Eliane raised a perfectly arched eyebrow, her expression one of practiced indifference as she took a slow sip of her coffee. "So, who’s Prince Smarmy?"

Maya watched as Howard slid into his sleek Ferrari, her stomach flipping despite her best efforts to keep her cool. Seriously? A Ferrari? "One of my owners," she muttered, half-hoping Eliane wouldn’t catch it.

Eliane choked on her coffee, eyes wide with shock. "Owners? What do you mean, owners?"

Maya sighed, finally tearing her gaze away from the disappearing car and turning to meet Eliane's incredulous stare. "I mean exactly what it sounds like. Howard—well, his family, along with a few others—owns me. Or at least, they think they do."

"What?" Eliane’s voice was barely above a whisper, her face pale. "How is that even possible?"

Maya looked away, tracing her finger along the edge of her cup. "Austen James, the ever-so-charming psychopath, made a deal before I was born. He traded me to these families for some favor he needed at the time. He got what he wanted, but then tried to back out of his part of the bargain—me. Obviously, he failed, so now that deal is still very much in place." Her voice dropped, heavy with resignation. "It’s only a matter of time before they cash in on their investment, using whatever power they have over me to force me into line."

Eliane's breath quickened, her chest rising and falling with the weight of her horror. "I didn’t know," she whispered, her voice trembling as she reached out, gripping Maya’s hand as if she could somehow shield her from this dark reality. "We didn’t know."

Maya gave her a sad smile, squeezing Eliane’s hand in return. "How could you?" she said softly. "But I’m not going down without a fight. I never agreed to this, and I’m not about to let anyone control me like that."

Eliane’s face remained troubled, and she slowly pulled her hand away, leaning back against her chair. Her eyes were distant, haunted by the revelations, staring unseeingly into the depths of her coffee.

-----

Meanwhile, Angelo was practically fuming as he stalked down the hallway of the hospital, his mind spinning. He had just finished a call with Maya’s dad, who casually mentioned that one of Maya’s sisters had shown up in Harvest Grove. What bothered Angelo even more was Gabe’s lack of surprise. The whole situation was starting to feel too orchestrated, like someone—maybe Maya’s dead dad—was still pulling strings from beyond the grave. And that pissed Angelo off.

He didn’t like the idea of being manipulated, especially not by some ghostly patriarch. Every day, something new seemed to pop up and add to his growing frustration. It was getting to the point where Angelo was constantly angry, and he couldn’t help but wonder if this was how his own father had turned into the monster he was. No, he told himself firmly. I’ll never be like him.

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Returning to the hospital, Angelo's worry spiked when he couldn’t find Maya. Panic clawed at his chest until he saw her text. They were at The Shack, confirming that the girl with her was definitely her sister.

Just as he was about to leave, Angelo caught the tail end of a conversation between two nurses.

"...and then he just got up and left!" the burly nurse exclaimed in disbelief. "We thought he was on the brink, prepping for an emergency evac to Metropolis... and then he just sat up and bolted out of the ER!"

Angelo froze, his heart hammering as he turned to listen. "Last anyone saw him, he ran out the back entrance," the nurse continued, her tone still laced with shock.

Angelo didn’t wait to hear more. He pushed past the nurses and patients, ignoring the security guard who yelled after him. Bursting through the doors, he skidded to a stop outside, his eyes scanning the area frantically. His heart nearly stopped when he realized The Shack was visible from where he stood.

Panic fueled his steps as he took off running. What if this was a trap? The thought hit him like a punch to the gut. What if this was all part of some twisted plan to get to Maya? His mind spiraled with worst-case scenarios, each one worse than the last.

Finally, he spotted them—Maya and Eliane, sitting together, deep in conversation. They looked tense, clearly discussing something uncomfortable.

And then Angelo saw him. Grant Hardy, lurking behind a nearby building, his eyes fixed on the girls.

Fury surged through Angelo. Without thinking, he charged at Grant, grabbing him by the collar and using his momentum to drag the guy out of his hiding spot.

Grant yelped, stumbling forward, barely catching himself before he hit the ground.

Maya and Eliane both jumped to their feet, their eyes wide as they rushed over.

"Grant?!" Eliane reached him first, her voice full of confusion and concern. "What are you doing out of the hospital? Are you okay? What happened?"

Maya joined them, her gaze flicking to Angelo before moving toward Grant with silent intensity.

"Grant!" Eliane’s voice sharpened when he didn’t respond, her worry giving way to frustration.

Grant sighed heavily, finally lifting his eyes to meet hers. "I know you’re a witch," he said, his voice tinged with resignation.

Eliane’s face went pale, her eyes wide with shock.

"I know the reason you’ve been wearing long sleeves is to hide the James symbol on your palm," Grant continued, his tone flat. He turned to Maya, his eyes darkening with knowledge. "You’ve got it on both palms, don’t you? Because you’re the Firstborn."

Angelo stepped forward, placing himself protectively in front of Maya, his star-marked palm tingling with the urge to strike. "You know a lot about things you shouldn’t," he snapped, his voice laced with anger. "And you’re looking pretty damn healthy for someone who was supposedly dying from hemlock poison."

Grant's expression softened slightly, almost apologetic. "I’ve built up a tolerance to hemlock," he admitted. "Enough to push my body into shock, but not enough to kill me."

"Grant?" Eliane’s voice was small, vulnerable—more like a scared little girl than a powerful dark witch.

Grant’s gaze dropped to the ground. "Your father raised me," he said quietly. "He told me that if anything happened to him, I should bring you—or Casandra, or both—to Maya. That you were family, and that you could protect each other." His voice cracked. "So even though you... even though you killed him, I had to protect you. It’s what he would’ve wanted."

Tears welled in Eliane’s eyes, her voice trembling. "Everything we went through—everything—was because he told you to?"

Grant hesitated, then nodded. "I do care about you, Eliane. But that’s why I need you to stay here. You’ll be safer, especially with what’s coming."

Eliane’s voice broke, raw with fear and confusion. "What do you mean, ‘what’s coming’? Grant, what’s going on?"