Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Sara's point of view

The nightmare came again.

I sat bolt upright in bed, sheets tangled around my legs, heart pounding against my ribs. The courtroom. Always the courtroom. Mom's screams as they led her away still echoed in my ears, mixed with Louis's cold laughter.

Moonlight filtered through my bedroom window, casting strange shadows on the walls. The digital clock read 3:17 AM. Another night of broken sleep.

My phone buzzed on the nightstand, a message from my agent about tomorrow's photoshoot for Vogue. The contrast between my current life and the memories haunting me made me dizzy. How could I be planning fashion shoots while my parents rotted in prison cells?

Unable to face the darkness of my room, I slipped on a robe and padded downstairs to the kitchen. The marble floors felt cool against my bare feet.

"Can't sleep either?"

I jumped at Josh's voice. He sat at the kitchen island, a cup of coffee steaming in front of him despite the hour. His usually perfect hair was mussed, like he'd been running his hands through it.

"Bad dreams," I admitted, trying to ignore how good he looked even in rumpled pajamas.

He pushed a fresh cup of coffee toward me. "Want to talk about it?"

The kindness in his voice nearly broke me. "It's always the same. The trial. Mom begging me to help her. The sound of the handcuffs. Louis's face when they read the sentence..."

My voice cracked. Josh's hand twitched like he wanted to reach for me, but he kept his distance. Always so careful with boundaries.

"The prosecutor's voice keeps ringing in my head," I continued, wrapping my hands around the warm coffee mug. "'Premeditated murder. Conspiracy. Multiple counts.' Every time he listed another crime, another piece of me died inside."

"You're not them, Sara."

"Aren't I?" The bitterness in my laugh surprised even me. "Their blood runs in my veins. Sometimes I look in the mirror and see Mom's eyes staring back at me. Or worse - I see Louis's smile."

Josh's voice turned fierce. "Biology isn't destiny. You're nothing like them."

"The fashion magazines might disagree once they dig deeper into my background." I took a shaky sip of coffee. "Today at the shoot, someone mentioned doing a feature on my 'inspiring journey from tragedy.' Like my parents' crimes are just a juicy backstory to sell magazines."

"I won't let them exploit you like that."

The protective edge in his voice made my heart skip. Dangerous territory, these feelings growing between us. He was technically my uncle now, even if not by blood. Eva's uncle through her mother's side. The quadruplets called him Uncle Josh with such innocent affection.

"I keep thinking about Eva's mother," I whispered. "How Mom watched her die slowly, pretending to be her friend while poisoning her tea. How could anyone be that cruel?"

Josh's knuckles whitened around his mug. "Your mother made her choices. You're making different ones."

"But what if it's in me? What if one day I snap and become just like her?"

"Sara—"

"You didn't see her in court, Josh. When they described Leah's death, when they talked about Lucas Graves's murder... she showed no remorse. None. And Louis just sat there smirking like it was all some grand game."

The memories overwhelmed me. My legs gave out, but before I could fall, Josh was there. His arms caught me, strong and steady. For just a moment, I let myself lean into his warmth.

"I've got you," he murmured.

We stood like that, too close and not close enough, until I found my strength again. When I pulled back, his eyes were dark with something that made my breath catch.

"Sorry," I whispered, though I wasn't sure what I was apologizing for.

He stepped back quickly, professional mask sliding into place. "Try to get some sleep. You have an early call time tomorrow."

I watched him walk away, taking his coffee with him. The kitchen felt colder without his presence.

Back in my room, I tried to focus on work - the upcoming shoots, the contracts Josh was negotiating, the whirlwind my life had become. But every time I closed my eyes, I saw the courtroom again.

Mom on her knees, mascara streaking down her face as she begged me to believe in her innocence. Louis's dead eyes as he told the judge he regretted nothing. William's pain when he described finding proof that his own brother had tried to murder him.

And Eva. Sweet Eva who had lost so much because of my parents, yet still called me sister. Who welcomed me into her family despite everything my parents had stolen from her.

The sky began lightening outside my window. Another sleepless night spent wrestling with ghosts.

My phone buzzed again - Josh confirming the day's schedule. So careful, so professional in his messages. Like he hadn't just held me while I fell apart.

In a few hours, I would face the cameras again. Smile and pose and pretend to be the rising star everyone wanted me to be. But now, in the gray light of dawn, I wondered if I was just playing another role. Pretending to be normal while carrying darkness in my blood.

The sun rose slowly, painting my room in shades of pink and gold. A new day. Another chance to prove I could be different from my parents.

But as I got ready to face the world again, their voices still echoed in my mind. And somewhere in the mansion, Josh was probably still awake too, carrying his own demons that he never talked about.

We were all haunted by something. The question was whether we'd let those ghosts define our future.