Morning sunlight slipped through the gaps in the hospital room's curtains, brushing against Vanessa's pale face. After weeks confined to her bed, she could finally sit up, though her body still felt heavy, tethered to the earth. The small victory did little to quiet the frustration simmering in her chest.
"Ugh, when will I be able to stand again?" Vanessa muttered, her voice laced with exasperation as her fingers gripped the edge of the blanket.
"Maybe never," Raven shot back quickly, lounging in the chair beside her bed with a half-teasing smirk that stung like a dull blade.
"Hey!" Vanessa glared, her brows shooting up, irritation flaring at his sharp tone.
Even so, Vanessa's days now carried a fragile calm, a stark contrast to the suffocating loneliness that had defined her life before. In the past, her existence was a string of endless, solitary nights, where the only sound was the whisper of wind against her window, and the weight of isolation cloaked her like a relentless fog. She'd often lie awake in the dead of night, staring at the ceiling, her chest tight with the ache of a world too vast and empty, devoid of anyone who truly cared. The presence of her family now,despite its tangled dynamics,brought a warmth she hadn't felt in years. For the first time in a long while, she glimpsed a sliver of peace, delicate as it was.
But that peace was fleeting. Roni, the young boy now part of their family, watched Vanessa from the corner of the room with wary eyes, as if she were a stranger to be feared. Catching his gaze, Vanessa forced a small smile, hoping to thaw the tension.
"Hey, kid, I'm your mom, you know. It's rude to stare at me like that," she said, glancing at Roni with a playful tone, wishing he'd soften just a little.
Roni stayed silent. He turned his face away, his brows sinking deeper, his discomfort plain as day.
"Roni, isn't it time for your nap?" Raven asked, his voice carrying a hint of firmness, like a father trying to keep things under control.
Roni nodded wordlessly, his small steps carrying him out of the room, leaving Vanessa in an awkward silence.
'Is it really impossible to make peace with him?' thought Vanessa, guilt piercing her chest like a thorn. She knew her bond with Roni was fragile, fractured by wounds from a past that refused to heal.
Raven, noticing the tension, finally spoke up. "I think you two need to make up," he said, his tone flat but tinged with faint hope.
"Yeah, sure… but is that even possible?" Vanessa replied, her voice heavy with doubt, her eyes locking onto Raven's with a raised brow.
Raven fell silent, as if at a loss for words. His quietness irked her. 'If you can't help, why don't you just stay quiet?' thought Vanessa, biting back the urge to snap at him.
Hours later, the mood in the room shifted as Raven picked up a bowl of medicine from the bedside table. The bitter stench hit Vanessa before it even touched her tongue, making her grimace.
"Ugh, isn't this way too bitter, Raven?" she groaned, nearly spitting out the medicine she'd just tried to swallow, her face scrunching up like she'd bitten into a lemon.
"Grown woman and you're still scared of a little medicine?" Raven teased, swiftly covering her mouth to stop her from spitting it out.
"Ugh!" Vanessa forced herself to swallow, her expression one of pure disgust.
Unbeknownst to Vanessa and Raven, Melody and Agran had slipped into the room, watching the scene unfold from the shadows with stifled laughter. They only joined the conversation when Melody stepped forward, her voice breaking the moment.
"Yo, spoiled kid…" she teased, a wide grin spreading across her face as she approached the bed.
Vanessa wanted to retort, to call out to her mother in protest, but the bitter taste of the medicine silenced her, leaving her to grumble inwardly.
"Swallow it, Vanessa, swallow. Why does it take you more than five minutes to get it down?" Raven mocked, his tone dripping with amusement, making Vanessa's irritation spike.
With great effort, Vanessa choked down the medicine, then swung her hand to smack Raven's arm as hard as she could,though her weakened state made it more of a tap.
"Ugh, shut up!" she huffed, prompting louder laughter from Melody and Agran.
The lighthearted moment didn't last. Melody, now seated at the edge of Vanessa's bed, shifted her tone. "Raven, let Vanessa rest for a bit. We need to talk to her," she said, her voice soft but firm.
Raven nodded, setting the medicine bowl on the table but staying in the room, ready to listen.
