Chapter 1 Prologue

• Knock! Knock!
• Beneath her thick blanket, the girl remained curled up like a cocoon, oblivious to the persistent tapping at the door. That morning, the air was frigid, like a knife against her skin. She huddled under the covers, dreading the thought of getting out of bed. The alarm clock on the nightstand rang incessantly, but she refused to open her eyes.
• The door to her room burst open, its hinges creaking in protest. A platinum-blonde woman with hair so perfectly styled, it looked like it had been carved from ice, strutted into the room and crossed her arms across her chest. Her pursed lips and narrowed eyes betrayed her anger.
• “Seriously, Raquel, aren’t you going to your college once again?” The woman’s voice was laced with annoyance as she asked the girl, who was curled up under a thick blanket like a caterpillar.
• The girl’s peaceful slumber was unstirred by the woman’s words, her blanket cocooning her like a warm cloud.
• “Jesus, Raquel! Are you deaf? It’s 7am and you’re still in bed, snoring like a pig!” the woman thundered, her voice echoing through the bedroom.
• The woman’s face flushed with anger as she realized Raquel was ignoring her again. Her jaw clenched and her fists curled into balls.
• She took a deep breath and let out a scream that pierced the air like a knife. “Wake up, sleepyhead! It’s already nine. Are you planning to miss your first class?”
• Raquel’s eyes flew open like startled birds, jolted awake by the realization that it was already 9 am.
• Her body collapsed onto the bed like a crumpled sack of potatoes, and she rubbed her eyes, which were heavy as lead.”Why are you still glued here when the sun is already high in the sky?”
• Emma, a young woman with tired eyes and a resigned expression, simply shook her head as she watched her niece, Raquel de Angelis, the one with sleepy eyes that drooped like half-closed curtains, complained.
• “Open your sleepy eyes and let the world in.”
• Raquel’s lips formed a thin line as she reached for her phone on the nightstand, its backlit screen casting a ghostly glow across her face.
• “Aunt Emma!” she wailed, her voice breaking with grief.
• Emma’s lips twitched with barely restrained mirth, but she bit back a retort, keeping her expression neutral.
• Raquel’s eyes narrowed in disgust as she heaved a sigh and glared at Emma. “Why do you delight in tormenting me so?”
• “Rise and shine! Wake up and smell the coffee, Raquel! Breakfast is served. Shake off your torpor, my dear. The day is ripe for adventure.”
• “Aren’t you working today, Aunt Emma?” Raquel’s eyes darted around the room, following Emma’s every move as she glided to the window.
• Emma’s slender fingers gracefully parted the pink curtains, revealing the first rays of morning sunlight. The sunlight danced across Raquel’s room, illuminating her face with a soft glow.
• Emma turned her head and nodded her petite head, her platinum-blonde curls bouncing like the waves on a windy day. “Coincidentally, I have today off,” she said, her voice as sweet as honey. “So, it wouldn’t hurt if we had breakfast together, would it?”
• “Well.”
• Emma’s hands folded in a neat triangle beneath her chin, and her lips curved into a gentle smile.
• “Wake up, sleepyhead,” she said in a voice as soft as morning sunlight. “It’s time to wash your face and join me for breakfast downstairs.”
• Raquel shrugged nonchalantly, her eyes half-lidded and her lips curled into a bored pout. She couldn’t muster up the energy to care about her auntie’s disapproving gaze.
• Raquel drooped her head on Emma’s shoulder, her eyelids heavy as lead. “I could sleep for a week,” she yawned.
• Emma’s voice boomed like a cannon across the bedroom, jolting her awake. “Let’s go! It’s already 7 o’clock! You need to wake up and get ready earlier.”
• Raquel had been living with Emma since her parents’ business trips took them out of California more often than not. Emma’s house had become her home base, a cozy haven where she could escape the constant upheaval of her parents’ nomadic lifestyle.
• Raquel prefers the warm embrace of Emma’s cozy apartment to the sterile walls of her campus dorm.
• Emma, Emily’s younger sister and guardian, was a well-established lawyer with a sharp mind and a reputation for winning cases. Aldric Bethoover, her husband of five blissful years, had perished in a fiery plane crash while on duty, leaving her a widow at the young age of twenty-seven.
• Emma loved Raquel like a daughter, her heart overflowing with affection for Raquel. So when Emily and Marvin offered for Emma to take care of Raquel while they worked, she jumped at the chance.
• “Let’s go,” Emma said briskly, the scent of sizzling bacon wafting up from the kitchen stairs. “I’m waiting downstairs with a feast fit for a queen.”
• Raquel’s stomach growled as she emerged from her room, drawn by the intoxicating scent of Emma’s cooking. It wafted through the air like a warm embrace, promising a feast for the senses.
• The mouthwatering aroma of freshly baked bread and sizzling bacon wafted through the kitchen, teasing Raquel’s senses. Her stomach growled in anticipation, its rumbling echoing through the quiet room.
• Emma giggled as Raquel’s stomach growled like a hungry lion, announcing her arrival in the kitchen. “Your stomach is growling like a hungry lion, so let’s feast on the delicious food I’ve prepared for you. From the tender, juicy bacon to the flaky, buttery croissants, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. So come and dig in!”
• “I’m counting calories and sweating it out at the gym every day,” Raquel said, her eyes sparkling with determination. “I’m determined to have a body like my idol, with chiseled abs and curves in all the right places.”
• Raquel, her slender waistline cinched in a blue sleepwear, turned around with a glass of water in her hand.
• Emma shook her head, her eyes lingering on her niece’s gaunt cheeks and sunken eyes. “You look like you’ve lost so much weight, dear. You’re skin and bones.”
• Raquel’s eyes darted to the ceiling, her brow furrowed in frustration. “All idols starve themselves to stay thin.”
• Emma’s lips curled up in a wry smile as she reached out to squeeze Raquel’s delicate wrist. “Enough, my dear. You’re already as slender as a willow branch. It’s time to stop.”
• “Whatever.” Raquel’s pout deepened as she plopped down in front of Emma, her eyes darting to the croissant, bacon, and salad piled high on her plate.
• “Savor your breakfast, my dear. Your mind is a ravenous beast, and today it will need all the nourishment it can get,” Emma said with a wink.
• Raquel’s fork scraped softly against her plate as she ate, her eyes downcast. Emma watched her with bated breath, her heart pounding in her chest. In Emma’s eyes, a storm of emotions raged: fear, sadness, and love. She was terrified of losing her beloved niece, but she also knew that Emma had to do this.
• ***