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𝐌𝐚𝐟𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬°°° Nevena’s heart tightened… but in a way that made her throat warm.“Hey,” she murmured softly. “I’m here for you. That’s what matters, okay?”Junior nodded against her.A wave crashed far below, spraying mist upward. Nevena’s gaze drifted over the ocean, its endless stretch both terrifying and strangely calming now.“Come on,” Antonio cleared his throat, seemingly uncomfortable. “Next up… Science.”They all leaned their heads over the next assignment in unison.With the wind, the waves, and the endless sky above them, they continued their quiet battle against homework like a family.“Done and dusted,” Antonio exhaled, as Junior finished the art assignment.“Bestie?” Junior called, reaching to erase a pencil mistake in his drawing.Nevena rolled her eyes fondly. “Yes.”“It’s breakfast time. Did you perhaps pack enough food to reach, Buddy?”“Yeah…” Nevena whispered a little silently, not trusting the contents she had packed.Antonio exhaled slowly, almos
𝐌𝐚𝐟𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬°°°Nevena stared at his tiny outstretched hand.It was ridiculous; she was the adult here. But her palm still slid into his, fingers trembling.“See?” Junior grinned. “Easy-peasy.”“Just focus on the stairs,” she muttered, clinging to the rail with her other hand.Step by step, they climbed.The higher they went, the more the sea revealed itself — wide, roaring, endless. The crashing waves echoed through the tower like a heartbeat.When they finally reached the final flight, sunlight spilled through the top hatch, bright and golden.Nevena’s legs shook so badly she had to stop and press her forehead against the cool stone.Junior tilted his head. “Bestie… you’re really scared of heights?” Nevena peeled her face off the wall, her dignity dying slowly.“I’m not scared. I just don’t appreciate being reminded there’s nothing but ocean under my feet.”Junior blinked. “We’re on land.”“Emotionally, I am in the ocean.”Junior snorted and pushed open the hatch do
𝐌𝐚𝐟𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬°°° “Sorry, ma’am. Mr. Hunt is still in a meeting,” the secretary apologized.Nevena’s fingers tightened around the strap of her small purse.“Okay,” she murmured, stepping back to sit again.“Ma’am… I’d advise otherwise,” the woman added carefully.Nevena looked up. “Are you sending me away?”A faint crinkle formed around her eyes.“No—just that this meeting will last another for at least two hours,” the secretary explained.“By then, office hours will be over.”Nevena’s shoulders sagged. What the secretary said was not less than the truth. “Can I get a reschedule?" She managed after some wrenching seconds.“Yes, of course.”The woman tapped a few times on her tablet. “Tomorrow at 9:00am —lucky enough, you happened to be the first on his schedule”Nevena nodded and turned toward the glass elevator that carried her up that afternoon—eyes tired, steps slow.One reschedule turned into two, then into a week-long rescheduling, and somehow, she became a famili
𝐌𝐚𝐟𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬°°°The courthouse faded behind the cab’s mirror, its marble columns shrinking into the distance.Nevena leaned her head against the window, the glass warm beneath the early afternoon sun.Mateo’s words still echoed faintly in her head — but her hands clutched tightly around the folder, as if it alone could anchor her.She was yet to sort Antonio’s benevolence from the fog in her thoughts.The driver, a middle-aged local, fiddled with the radio dial to cut the silence, and a smooth practiced voice filled the small space between them.> “Today, a major name in Enchanted Hills’ business world will unveil his newest property. Antonio Hunt, widely known for his global hotel investments, will cut the ribbon on The Aurelio Hotel at eleven this morning. The gala is invitation-only, while the public tour is open to all. Live coverage begins shortly—more after traffic.”“Antonio Hunt.”The name closed around Nevena like a ring tightening at her throat. Mateo’s advi
𝐌𝐚𝐟𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬°°°“Objection!” Mrs. Polenta barked. “The defense is badgering the witness.”“Sustained,” the judge said, though the firmness in her tone had begun to waver.Mateo pivoted smoothly. “Then let’s call our next witness — Officer Vargo.”A Maverick uniformed security officer stepped forward, he'd caught them the night they were leaving.Under oath, he testified that the alleged ‘kidnap’ was nothing more than a misunderstanding — because Sophia, a detective, who had also been present in the hospital, had motioned for him to let Nevena and the boy go.Breanna’s head snapped around, eyes burning daggers at Sophia. But it was useless now — the damage had been done.And then, just when everyone thought Mateo was done, he raised a hand. “Your Honor, the defense calls three more witnesses.”Gasps swept through the room. He named them one by one — the driver who dropped Nevena and Junior back at the hospital, the cab driver she took to the mall, and the driver who bro
𝐌𝐚𝐟𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬°°°Mateo didn’t waste a second. He grabbed the bag, his movements calm but electric beneath the surface.“Your Honor,” he announced, voice steady over the hush of the courtroom, “new evidence — certified.” “Seriously” The judge blinked, momentarily thrown off. “At this stage?” “Indeed,” Mateo said, already spreading some of the contents of the bag. “This is proof that the prosecution’s evidence was fabricated — and that the witness testimony and evidence were tampered with.”“What?” Mrs. Polenta barked. “Your Honor, this is absurd! He’s introducing doctored evidence!”The judge ignored her. “Play the footage.” She nodded towards Mateo.A few keystrokes later, the courtroom screens flickered — grainy hospital footage rolling to life.And there she was — Nevena — a compilation of the first time she met Junior to their first parting, caring, protective, nothing like the monster the state painted her to be.Even when Junior mentioned his ‘abduction,’ the vi







