Chapter 1 – The Betrayal
The night was damp, and the alley reeked of rain-soaked asphalt. Evelyn Shaw’s heels clicked against the pavement as she ran, breath sharp in her throat. She could feel them behind her—shadows chasing, laughter cutting like knives. Her shoe caught in a c***k, and the stiletto snapped.
Barefoot now, her feet stung against the rough concrete, but terror drove her forward. She stumbled into an abandoned warehouse, chest heaving, heart hammering in her ribs.
Her trembling fingers fumbled for her phone. The screen slipped slick with sweat, refusing to unlock. Just then, it lit up with an incoming call: Serena Lane.
Hope surged. Her sister, her closest blood. She answered with a sob.
“Serena! Please—someone’s after me. Send the police. I’m at the East District warehouse. Hurry!”
For a moment, silence. Then a voice, calm, almost amused.
“Don’t worry, Evelyn. I’ll take care of it.”
The line went dead. And almost instantly, a voice echoed inside the warehouse, closer than she could bear.
“She’s here.”
The rusted doors crashed open. Figures spilled in, laughter filling the emptiness. Evelyn backed away, panic rising like a tide.
And then—heels. The sound of slow, deliberate heels clicking across the floor. A silhouette framed in the doorway. Serena.
Relief flooded Evelyn’s chest. She tried to reach for her. “Serena, thank God! Please, help me—”
But the expression on her sister’s face froze her blood. Not compassion, but satisfaction.
“Oh, Evelyn,” Serena murmured, her tone dripping with mockery. “Did you really think I’d save you?”
Confusion, then horror, washed over Evelyn. Every moment of neglect, every cold glance from their mother, suddenly aligned into a cruel truth. This wasn’t betrayal by strangers—it was betrayal by her own family.
Serena’s smile sharpened. “Our mother always said her greatest mistake was giving birth to you. Tonight, we correct that mistake.”
Pain ripped through Evelyn’s chest as darkness claimed her. Her last thought wasn’t fear—it was fury.
If she could live again, she swore, she would never be the helpless prey.
