Chapter 1
When they strapped me to the operating table, I heard my husband’s voice at the door, soft and reassuring.
“Maris, don’t worry. I’ll do the surgery myself. I’ll put your face on Liora.”
“After that, we hand her to the police. The hit-and-run won’t come back to you.”
Maris Hale let out a shaky laugh, tears turning sweet in seconds. “Draven… you’re the only one who’s ever been this good
to me.”
“But… won’t Liora be upset? I mean…”
Draven Kessler sighed, like this was a burden he had to carry. “She loves me. And your brother saved my life. Doing this
for you is the least she can do.”
“I’ll make it up to her. I promise.”
I didn’t even get the chance to react before the anesthesia dragged me under.
When I woke up, my face was wrapped in thick layers of gauze.
They didn’t trust me not to destroy it.
Draven stood by my bed, calm, controlled. “Liora, try to understand. Do it for Eli.”
That was all it took. I stopped fighting.
And just like that, he sent me to prison with his own hands.
Five years later, I walked out.
The day I was released, I wore clothes so worn they’d lost their color.
I was nothing but skin and bone, a ghost of the woman I used to be.
The Liora Vance from five years ago might as well have been someone else.
Draven was waiting outside in his car.
“Liora… you’re finally out.”
I lifted my head.
The face staring back at him wasn’t mine. It was carved up with scars, uneven and cruel. Someone had even cut a word
into it-slut.
The day I entered prison, they heard I’d killed a child in a hit-and-run and ran.
Chapter 1
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They pinned me down and carved that mark into my skin.
After that, the beatings never stopped.
Draven froze for a second. Guilt flickered across his face, then vanished.
The passenger door opened.
Maris leaned out, her face subtly altered, no longer quite the same as before.
Of course. With Draven’s skills, changing a face was effortless.
“Liora, we came to pick you up,” she said sweetly.
“You’ve been through so much. Prison, your face… but don’t worry, we won’t judge you.”
Every word scraped against my nerves.
I swallowed it all,
Because I only wanted one thing-my son.
I opened the back door and got in.
Draven cleared his throat. “Maris gets carsick. She’s used to sitting up front, so you-”
“Just drive. I want to see my son.”
I cut him off, too tired to play along.
It didn’t matter. Five years ago, I had already handed everything over to Maris.
What was one seat?
Draven went still.
Before I could react, Maris suddenly covered her face and started crying.
“Liora… are you still blaming me?”
“I’ve suffered too, you know.”
Her voice trembled, perfectly fragile,
“Draven barely lets me leave the house. He says it’s not safe outside. He buys everything for me, won’t let me do anything
myself.”
“He won’t even let me touch the clinic’s operations. Just gave me shares and dividends. Says I’m not skilled enough. I’m
practically useless now,”
It felt like needles sinking into my chest.
Chapter 1
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Back then, I told Draven I didn’t like how she hovered around him, crossing every boundary.
He had held my hand and promised, “Liora, I’ll keep my distance.”
“If you don’t want her around, she won’t step foot in our home.”
Now she lived in it.
And the clinic…
I built that from nothing.
I ran myself into the ground, begged for funding until my body gave out.
Draven had taken my hand back then, voice full of conviction. “When the clinic stabilizes, everything will be in your name.”
Now everything I built belonged to the woman who destroyed me.
“Enqugh, Maris,” Draven said under his breath, a hint of panic slipping through.
He glanced at me carefully. “Liora… let’s go home.”
I said nothing and turned my head away.
It took everything I had not to cry.
I thought seeing my son would fix everything.
I didn’t realize-this was only the beginning.
