Home: Book 1

Chapter 10

Ciara

The room plunged into darkness. Alex's grip on my hand tightened, grounding me for a brief moment before everything went black.

I woke up in a place that seemed eerily familiar. As I scanned my surroundings, I spotted Julia approaching me. Instinctively, I got to my feet, ready to defend myself.

"Oh, Ciara," she said, her voice dripping with malice. "Don't try to fight me. I'm sure you don't want Alex to die."

Fear and rage coursed through me. "Where is he? Where is Alex?" I demanded.

She smirked, her eyes glinting with a sinister satisfaction. "I've taken a liking to him. I want him, and like I said before, no one can have what I want."

I clenched my fists, my anger boiling over. "JULIA! I've had enough of your immature tricks. If you have something against me, don't be a coward—say it to my face."

Julia laughed wickedly, her voice echoing in the empty space. "You still don't see it, do you? You and I are siblings. Half-siblings."

My jaw dropped. The revelation hit me like a truck. How could this be?

"Our dad married twice," she continued, her tone mocking.

"But... but your last name is Smith, and mine is Jones," I stammered, trying to make sense of her words.

She snickered, a cruel smile spreading across her face. "You know someone named Ava Dove, right? She's my birth mother. After her husband divorced her, she couldn't take care of me. Her lifeline was gone, so she gave me away for adoption. My adoptive parents were kind enough to give me their last name."

I shook my head, trying to convince myself that she was lying. This couldn't be true.

"I'm actually Julia Jones," she said, her voice softening into something almost tender. "But after your mother married our dad and had you, I knew I needed everything you had. You took away my most beloved possessions—my mom and dad."

I was reeling, my mind struggling to process this new reality. Was she lying? Was she telling the truth? Had my whole life been a lie?

Julia's expression turned vicious. "I've always been in your shadow, Ciara. Always second to you. But now, I have the chance to take back what's mine."

Her words twisted a knife in my heart. Everything I knew, everything I believed in, was unraveling before me. My father, my family—it all felt like a cruel joke.

Maybe she was right. Maybe my existence had been a mistake. Maybe this was my end.

But then, a surge of defiance rose within me. I couldn't let her win. Not like this.

"So?" I replied, my voice steady despite the storm of emotions raging inside me. Courage was building up, fueled by the need to live—for Alex, for Stephanie, and to bring Julia to justice. "So, it's not like I asked my father to fall in love with my mother and divorce your mother. It's not like I asked your mom to put you up for adoption. I am just an abandoned offspring of my parents, left and forgotten, just like you. And if Ava is really your mum, I can tell you one thing: she never abandoned you. She has this whole book filled with pictures of her biological daughter. She never wanted to be my mum; I was just a replacement for the love she wanted to give her daughter. If you really are her daughter, maybe you should try to be less like her and actually talk it out."

I know I shouldn't have said it. I was supposed to keep my emotions in check but I had to tell it. I had to tell her it wasn't my fault.

Julia laughed, a cold, bitter sound. "Oh, Ciara. When will you ever learn? I'm not saying it's your fault. I'm just trying to put my family back together. That is, after I get rid of you."

Her words stung, but I couldn't let them break me. "My mother? Why isn't she mentioning my mother?" The thought gnawed at me.

Julia's next words sent a chill down my spine. "If you have any doubt about getting my family together without getting rid of your mother, well, I already took care of that."

No. This can't be happening. I wanted to believe it was a nightmare, but this was real. I was standing at the edge of a cliff, facing my former best friend and current enemy. Her cold blue eyes bore into mine with pure hatred.

And then, she pushed me.

The world tilted, and I felt the rush of wind as I plummeted. The ground disappeared beneath me, and for a brief, terrifying moment, all I knew was the free fall. Panic surged, but amid the chaos, a flicker of determination burned. This was not how it was going to end.

I reached out, my fingers clawing for anything to hold onto. My hand caught a jagged rock, and I gripped it with all my strength. Pain shot through my arm, but I held on, refusing to let go.

Above me, Julia peered over the edge, her expression unreadable. "Goodbye, Ciara," she said, her voice echoing in the canyon below.

Summoning every ounce of strength, I pulled myself up, my muscles screaming in protest. I could hear Alex screaming, "Ciara! Ciara!"

I tried pulling myself up, but lost grip and plummeted to the canyon below.