Moon Sets, Stars Awake Chapter 2

Jackson charged toward me like a madman, but Sebastian stepped in his way, a cold smile on his lips.

"Can't you see what she's doing? She's doing this on purpose," Sebastian said, his voice a low hiss. "If you go to her now, she'll just use it to torment Sophie even more."

His smile was razor-sharp. "She's betting that you won't let her go through with it. She's calling your bluff."

"Give in now, and you'll never have any control over her again when she goes after Sophie."

Jackson froze.

I turned, my gaze landing on Sebastian with a cold, dead weight.

We were promised to each other from birth, inseparable childhood friends. Then, at twelve, I was kidnapped, vanishing without a trace. The grief shattered my parents. They spent nights sleepless, drowning in guilt, until they adopted Sophie from an orphanage.

She was charming and clever, and slowly, she filled the void I had left. They showered her with the love that should have been mine, treating her like a precious gem.

A year ago, I clawed my way back from a living nightmare, covered in scars, finally returned home by the police. But I wasn't met with the joyful tears of a family reunited. I was met with guarded, distant eyes.

I still remember them comforting Sophie, right in front of me: "Sophie, we will always love you. She will never threaten your place here."

In that moment, I felt as if I’d been stripped bare in the dead of winter, the cold seeping into my very bones.

…

The news that the Ashford heiress was marrying a waiter spread like wildfire. Soon, it was the top trending topic in Port Sterling, with millions talking about it.

When I got home, the first thing I saw was my father pointing a finger at my brother, his face purple with rage. "You absolute fool! How could you humiliate me like this?!"

My mother sighed. "What's done is done. The best we can do is convince Aurora to issue a public statement saying it was a childish prank, a tantrum to save the family’s reputation."

"I'm sure she's already regretting it," she added. "She was just lashing out."

Sophie was crying, her face a mask of delicate sorrow. "I'm so sorry, Mom, Dad. It's all my fault. Jackson was just trying to stand up for me. I never thought sister would be so reckless as to tarnish the family name."

My mother's heart instantly melted. "Don't say that, darling. We know you're a good girl. You've put up with so much since she came back. This wasn't your fault."

My father nodded in agreement. "Exactly. This has nothing to do with you. It's Aurora who doesn't know her place."

"Don't you worry," he said, his voice firm. "She just ran wild for too long. She's using this to get to us. There's no way she's actually marrying a waiter."

As the words left his mouth, my mother looked up and our eyes met.

The living room fell into a deathly silence.

The old me would have screamed. I would have had a hysterical meltdown, demanding to know why they were treating me this way.

But I was just so tired now.

I didn't have the energy to fight anymore.

Or maybe, I had simply given up on ever finding a shred of affection from them. I no longer hoped for their love.

So, under their wary, hostile stares, I turned and walked upstairs without a word.