“Enough, Aliyah! Stop pretending to be weak. Maddy is your sister too. Do you expect me to risk our lives for you?” His voice was harsh and final, as if he had already sentenced me to die.
Silent sobs racked my body as I watched them walk away, supporting each other, without a single glance back.
I wasn’t pretending. I had been swapped at birth, raised in a family that never wanted me, in a home that only valued sons. My frail body had nearly killed me more than once.
I closed my eyes as I sank deeper into the earth, the weight of it crushing the last breath from my body.
Upon learning I had gone missing, Tristan mobilized the Blake family's elite rescue team, combing the mountains tirelessly for three long days. Despite their best efforts, there was still no trace of me. I could see the frustration written all over his face when he dialed Adrian’s number, his patience wearing thin.
“Adrian, where exactly did Aliyah go missing?” His voice was sharp, edged with urgency.
On the other end, Adrian let out a cold, dismissive laugh. “She grew up in the mountains, Tristan. She knows those places better than anyone. Don’t worry about her, she’ll be fine.”
Hearing his words, a surge of anger flickered in Tristan’s eyes, but he forced himself to stay calm, gripping the phone tighter.
“Let me remind you, Tristan—the one who grew up with you is Maddy, not Aliyah. Don’t forget your place,” Adrian continued, his tone dripping with disdain.
I watched as Tristan’s fist clenched involuntarily, his knuckles turning white, but he suppressed the fury threatening to boil over. When he spoke again, his voice was icy, simmering with barely contained rage. “I’m only asking—where exactly did Aliyah disappear?”
Despite the growing tension, Adrian remained indifferent, his next words almost mocking. “Maddy’s eighteenth birthday is coming up in two months. Maybe you should be focusing on that instead of wasting your time on someone insignificant. Do you really think Maddy would appreciate where your priorities lie?”