The heat of the sauna was a penance she was more than happy to pay. Alyssia sat in the swirling, humid fog, her eyes closed, letting the scalding water beat against her skin. Every time a droplet hit the jagged, angry burn on her shoulder, it sent a jolt of sharp, white-hot pain through her frame—but she didn't flinch. She welcomed it. Each sting was a reminder that she was alive, that she was no longer the broken creature scavenging for scraps, and that the nightmare she had endured for years was finally, mercifully, losing its grip. She wasn't just washing away dirt, she was washing away the vulnerability that she had always felt. She was now preparing for war. After an agonizingly long time, she stepped out, her skin flushed and clean. She carefully applied the medicated ointment to her shoulder, the cooling relief allowing her to breathe easier. She dressed in the new clothes she had purchased—a fitted ensemble that hugged her frame, restoring the silhouette of the woman she used

The silence in the kitchen became heavy, almost suffocating. Alyssia slowly pulled back from Xavier, though her hand remained glued to his bicep. She turned her gaze toward Ari, her features twisting in an instant. The tears and the fragility vanished, replaced by a cold, sharp sneer that dripped with utter disgust. She looked at Ari up and down, as if she were inspecting a piece of trash left on the floor. "Xavier, darling," Alyssia said, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness as she pointed a manicured finger toward Ari. "Have you started hiring live-in nannies? You know how much you despise the lack of privacy. It’s so unlike you to let a stranger settle in." She turned her head slightly to look at Xavier, her eyes narrowed. "Is this really what you’ve been doing with yourself?" Ari’s breath hitched. She opened her mouth to defend herself, to assert her place in the home, but Xavier stepped forward, his body shielding Ari from Alyssia’s toxic glare. "Alyssia, stop," Xavier

The house was eerily silent, except for the rhythmic clink of Ari’s fork against her plate. She had barely touched her own meal, her appetite long since abandoned to the knot of anxiety in her stomach. She didn't hear Alyssia enter, she only felt the sudden shift in the air. When Ari looked up, Alyssia was standing in the doorway, wearing one of Xavier’s button-down shirts that hung loosely off her frame. She looked fragile, yet there was a calculated sharpness in her eyes that made Ari’s skin prickle. “How did she even get that?” Ari wondered in her head "Good morning," Alyssia said, her voice soft and practiced. She forced a smile,one that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Morning," Ari replied, keeping her own voice neutral. Alyssia’s gaze swept the room, skimming over the empty chairs before settling on Ari. "Where’s Xavier? I woke up and he was already gone." "He went upstairs a little while ago," Ari said, folding her napkin. "Are you hungry? I can bring you some breakfast."

As Xavier walked toward the passenger’s side to open the door for her,Alyssia suddenly stopped, her heels clicking sharply against the pavement. She turned to him, her expression shifting into one of casual demand. "Xavier," she said, tapping her chin with a manicured finger. "I’m going to need a new phone. This one," she pulled out the smartphone she stole from her pocket, "is absolutely dreadful." Xavier paused, his hand on the door handle. He frowned, genuinely confused. "What’s wrong with that one?" Alyssia let out a melodic, mocking laugh that sounded like a bell chiming in the quiet parking lot. She looked at the device with pure disdain. "Be for real, darling. This shit is definitely not my style. Just to reach you,I stole this from a lady at a sauna. That was how desperate I was to see you again. I could have been caught" Before Xavier could even process her words, she flicked her wrist with nonchalance, tossing the phone into a nearby public trash can with a hollow thud. S

When Xavier stepped out of the shower,the steam couldn't still cleanse the turmoil in his mind. He moved to the bedroom door, testing the latch to ensure it was securely locked. “Why are you locking the door?” Ari who was now laying ok the bed asked “Just because….” he shrugged He climbed into the bed, the mattress shifting under his weight. His hand slid firmly around her waist, his face burying into the curve of her shoulder, seeking the scent of her skin as if it were oxygen. Ari didn't pull away. She allowed him this, her hand tracing gentle, soothing circles over his forearm. "Everything feels like it’s collapsing, Ari," he murmured, his voice muffled against her skin. "I’m drowning in it. I can't… I can't promise you that I won't stumble. I can't promise I won't make a bad decision in the heat of this, and that kills me." Ari went quiet, the weight of his confession hanging in the room. She felt the raw, jagged edges of his honesty. She moved her hand, lacing her fingers t