CHAPTER 50— THE CALLI froze.Shocked right out of my breath.It wasn’t like I wasn’t expecting his call. I just didn’t expect it to come like this — out of nowhere… or rather slicing through something that could have changed everything.My phone buzzed against the couch cushion, and for a moment, I couldn’t even move to pick it up. The name glowing on the screen felt like a ghost I wasn’t ready to see.Dad.Kelvin looked up from where he sat across the room, one eyebrow raised. “You gonna answer that?”I swallowed hard. My throat was suddenly too dry. “It’s… my dad.”Something flickered in his eyes — understanding, maybe. Or pity. I couldn’t tell, and I didn’t want to.He leaned forward a little, elbows resting on his knees. “Joyce, I think you should talk to him.”“Yeah,” I whispered, staring at the phone like it might explode in my hands. “I just… I don’t know what to say.”The ringing stopped. My stomach dropped. And before I could even breathe again, it started ringing a second t

CHAPTER 52 – LOLA’S PROPOSALThe air shifted the moment she stepped in.Lola Arizona leaned casually against the doorframe, one manicured hand still resting on the polished handle, her smile too calm for the chaos in the room. Her black curls framed her sharp cheekbones like a movie scene — perfect, deliberate, dangerous.“Well,” she said, her tone dripping with amusement, “seems I walked into the wrong kind of storm.”Patrick froze. His grip on the coat tightened, the muscles in his jaw flexing.“Lola,” Mrs. Arizona breathed, visibly relieved. “Where have you been?”“Trying to get home before the apocalypse,” she replied sweetly, eyes darting between her parents and Patrick. “But clearly, it already hit.”Mr. Arizona groaned, dragging a hand over his face. “Not now, Lola.”“Oh, come on, Father.” She walked further in, heels clicking on marble, voice soft yet deliberate. “You two are yelling loud enough for the neighbors to write about it. You might as well tell me what’s happening.”

CHAPTER 54 MINE FIRSTThe silence that followed was unbearable.Even the clock on the wall seemed too afraid to tick.Then Lola laughed — brittle, shaky, wrong. “Wow. That’s… quite the rejection.”She turned slightly, smoothing her dress with trembling fingers, pretending composure. “You should’ve just said you weren’t into brunettes.”“Don’t do that,” Patrick said sharply.“Do what?” she shot back. “Pretend it doesn’t sting?”Her voice cracked, but she lifted her chin, masking it with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “You always did prefer breaking hearts over holding them.”Patrick didn’t answer. He grabbed his coat and moved toward the door.“Leaving again?” she asked bitterly.“Always,” he said without looking back.The door slammed behind him, the echo slicing through what was left of her pride.Mrs. Arizona rushed forward. “Lola, what were you thinking—”“Don’t,” Lola whispered, voice trembling. “Don’t pity me.”Her father’s tone softened. “You embarrassed yourself.”She turn

CHAPTER 57 – THE MORNING AFTERJoyce woke up before the sun could fully climb over the rooftops. The room smelled faintly of lavender and rain-soaked air, the kind that clung to the morning like a secret. For a few seconds, she forgot everything — her father’s voice, the tension that had stretched the night thin, and the near-kiss that still lingered between her and Kelvin like a pulse that refused to die.She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. The bed she’d slept on was too soft to blame for her restless sleep. No — it was her thoughts that had kept her awake. The way Kelvin had looked at her last night, the way his voice had softened when he said, “Maybe you should go.” He wasn’t being cruel. He was being careful — too careful.Joyce exhaled, pulling her blanket tighter around her shoulders before standing. Her bare feet touched the cool tiles, and she made her way toward the door. The house was quiet except for the faint sound of running water outside.Through the window, she saw him

CHAPTER 59 — BLOOD ON MARBLE The scream hit before Ylva even reached the west corridor. Sharp. Female. Familiar.Mrs. Arizona’s voice.She knew it was trouble before Amara even came running, breathless, face pale.“She wants to see you,” she whispered, eyes darting nervously toward the double doors. “Now.”Ylva’s stomach sank.Of course she did.She wiped my hands on her apron and forced her legs to move, though every step felt heavier than the last. The hallway smelled like roses and floor polish, but underneath that sweetness was something sour — fear.When Ylva entered the room, the first thing she saw was her. Mrs. Arizona. Perfectly dressed in white silk, not a single hair out of place. Her hands were folded neatly in front of her, but the veins in her neck told another story — one of rage.And then she looked up.“Ylva,” she said, her tone smooth as glass. Too smooth. “Do you know why you’re here?”Ylva lowered her head. “No, ma’am.”Her smile was venom. “Don’t lie to me.”Befo