"Oh, what's this about?" Vanessa asked, wiping her mouth with a tissue, trying to erase the lingering bitterness on her tongue.
The room grew heavy with tension. Melody's gaze bore into Vanessa, laden with meaning. "It's about your sister-in-law," she said, her voice low.
"Oh, Lucy? Is she plotting something again?" Raven interjected, his tone suddenly flat, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
Melody sighed. "After everything she's done in the past, it's hard to just let her be. My sources say she's been acting suspicious lately."
"Suspicious how?" Vanessa asked, her own tone turning serious.
"After learning Sylviana died, she's just been holed up at home, not planning anything. But… my people say there are signs of drugs in her system," Melody explained, her voice thick with concern.
"Wait… Sylviana… dead?!" Vanessa's eyes snapped to Raven, suspicion etched across her face, her brows shooting up.
Raven gave a small, knowing smile, as if to say, 'Not a bad thing, right?'
'I thought he'd left his old ways behind… ugh, I can't just act recklessly anymore,' thought Vanessa, a tangle of emotions swirling within her. 'In a few days, that aggressive side of his will probably resurface… ugh.'
Vanessa forced a stiff smile, then turned back to Melody. "Mom, can you keep an eye on her?" she asked, her smile no longer warm but sly, laced with intent.
"Hm? I'm already watching her—" Melody began, but Vanessa cut her off.
"Once I'm fully recovered, I'll deal with her myself, heh," Vanessa said, her laugh tinged with malice and a hint of revenge.
Raven smirked faintly, clearly familiar with this side of Vanessa. Meanwhile, Melody and Agran felt a chill run down their spines but forced smiles to keep the mood from growing darker.
After Melody and Agran left, Vanessa sank into her thoughts. Her mind drifted back to her youth, eleven years ago, when she was just sixteen.
Back then, in a bustling school hallway, a young girl approached her with brazen arrogance. "Hey, you nerdy kid! I'm warning you, stay away from Raven!" the girl snapped.
Vanessa, clueless about the situation, responded curtly, "Who are you?"
"I'm Lucy! The eldest daughter of the Caspian family, the only one Sylviana loves and Raven's precious little sister!" the girl boasted, her voice dripping with pride.
Vanessa merely stared at her, her face blank, unbothered.
"What's with that attitude, you peasant!" Lucy barked, making Vanessa pause… and bristle.
'Peasant, huh?' thought Vanessa, her patience wearing thin.
"Hey, kid, do you know who I am?" Vanessa asked, her tone sharpening.
"No, and why would I care about a peasant like you? You're the one who needs to know who I am!" Lucy shot back, her arrogance growing.
'Ugh, if this keeps up, it'll just be a hassle. Better leave,' thought Vanessa. She stood from her seat and headed for the exit, trying to ignore the girl.
"Ha? You're just walking away? Scared of me, huh? I knew it, everyone should fear me, haha!" Lucy taunted, her voice brimming with mockery.
Vanessa kept walking, urging herself to stay calm. 'Patience, Vanessa, patience…'
"…haha, Raven's such an idiot, why would he hang out with an ugly girl like her?" Lucy continued, her words cutting deeper.
Vanessa's steps halted. Her eyes widened, her patience evaporating in an instant. She spun around, and in a flash, she was in front of Lucy, her aura radiating a fury that was hard to describe.
"What did you…" Lucy began, her voice trembling with fear.
THWACK!
Vanessa struck Lucy's head hard. The young girl yelped in terror, Vanessa's intimidating presence making her want to bolt.
"Agh, h-help! Help…"
The incident ended when Raven arrived. As a result, Vanessa endured a long lecture from the principal for "disrupting relations with an important guest." But she didn't care. The scolding went in one ear and out the other, like a passing breeze.
Life went on as usual after that. But two years later, at eighteen, Raven, a year older, was no longer at school. He had left for college abroad, leaving Vanessa to grapple with a growing sense of loneliness. Her classmates kept their distance, and she withdrew from social life entirely.
Then, one day, an unwelcome voice returned.
"Hey, peasant, we meet again," Lucy said, her tone as arrogant as ever.