The moonlight cast long shadows across the sprawling Brooks mansion, bathing its pristine corridors in an eerie glow. Laila stood by the kitchen window, her hands trembling slightly as she wiped a stray tear. Tonight had been one of many unbearable nights. Sophia’s venomous cruelty toward Primily had reached a breaking point, yet no one intervened. No one dared.
No one but her.
She clenched her jaw, willing herself to stay strong. Memories she had buried for years clawed their way to the surface, breaking free like floodwaters breaching a dam. The life she lived now was far from the one she’d envisioned for herself as a girl. But then again, dreams had no place in the life of someone like her.
Laila closed her eyes, letting the memories take her back to where it all began.
---
YEARS A
