<h4>Chapter 215: Chapter 215</h4>


    <strong>Demi</strong>


    I stare at my uncle like I don’t recognize him. His words keep circling in my head. For thest two minutes, it still hasn’t made any sense to me.


    "We’re not leaving anymore," He says again, slower this time as if repetition will make me understand and ept it.


    I blink, trying to push away the disbelief. "What do you mean we’re not leaving? You were the one who insisted it was safer for me somewhere else. You made all the ns, Uncle. You said—" My voice cracks. I bite down on the edge of my lip hard enough to sting. "You said it was the best thing for me."


    All day, I’ve been clinging to the idea of leaving Danvarr behind—escaping the whispers of my former life, the shadows of the Rollins, and the gnawing ache Ashton somehow left in my chest. My uncle promised me a fresh start in a new city where no one knows my name, and where the past can’t reach me. But now, all of a sudden, he’s pulling the rug out from under me?


    "What do you mean we’re not leaving?" I repeat, my voice higher than I intend.


    He sits stiffly on the armrest of the couch, his hands sped like he’s bracing himself. His expression is weary and lined with tension I’ve never seen before. "I’m sorry, kid," he mutters, folding his arms across his chest, but his eyes dart away, restless. "But I’ve thought about it again. Pulling you out of Danvarr, away from everyone you’ve known your whole life...it doesn’t seem fair. It could make things harder for you."


    "Harder than what? Living in this city where every corner feels haunted?" My pulse pounds at my temples.


    His gaze flicks to Anna, who hovers near the doorway wringing her hands, then back to me. "My major concern was your safety, yes. But I’ve been thinking... maybe tearing you away from everyone you’ve grown up with will do more harm than good. Especially considering... your condition."


    That word <i>condition</i> hits me. My amnesia is like this unspoken ghost between us, something we don’t say out loud like it’ll only make it worse, but always feel breathing down our necks.


    "So, what then?" I snap. "You keep me here in the middle of all this mess, just so I can ’stay close’ to people who make me feel like an impostor in my own body?" I take a step closer, my fists curling tight. "Tell me the truth, Uncle. Did someone threaten you not to take me out of here? My throat burns. "Did Ashton threaten you? His family?"


    The mention of his name drags up a fresh ache. Thest conversation we had still feels like a purple, raw bruise even though I technically broke up with him.


    He shakes his head firmly. "No. It’s nothing like that. Ashton hasn’t said a word to me. I just... I’ve had a rethink. You’re better off here, Demi. You have Anna. You have ties that matter. And I’ve asked Lucien to keep you safe. He’ll watch out for you."


    Lucien. My gaze flicks toward the door where his shadow lingers faintly against the hall light. The thought of him hovering around me as I go about my daily life makes bile tickle behind my throat. Like I don’t have enough shadows haunting me.


    I draw in a sharp breath. "Just yesterday, you were so sure. You said you wouldn’t risk me staying here. Now suddenly you change your mind?" I search his face, but all I see is tension masked under the calm.


    A memory cuts through my mind. He had gotten a disturbing phone call earlier. He took it outside, his voice hushed. And when he returned, his face had been pale. I didn’t hear the details, but I felt the weight of it.


    "Is this about the call you got? Don’t look at me like you don’t know what I am talking about. This is not just about you having a rethink. Someone got to you, didn’t they? It must have been the Rollins family, Ashton especially."


    "Demi, stop..."


    "Why are you protecting him?"


    "I’m not. This has nothing to do with Ashton."


    "Don’t lie to me," I whisper. "He said something, didn’t he?" I rake a hand through my hair. "I knew he wasn’t going to let me go so easily. That family doesn’t want me leaving because I’m still their little pawn, their scapegoat."


    "Demi—"


    "Uncle, I saw your face after that phone call outside yesterday. You looked like someone had put a knife to your throat."


    His lips press together. "It was just business, nothing to do with you."


    But my gut twists. I don’t buy it. Not for a second.


    "And Lucien?" I throw out. "You suddenly decide he should stay with me? You gave me options and I made my choice. Why are you having cold feet and foisting a bodyguard on me? You know like the idea of being watched."


    Marcel exhales slowly. "Lucien isn’t here to smother you. He’s here because I can’t be everywhere at once. If anything happens—"


    "I don’t need a babysitter." My fists curl at my sides. "What I need is to get out of this godforsaken town."


