MIA'S POV
"Mia, you need to be careful around those people."
Sophie's voice was gentle, but the worry in her eyes said everything. I lowered my head, staring at the floor between my feet. My fingers slid through my hair before falling helplessly onto my lap.
"I know..." The words barely came out.
Breakfast at the Hayes mansion replayed in my mind. Evelyn's cold eyes. Alexander's emotionless face. The briefcases full of money. The insults. The humiliation. Then came Nyra. I closed my eyes.
"And those three girls," Sophie continued, shifting closer to me on the couch. "You can't keep letting them walk all over you."
A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "I didn't."
Her eyebrows rose.
"I fought back."
"You what?"
"I met Nyra after leaving Ryan's training arena." I slowly told her everythi
