Chapter 1

At four, they shattered both my legs. At six, they ruptured my left eardrum. At seven, they took my right eye—said I'd earn more sympathy begging blind.

My billionaire parents spent a decade searching for me. When they finally brought me home, the girl who'd been living my life grabbed my wrist hard enough to bruise.

"Try to take what's mine," she hissed, nails digging into my skin, "and I'll break whatever's left of your legs."

I glanced down at her manicured fingers.

Seemed like overkill.

I unclipped both prosthetic legs and let them drop. My empty pant legs hung limp.

Mom and Dad went white.

Garrett stormed over, leaned down to my ear, and warned me not to piss Celeste off again.

I pointed at my ear, all innocent, and shouted loud enough to shake the chandelier: "SORRY! LEFT EAR'S DEAF! CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

He staggered back two steps, staring at me like I'd just crawled out of hell.

That evening, they threw a welcome dinner. Two hundred guests, all there to witness my "miracle reunion."

I wore the dress Mom picked—pale blue silk, long sleeves, high collar. Covered every scar. Celeste wore white. Of course she did.

Halfway through dinner, Celeste stood to give a speech, her voice trembling just right. "I know tonight is about celebrating Kira coming home. I'm so grateful she's safe. I've always known I was just... keeping her place warm. Now that she's back where she belongs, I just want to be the best sister I can be."

Thunderous applause. Someone was crying.

Celeste walked toward me, arms open. I stood on my prosthetics and met her halfway. She hugged me tight.

Then she stumbled.

Grabbed my sleeve to steady herself—

The fabric ripped.

Shoulder to wrist.

The room went silent.

My arm was exposed to everyone. Burns, knife scars, cigarette marks. Some faded white, some still pink.

Garrett was heading over with Mom and Dad, ready to tear into me, when they saw it. Not an inch of unmarked skin.

Everyone froze.

Mom and Dad pulled me into their arms, shaking as they sobbed. "Who did this? Tell us. We'll make them pay."

Celeste couldn't keep up the act anymore. She backpedaled fast. "Oh my God, I didn't do this! Don't you dare try to blame me!"

I nodded. "You're right. It wasn't Celeste. It was the people who took me. They're probably long gone by now."

Garrett cut in. "You just let them hurt you? Didn't fight back?"

"Fighting made it worse," I said quietly. "I tried. To avoid beatings, to survive, I learned to comply."

No one spoke.

Mom held me tighter, tears streaming down her face.

The guests started leaving. I sat on the couch while Celeste apologized across from me. "I didn't mean to—"

"I know," I interrupted. "It was an accident."

I looked down. "I'm sorry I embarrassed you. I should've been more careful."

Celeste went still.

Garrett walked over. "Why are you apologizing? She's the one who—"

"I lost my balance," I said. "That's why Celeste grabbed my sleeve."

Garrett stared at me like I'd lost my mind.

Celeste's expression shifted from shock to confusion to something guarded. She didn't say another word. Just stood and headed upstairs.

I reattached my prosthetics and started toward my room.

Celeste suddenly came back down. "Let me help you upstairs."

"I'm fine—"

"I insist." She linked her arm through mine.

At the foot of the stairs, Celeste lowered her voice. "Don't think playing pathetic will win you anything. They love me."

I said nothing.

"Goodnight." She let go.

I stepped onto the first stair. Something caught my ankle.

I lost my balance. Pitched forward. Reached for the railing—

Missed.

I tumbled down the stairs. Two sharp clicks, and my prosthetics flew off. One hit the wall, the other rolled into the center of the foyer.

I stopped at the bottom. The stumps of my legs had torn open. Blood seeped through the bandages.

It hurt.

"Kira!" Mom's scream.

Footsteps running toward me.

"She's bleeding—"

"Get a doctor!" Dad's voice. "Someone get a doctor!"

My vision blurred. The last thing I saw was Celeste standing at the top of the stairs, face drained of color.

Then everything went black.