𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐅𝐔𝐋 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐎𝐒 | SPINOFF

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

AVERY
RAVEN

My father's voice echoed through the cold, empty room, laced with venom. "You got a B-minus?!" he spat, his words slicing through the air like a blade. His eyes held a dangerous glint, the kind I'd learned to fear long ago. "Ever since you started hanging around with that thug, you've been nothing but a useless whore!"

Before I could say a word, he swung his fist across my face, his knuckles cracking against my cheekbone. Pain exploded in my skull, a searing, blinding ache that pulsed through my entire head. I stumbled back, my hand instinctively reaching up to cover the bruise forming beneath my skin, but he grabbed my wrist and wrenched it away, his grip vice-like.

"Think you can just throw your life away? All my hard work, all my sacrifices...for you to turn out like this?" His voice was a low, hateful hiss, filled with something darker, something cruel. He was so close I could feel his hot, angry breath against my face, smell the bitter tang of whiskey lingering in the air between us.

I struggled to break free, but his grip tightened, his fingers digging into my skin, cutting off any chance of escape. A flicker of terror rose inside me as I realized he wasn't done—not by a long shot. He swung his fist again, this time aiming lower, his knuckles slamming into my ribcage. I gasped, the impact knocking the air from my lungs. My knees buckled, but he yanked me upright, refusing to let me fall.

Blood. So much fucking blood.

"You think you can disrespect me? Think you're grown enough to defy me?" His voice was lower now, colder, each word dripping with disdain. He shoved me against the wall, his fingers pressing into my shoulders, pinning me there as though he was holding me hostage.

"Dad, please..." I managed to whisper, the words barely escaping my lips. My vision started to blur, the edges of my world darkening. Each breath felt heavier, slipping further from my control. In the dim haze of consciousness, I realized this was it. This was the night I was going to die.

A strange calm washed over me, mixed with a profound sadness that struck deeper than any fear. I didn't want to leave—there were things in this world that meant everything to me, pieces of my life that I wasn't ready to let go of.

My friends, the ones who'd been there through my worst days. And Alessio... his face surfaced in my mind, and I clung to the image, desperate to hold onto that last bit of warmth, of hope. I wanted to say goodbye. I wanted him to know.

But it was too late. My vision faded into darkness, and a quiet numbness crept over me. I could faintly hear sounds in the distance—the frantic voices, the muffled call of someone yelling for an ambulance. It felt like I was drifting, like I was standing at the edge of a vast, endless abyss. My heartbeat slowed, each beat fading softer, quieter, like the final notes of a song. My chest felt hollow, the world slipping away as I hovered between life and something darker, something colder. The sensation was both terrifying and strangely peaceful, like surrendering to a deep, quiet sleep.

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JAXON
CRIST

Not happening. This isn't how things were supposed to go. I hadn't even processed the call—my father telling me to bring Marcella and the others to the clinic because Avery might not make it. She can't die. Not before I tell her I'm sorry, not before I tell her how much she means to us.

I wanted to tell her that we loved her. That we still cared about her.

Alessio sat next to me, head buried in his hands, shoulders shaking as we watched through the glass window. The nurses moved frantically, a blur of white and blue as they fought to keep her alive. Damon held Stella close as she sobbed quietly, while Grayson wrapped his arms around Liliana and Marcella, whispering words of comfort none of us believed. But none of it would be okay.

Avery was slipping through our fingers. She was leaving us, and we were powerless to stop it.

Avery was going to leave us.

Her father hadn't even stayed. The moment he dropped her off, he vanished, leaving my dad to pick up the pieces. My mom clung to him, her face pressed against his shoulder, as if she could will a miracle to happen. Rage boiled in my veins, dark and consuming. "I'm going to kill him," I muttered, my fists clenching.

Dad shot me a warning look. "He said it was an accident. You think he'd go this far?"

"How can you be so blind, Dad? The bruises, the way she flinches when anyone gets too close. And you still think he doesn't do this to her? She's a kid, Dad. She's fifteen, and she's breaking, and this... this is the last straw. He's killing her!" My voice broke, words thick with anger and something darker, something close to desperation.

Stella's sobs filled the silence, and then Marcella broke. "Yeah, you should feel guilty!" she spat, her voice sharp, raw. "This all started with you! You're the one who cut us off, who left her alone with him. Why are you even here?"

Stella went silent, the guilt settling over her like a heavy shadow. Liliana stepped between them, her voice soothing but firm. "Let's just keep it together. Stella, stay. Marcella, come with me, let's get some air."

As they stepped away, Grayson moved to Stella's side, pulling her into a hug. "None of this is on you," he murmured, though I wasn't sure he believed it himself.

The nurse walked out, her face calm, professional, and every word out of her mouth felt like a lifeline. "She'll be in critical condition for a few weeks, but she'll be okay. She'll need round-the-clock care and proper meals."

"We're her parents," Dad interrupted firmly, nodding as if daring anyone to challenge him.

Mom nodded, worry etched deeply on her face. "I don't trust her parents to care for her, not after this."

"She can stay with us," Dad assured her, pulling her close. "I'll talk to him and make sure she's with us until she's stable."

Relief flooded through me. She would be safe with us, away from him, away from the shadows that haunted her every move.