Sleep refuses to come.
I lie awake, staring at the ceiling, watching shadows move across it like ghosts. The room feels too quiet, too empty, yet my mind is loud — filled with one voice.
Anthony's.
Do they tell you the truth, little one? Or just the parts that keep you on their side?
His words curl through my thoughts like smoke, thick and suffocating. I hate him. I hate the way his eyes held mine, unblinking, like he could see every scar I hide. I hate the confidence in his voice — the way he spoke like he already owned a piece of my doubt.
The worst part?
He was right about one thing.
The doubts were already there.
They were just sleeping.
Now they're wide awake.
Every time Christian hesitated before answering me. Every time Crystal smirked instead of explaining. Every secret wrapped in silence, every truth half-told.
They didn't tell you, did they?
My chest tightens.
What didn't they tell me?
I roll onto my side, clutching my pillow like it can anchor me. Christian's face appears in my mind — the way he looks at me like I'm something precious and breakable. Like he's terrified of hurting me… and terrified of losing me.
Then Crystal fire and chaos, raw and reckless. With him, there's no pretending. He doesn't hide what he is.
But Anthony…
Anthony is locked in chains, yet his mind is free. And somehow, that makes him more dangerous than both of them.
I press my hands to my temples.
"Stop," I whisper.
But the silence answers back in his voice.
Do you trust them?
My throat tightens.
Do I?
I want to.
God, I want to believe Christian's softness is real. That Crystal's brutality is just armor. That they love me in their own twisted ways.
But love doesn't need this many lies.
Princess. Sweetness. Queen.
Pretty names.
Pretty cages.
I dig my nails into my arms, grounding myself in the sting.
Tomorrow, I'll ask them.
I'll demand the truth.
But tonight?
Tonight, Anthony wins.
$$$$$$$$$$$$ TIME FLIES $$$$$$$$$$$
Morning comes, but the weight doesn't lift.
I dress in black jeans and a loose shirt — not to look good, but to feel in control. Today isn't about being desired.
It's about being heard.
When I step into the living room, they're already there.
Christian looks exhausted, like he never slept. His eyes find mine instantly, filled with concern and something softer… fear.
Crystal lounges back like a king, but I can see the tension in his jaw, the storm behind his smirk.
"Good morning, Princess," Christian says gently.
For a second, my heart betrays me.
Almost.
Crystal tilts his head. "Still mad at us, Queen?"
I don't sit.
"I was thinking about Anthony."
The air shifts.
Christian stiffens.
Crystal's smirk falters — just for a heartbeat.
"I realized," I continue calmly, "that I don't really know him. Funny, isn't it? He's your brother, but he might as well not exist."
Christian watches me carefully, like I'm standing on a cliff.
Crystal crosses his arms, defensive.
First test.
"What was he like… before?" I ask. "Before chains. Before the dungeon."
Christian answers too fast. "Complicated."
Crystal laughs too hard. "A traitor."
Two answers.
Two truths.
Or two lies.
"Strange," I say softly, "how brothers remember the same man so differently."
Christian glances at Crystal.
Crystal looks away.
Second test.
"Did he betray both of you," I ask, "or just one?"
Silence.
Christian looks like he wants to speak.
Crystal cuts in. "He betrayed us all. End of story."
Christian's hands clench.
He doesn't argue.
That tells me everything.
Third test.
The trap.
"Anthony told me something."
Their bodies react before their faces do.
Christian leans forward, tense.
Crystal's eyes darken — dangerous.
"He said," I continue, lowering my voice, "that you haven't told me everything."
Christian's face drains of color.
Crystal's smirk snaps back into place — armor sliding on.
I already have my answer.
I stand slowly.
"I don't need the full story today," I say coolly. "But understand this — if you keep lying, you will lose me. Not one of you. Both of you."
Christian's breath catches.
Crystal's jaw tightens.
I turn to leave.
Behind me, I hear Christian whisper, broken:
"She knows…"
And Crystal's voice, low and lethal:
"Then we make sure she never finds out the rest."
I don't turn around.
But my heart is already racing.
Because now I know something for sure.
They're not protecting me from Anthony.
They're protecting themselves.