    "Demi, please." Anna’s voice cracks as she finally steps in. She looks between us. "Just... listen to him. Don’t make a decision you’ll regret tomorrow. Sometimes running feels right, but it only makes the ghosts follow you harder."


    Her words sting because they sound too much like the truth. I swallow hard, blinking back the heat in my eyes.


    Before I can reply, there’s a sharp knock at the door.


    We all freeze.


    Marcel frowns, moving toward it cautiously. When he opens it, my breath catches.


    Aunt Elizabeth stands in the doorway.


    ***


    Of all the people I least expected, she’s thest.


    Her presence fills the space as suffocating as smoke. She’s dressed neatly, her hair pinned back in her usual severe style, but her eyes gleam with something I can’t ce. Surprise flickers across Anna’s face but for uncle Marcel, it’s unmistakably irritation. Me? My breath snags in my throat like a teenager caught sneaking back into her room at 3am from a party she was banned from attending.


    Have I always been this ufortable in her presence? Anna nudges me subtly, leaning close enough for her breath to tickle my ear.


    "Don’t say anything. Don’t let her catch on."


    I nod quickly, catching her drift. <i>Don’t let Elizabeth catch on about your memory gaps. She’d weaponize it without hesitation</i>. The weight of my amnesia presses down heavier than ever. One wrong word and she’ll know.


    "Elizabeth," Marcel mutters with a t tone.


    "Marcel," she returns coolly, though her gaze slides past him until itnds on me. Her lips twitch—somewhere between a smile and a grimace. "Demi." She says smoothly, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation.


    I swallow hard. My mind whirls, trying to piece together how to act.


    Aunt sets her purse down on the couch. The air instantly grows heavier.


    "So." She crosses her arms, turning toward Marcel. "I hear you’re nning to take Demi away for good. I suppose you weren’t nning to inform me of this... bold decision?"


    Marcel’s nostrils re. "I don’t need your permission."


    Elizabeth’s mouth tightens. "That girl has been under my roof for nearly six years. I raised her when no one else would. And now you think you can just spirit her away just like that?"


    Marcel’sugh is bitter. "<i>Raised her?</i> You tolerated her and <i>barely</i>. Even with the financial support you got on her behalf, you and your daughter couldn’t have the decency to treat her like your own kin. Don’t pretend you suddenly grew a conscience now, Elizabeth."


    Aunt flushes, eyes shing. "At least I weed her into my home in spite of the inconvenience. If you were such a good care taker, why didn’t you raise her yourself after your brother’s death? What was your big excuse again, Marcel?" When he only winces, she nods. "I don’t im to be perfect but at least I tried. And I did what I thought was best for my niece. So, don’t you dare imply I didn’t care about her."


    Marcel sneers. "You cared so much you sold her into a marriage with the Rollins for your own greed."


    My heart hammers. I wish they’d stop now.


    Elizabeth’s chin lifts boldly. "Contrary to what you all might think, I did it out of love. If it had been Kira in Demi’s position, the result would have been the same. In fact, I would have given anything to switch the girls if the Rollins family allowed it. What mother would deny her daughter the chance to marry into one of the most powerful families in Danvarr? It was an opportunity for a better future."


    Marcel shakes his head slowly, like the words disgust him. "You knew what transpired between the Rollins and the Bransons, yet you still let it happen? CAMILLE WAS YOUR SISTER FOR PETE’S SAKE. HOW COULD YOU BE SO BLINDED BY GREED YOU READILY THREW YOUR NIECE INTO THE JAWS OF THE ENEMY JUST FOR MONEY AND FAME?"


    Elizabeth’s voice softens. "That was in the past. The police ruled it an ident after the investigation. Despite having strong suspicions, you eventually epted the police report as well so why are you still holding a grudge" Her eyes snap to me. "Demi. You must remember how you were thoroughly convinced your parents were murdered but your uncle here quelled everything and assured us the Rollins family were innocent. Tell him."


    The room feels suffocating as all eyes are turn to me, waiting.


    I swallow hard, my palms slick. "It’s... no one’s fault but mine," I manage, my voice barely steady. "That night at the Blue Cove set everything in motion... and it was all my fault. No one else is to me."


    Elizabeth nods quickly, pouncing on it. "See? At least she understands. I am not at fault here."


    Marcel’s jaw tightens, but he doesn’t argue.


