. You can't just show up and disrupt my life because you chose to make things right. I have a family now, and I want to go back to them. I will forget that this ever happened if you just take me back home,” I said to her.

Her expression hardened. “I'm sorry, but you can't go back to that life. This is your life now."

Her words hit me like a slap. “Oh yes, I can!” I yell loudly, and she flew, clashing into the dining table, which flew apart with a deafening crash, shards of glass raining down on my mother. What the hell happened?

“Mum!” I screamed, rushing to her side. My heart pounded as I knelt beside her, shaking her gently. Blood trickled from a cut on her forehead. No matter what she does, she is still my mother. The only living relative I had. I didn't want anything bad to happen to her.

She moved, and I heaved a sigh of relief. With my help, she stood up, groaning in pain.

Her gaze landed on me. I couldn't read her expression, but for some unknown reason, I could read through her mind. I could tell just by looking at her that she was being sincere when she apologized and said she wanted to make things right. I felt safe with her.

What was going on with me? Maybe I was just thinking too much. Right?

“Happy birthday, Steph,” she pulled me out of my thoughts.

I had even forgotten that today was my birthday.

“What happened here?” A familiar voice cut in, and I turned to see them again.

Tyler, Alex, Nicholas, Aiden, and Caden.

Their gazes burned into me; this time around, it wasn't a dangerous gaze from yesterday night but a gaze filled with desire. Their eyes were shimmering with something primal, something I couldn't explain. I felt my knees become weak, and my pussy became wet just by their stare.