Chapter 223

“Hello, sister.”

The words hung in the air, unreal, cruel. My grip on Grayson’s arm tightened, knuckles white. A tidal wave of shock crashed over me, leaving me trembling. I hadn’t even noticed—her hair, now as dark as mine, her eyes, flecked with gold like Mom’s. It was as if a switch flipped, and everything clicked into place. Crystal… my sister?

My voice cracked. “You’re… you’re my sister?”

Silence. Then, her cold smile. She moved towards Damien, kissing his cheek, whispering something. Damien’s anger cooled slightly; he nodded almost approvingly.

“Pregnancy is so exhausting,” Crystal sighed dramatically, hand on her stomach. Damien’s gaze, however, never left me.

I shook my head, desperate to erase her, to wake from this nightmare. But she was still there, smiling that sickening smile.

Shakily, I stood. My eyes darted between Damien and Crystal, Grayson silent behind me, his quiet amplifying my confusion. “This is supposed to be a family reunion, Ava,” Crystal purred. “You wanted to meet me. Don’t look so repulsed that we’re blood sisters.”

Her words hit me like a punch. “How?” I breathed, searching their faces for a clue this was a joke.

Crystal’s lips curved. “Twins. Not that complicated.” She paused, then added mockingly, “You’re a doctor, after all.”

Damien chuckled, a low rumble. “You wanted to meet her, Little Dove. Here she is.”

Ignoring him, I stared at Crystal. “You knew? All this time?”

“You’re catching on,” she said, a cold glint in her eyes. A laugh, hollow and bitter, escaped me. “That’s why you knew my birthday… because it’s yours.”

Everything she’d done… “Why?” I demanded, tears stinging my eyes. “Why make my life a living hell?”

Crystal sighed dramatically, addressing Damien. “She’s exhausting, Damien. A literal headache.”

Damien chuckled and patted her head. He turned to me, his expression indifferent. “Considering your little stunt, my offer is declined. Maybe I should have taken you both that night.”

That night. The night he stole her. The night my mother lost a daughter.

I stepped forward. “So you could brainwash me too? Turn me into her?”

“Don’t insult me,” Crystal scoffed. “I’m glad I wasn’t raised by your good-for-nothing parents. Damien raised me. He never lied. I knew who you were, and he was right to despise you—just like I do.”

She had always known. While I was oblivious, she had known, and chosen to hate me, to destroy me.

“And if anyone should be sad about how they turned out,” Crystal mused, “it’s you, Miss High-Strung Perfectionist. No wonder Dylan left you.”

Damien’s expression darkened. “Crystal,” he warned.

Crystal waved him off. “Sour topic. No mentioning him.”

My mind raced. If Damien was the mastermind… if Crystal was involved from the start… was Dylan, too?

My breathing grew unsteady. I couldn’t bear it.

Then, a firm hand on my wrist. “This charade is over,” Grayson said, his voice sharp. “We’re leaving.”

He pulled me away. Damien’s eyes gleamed. “Why leave when the show’s just beginning?”

A deep grinding sound echoed from the walls. Stone slabs slid apart, revealing dark recesses. A chilling whir filled the air. Arrows emerged—dozens of obsidian tips coated in shimmering silver, aimed directly at me.

Grayson swore, shielding me, but it was too late. The trap was sprung. Damien’s smirk widened. “Now,” he murmured, “let’s see if you can fly, Little Dove.”

The arrows loosed.