Nobela ni Nixanthy

LYLA POV Sharp whispers pulled me from my deep sleep. My eyelids felt heavy, and a migraine started to kick in. But I could still make out the sound of two girls bickering back and forth. "I'm telling you, we should leave! Mama said not to bother her," one of them whispered urgently. Her voice was softer, nervous. "And I'm telling you, if we leave now and she wakes up alone, we'll be in bigger trouble!" the other shot back, stubbornly, I managed to pry my eyes open, squinting against the pale light seeping through the curtains. At the foot of the bed sat two little girls. They looked exactly the same from head to toe—round faces, messy brown hair falling to their shoulders, and expressions that mirrored each other in a strangely cute way. The only differences were the colors of their dresses and their eyes. One had bright amber eyes, almost like Cathy's, and wore a green sundress with tiny white flowers. The other had light blue eyes that reminded me of clear skies, dre

CEDRIC POV The meeting with Alec dragged on way longer than it should have. Cathy got back to finding me and Alec still arguing about how to handle the illegal organ buyers. It wasn’t something new between me and Alec. We never did see eye to eye. I was the blunt, straightforward type, the kind who dealt with problems quickly and left no room for loose ends. Alec, though? She liked mind games, dragging things out, playing the diplomatic route to gain control. It was exhausting to say the least.We were the opposite of eachother but worked so well non the less.Business with Alec never wrapped up smoothly. She had a knack for stretching out what should’ve been quick discussions, pissing the shit out of me. Cathy took the initiative to handle the list of organ buyers we got from Rafael. I didn’t have to worry—she always got answers in the most terrifying way possible. By the time someone thought to lie, she’d already torn them apart. Meanwhile, Alec kept ranting about the shipment

The evening passed in a blur, the silence of my new reality stretching uncomfortably. I spent most of it sitting on the bed, staring at the walls, half-expecting to wake up and realize this was all just a nightmare. My mind spun, grasping at any possible way out, but every thought led to the same dead end—I was trapped. I had no idea how long I sat there before a knock stopped my train thoughts. The door creaked open, and Bella stepped inside. "It's time for your bath," she said, her voice polite but firm. "And we need to change your head bandage." I stood up slowly, my muscles stiff from being motionless for so long. "Where’s the bathroom? I can handle it," I muttered, already walking toward the door. Bella tilted her head slightly, as if she had expected my response. "I'm here to attend to all your needs, so I'll be doing the cleaning and changing." I blinked at her. Did I hear that right? "I can bathe myself," I said, sharper this time. "I know. But it's my jo

Lyla’s POVThe door shut softly behind me, and I stood there for a second, trying to catch my breath. I had no idea where to go, no idea what to do next. All I could feel was the cold air in the hallway, the same coldness that had been in his office.Cathy walked ahead of me, her steps quick and steady. I struggled to keep up, my feet aching with every step. It felt like she was miles ahead, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t catch up. Finally, Cathy stopped and turned around, noticing how much I was struggling. She waited for me to get closer before starting to walk again, this time slower, matching my pace.Every step down the long hallway echoed in my ears. My arms were still wrapped around myself, my fingers gripping the fabric of my sleeves so tightly that my knuckles ached. I didn’t know how I was still standing. I should have collapsed back there. I should have screamed, fought, or maybe faked something. But all I did was nod and obey. Because I was scared. Because he w

Lyla’s POV I swallowed, but my throat felt dry, and the lump wouldn’t go away. My whole body went stiff, frozen in place by his touch. Cedric's hand on my chin wasn’t rough—firm, but not rough. His thumb rested just under my jaw, forcing me to tilt my head up, making me look at him. I didn’t want to. I wanted to look at the floor, at the walls—anywhere but him. But I couldn’t. His gray eyes were locked onto mine, unreadable, cold, terrifying. But at the same time… mesmerizing. Like something from a nightmare you couldn’t wake up from, but you couldn’t look away either. My intrusive thoughts screamed at me— ‘don’t move’. They blared louder than my heartbeat, warning me that this man was as dangerous as his gaze. If I moved even a little, he could break my neck as easily as snapping a twig. One small twist and that would be it. The thought made it hard to breathe, tightening around me until it felt like the air had been sucked out of the room. “Am I clear, little doll?” H

Cedric’s POV Long before I ever set foot in Philadelphia, long before my siblings and I managed to escape our father’s control, there was my mother. She had this obsession with porcelain dolls—beautiful, delicate little things to the point she became a hoarder. Having a specific room to keep all her collection. My mother wasn’t strong. After giving birth to Catherine, she lost the ability to walk. My father, as usual, didn’t care, always left her locked away in her room. With nothing else to focus on, she started making these dolls. I remember the way she smiled every time she finished painting one. She would show them to me every time I visited, and no matter how tired she looked, she’d beam like she had just done something amazing. Alec used to think they were creepy, and Mia didn’t really think much of them. But to me, they were beautiful, fragile little things. And oddly, there was this strange excitement that built inside me every time I touched them, the urge to want to