Maya

"I was dead wrong coming here in the first place. You two don't deserve a damn thing I've offered," I stated with a dry chuckle. There were no tears in my eyes, perhaps they'd dried up after enduring the relentless torment these two monsters had put me through. "Do whatever the hell you want." I tried to step away, but Leonardo abruptly closed the distance and thrust me against the same unforgiving wall.

A sharp, shooting pain raced down my spine. As the back of my head met the unyielding surface, a dizzying sensation engulfed me for a fleeting moment.

"What chance do you blabber about, huh?" Leonardo snarled, seizing my throat, and cutting off my breath, his jaw remained clenched, hatred evident in his eyes. "We're the ones giving you a chance to speak, to breathe, and to damn well live. I swear to God, Maya... if it turns out your mom is responsible for our mother's death—you can't fathom how we'll end you. You can’t even fucking imagine, not even in your darkest nightmares. Even death would be scared of what we’d put you through.” 

"We'll slice this beautiful body of yours into bloody yet lovely pieces, watch the life drain out of you until there's nothing but fragmented bones and flesh. There’d be not even a drop of blood left in your body, Maya. Not a single drop," Maximus coldly chuckled, lighting a cigarette and pressing it slowly against the side of my waist. It seared through the delicate fabric of my dress, scorching my skin.

I hissed, forcing my eyes shut at the searing pain, but I refused to give them the satisfaction of any other reaction.

Their casualness in uttering such vicious threats cut deep, yet I was almost desensitized to it. Because I'd bore it for way long.

Maximus withdrew the cigarette upon receiving no visible response and took a long drag. "You should've screamed, Maya. You're making this far less entertaining..." he tutted, his gaze cold and devoid of emotion, much like Leonardo's.

I silently thanked myself for keeping my pregnancy hidden. Their burning hatred reflected in their eyes; they despised me to the core. I knew they'd go to any lengths to shatter me, even if it meant…killing our child.

I didn’t have a reason to doubt their monstrosity.

"It's only going to get less entertaining because I'm done with both of you, Maximus and Leonardo," I spat. "You've broken everything possible, but thanks to you, I've learned to rebuild myself faster than you can ruin me."

"That's your delusion, Puppet," Leonardo chuckled darkly. "Once we're certain your mother is the murderer, we'll end you slowly and painfully."

That's precisely why I couldn't reveal my mother's sins, despite my initial intention when I entered the room.

I needed to act selfishly.

Otherwise, I couldn't protect my baby from these monsters who didn't deserve to be called fathers.

"Start your investigation then—come to me when you uncover the truth. Until then, don't show me your faces if you truly care for your mother," I coldly declared, meeting their gazes. This time, Leonardo took a step back, releasing his grip on my throat, while Maximus's stare lingered. Perhaps they sensed the detachment in my voice, or maybe they realized they needed new tactics to push me to the brink of tears, to the verge of surrender and despair.

After all, they were sadists, weren't they?

"Now, excuse me while you resume your fucking session with your whores," I continued icily, turning away and exiting the room, closing the door firmly behind me as I made my way to mine.

I anticipated the pain I would endure feeling them having sex with the women they'd picked up from the streets or clubs, but I refused to let them succeed.

I knew what needed to be done. First, I had to write a letter. Second, I had to escape.

And both tasks had to be completed tonight.

There could be no further delay.

I had to act fast, no matter the risks.

As I reached my room, I closed the door, shutting out the suffocating atmosphere of their cruelty. Breathing deeply, I hurried to the small writing desk tucked in the corner. My hands trembled as I retrieved a sheet of paper and a pen, trying to steady my resolve.

Calm down. Maya. You can do it.

My mind raced with the urgency of the situation. I had to make this letter count, to convey the gravity of the circumstances, the truth behind Luna Ayla’s death—I needed to deliver this letter to Alpha Alaric, at all costs.

Yet, amidst the turmoil, I knew I had to flee. Despite enduring the excruciating sight of the twins having sex with women, I had no option but to endure those haunting images and plot my escape while they lingered fresh in my mind.

It’d only make things worse but I didn’t have the choice to delay it anymore. 

My hands were tied.

This escape held significance—it wasn't just a desperate bid for freedom; my entire existence hinged upon it.