Maya’s POV
The little girl clung to me with small arms. Her dark curly hair tickled my neck. She smelled like fresh soap and innocence. Five years old and already caught in this nightmare. I held her tighter. My heart ached with a mix of joy and terror. After losing my real sister twice, this child felt like the only pure thing left in my world. I cannot let Isabella take her. I cannot let this empire turn her into what I became.
Isabella Cross stood in the doorway of the small house. Her gun pointed steady at Liam. Her red hair moved slightly in the wind. She smiled like she already won. “Hand the child over Maya. She belongs with the family now. She will learn our ways.”
The girl looked up at me with wide eyes. “Aunt Maya, who is that lady? She scares me.”
Her small voice broke somet