    Elizabeth steps closer, her tone softening as if she suddenly remembers how to y mother. "Demi, sweetheart... you look pale, dear. Why don’t youe home with me. Let’s put an end to all this tension in the family. I can speak with the Rollins family. I can make them stop this... witch-hunt with that stupid blog. You don’t have to try and salvage that rtionship if you don’t want to. You don’t need to keep fighting or living in fear either. We can live in peace again. I promise I’ll treat you better this time."


    For a moment, something in me aches. I want to believe her. I want to believe there’s a ce I can go where someone will finally take care of me. But the memory of Kira’s cruel words and Elizabeth’s cold indifference burns in my chest. After all, her cruelty feels like yesterday to me.


    "Thank you, aunty." I whisper. "But I’m staying here with Anna." To affirm, Anna slips her hand through mine and squeezes for reassurance.


    "Yes, she is." Anna adds with glee.


    Elizabeth’s smile falters. She hides it quickly, but I see the flicker of anger in her eyes. "Very well," she says with a clipped tone. But when her gaze lingers on me, it’s sharp and suspicious, like she can sense something isn’t right, even if she can’t name it.


    Marcel clears his throat. "Elizabeth, let’s talk outside."


    They step onto the porch, their voices dropping low, muffled by the walls.


    I hover near the window, peering out as their silhouettes shift and gesticte. Elizabeth looks furious but Marcel looks more exhausted than much else.


    Anna snorts from the doorway. "The nerve of that woman, waltzing in here like she’s suddenly a saint and asking you to move back into her house after everything she did to you? Unbelievable." She shakes her head. "I’m going to get ready for work. Don’t let her poison your mind, Demi. She’s a sly fox that can’t be trusted."


    When she disappears inside, the house falls eerily quiet.


    I sink onto the couch, trying to make sense of it all. Then a buzzing sound jolts me. My gaze drifts to the armrest where Marcel left his phone. The screen lights up as it continues to buzz. I reach for it and nce at the caller ID: Raz.


    My breath catches. That name... why does it feel oddly familiar?


    I stare at the screen until a shadow looms over me.


    Marcel snatches the phone from my hands. "I was... looking for that."


    "Who’s Raz?" I ask sharply. It hardly sounds like the name of a middle-aged man or whatever friend my uncle might keep. Something feels weird about it. "Is that the same person who called yesterday? The one who changed your mind about us leaving?"


    He avoids my eyes, slipping the phone into his pocket. "It’s no one you need to worry about."


    "That’s not an answer."


    "Demi." His voice hardens. "I’m sorry for going back on my word but trust that my decision is heavily anchored towards your wellbeing. You have every legitimate right to stew but, in the meantime, don’t trust your aunt. She’s doesn’t care about anyone but herself and Kira. Focus on yourself. Lucien will stay nearby, but he won’t hover unless you want him to. That’s all that matters right now."


    Frustration surges hot in my veins as I lurch to my feet. "Where are you going?"


    "Something came up. I have urgent business to handle," he says briskly. "I’ll be back soon, I promise." He presses a quick kiss to my forehead. "Stay safe."


    "Uncle Marcel, wait..."


    But he hurries out, leaving me staring at the door, my chest heaving.


    Later, after Anna leaves for work, I curl up on the couch. My mind is racing. That name, Raz, gnaws at me. I know it. I <i>know</i> I have heard it before but I simply can’t ce it. The weight of exhaustion slowly drags my eyes shut and I drift off to sleep.


    In a sh, I’m standing in a dim, flickering room. My mother is there, with wild hair and eyes that are bloodshot with rage. She’s screaming at the top of her lungs, her words sharp and venomous.


    "You think you can fool me? You’re just like him! You’re an evil and rotten child. You’re out to destroy me!"


    "Mama," I whisper, tears streaming down my face. "It’s me, Demi."


    She lunges toward me, her nails raking the air. "Don’t call me that! Don’t you dare! You’re Raz! You’re the child of the man who ruined me!"


    Her voice is raw with hate. Father appears just before she ws at my face. He ranges himself between us and steers mother away from me, trying to calm her down.


    I stumble back, choking on sobs. "I’m not—I’m not Raz!"


    But she’s not listening, not to me or to uncle. She’s lost to the madness, cursing me, using me, her face twisted with horror.


    And for the first time, I see it in her eyes—she truly doesn’t see me as Demi. She sees someone else.


    <i>Raz.</i>


    I wake with a violent jolt, my body drenched in sweat. The room spins around me as I draw my knees to my chest.


    Raz.


    The name echoes in my skull like a curse.


    Who the hell is Raz?


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