Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 120336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 602(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 602(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
“No. I’m fine. Trust me and I love you guys too.”
And for a moment, I could almost believe everything was fine.
Almost.
But I heard it—beneath the love, beneath the relief, there was exhaustion in her voice and this weight of sorrow that she couldn’t hide.
Whatever my father was putting her through, she was surviving it.
She wasn’t broken.
Not yet.
But she was carrying more than she should have to.
“You girls need to head to bed. It’s super late,” Moni told them gently. “Really late in fact. Go to sleep, okay? I’m fine. I’ve got this. I’ll see you all tomorrow.”
Jo bit her lip, and her eyes still shimmered with unshed tears. “Cool. I’ll make sure they go to sleep.”
“I’ll even listen to Jo, Moni. At least tonight.” Chloe nodded furiously, as if trying to convince herself that everything would be okay.
TT swallowed. “We’ll be fine, Moni. Don’t think about us tonight. Only think about yourself. Then. . .you’ll win.”
Moni laughed—a soft, tired sound that made my heart ache. “I promise, TT. Good strategy. I’m going to be okay.”
Goddamn it.
I could feel it—the strength in her, the sheer force of will it took to say those words and make them sound real.
She was doing everything she could to keep us all afloat, even when she was drowning in misery.
And God help me, I was so fucking impressed with her.
How is she able to do that?
It was hard not to be proud that she was holding her ground, even under my father’s evil, oppressive shadow.
Proud that she hadn’t let his darkness consume her.
But with that pride came stress—a gnawing worry that coiled in my gut like a viper.
She passed one of his little tests. That’s what happened.
I had to be right because if she were still standing and was even able to do something huge like make a call to me. . .then that meant she was pleasing my father in ways I couldn’t stomach.
It meant she was playing his game, doing whatever it took to survive.
And passing with high scores.
The thought of her having to do that, to navigate those murky waters alone, made my blood boil.
Before I could say anything, my father’s voice cut through the moment like a blade.
“That’s enough,” he said smoothly. “The call must end.”
“Wait!” Jo suddenly shouted. “You better not hurt her, old man!”
There was a beat of silence on the other end.
Then his voice came out calm. “I would never harm family. Never.”
What about Yan?
The call ended with a soft click and the silence that followed was heavy and suffocating.
You are harming her. Not physically, yet you are in her head. I can hear it in her voice.
For a moment, none of us moved.
Her sisters stared at me.
Their emotions flickered across their faces—hope, fear, love, and a fierce need to protect Moni.
I stood rooted to the spot.
Numbness crept over me.
I didn’t know what Moni had done to get that phone call but I would give her the world when we reunited.
Because her voice had saved me tonight.
Had God answered my prayers?
Had He made it happen to show me the evidence of His power?
Or was it the both of them—God and Moni working together to make sure all of us survived?
It didn’t matter.
I wouldn’t question it.
No.
I would bask in it.
I would cover this moment of hearing her voice over my soul like a blanket.
I would replay the phone call over and over until I fell asleep.
I put the phone in my pocket and looked at her sisters. “Well. . .that was good.”
“It was.” To my surprise TT stepped forward and wrapped her small arms around me in a tight hug.
What? Why is she doing this?
Her warmth pressed into my body, grounding me in the moment.
Before I could react, Jo and Chloe followed. Their arms wrapped around me too, creating a cocoon of comfort I didn’t know I needed.
Oh my God. I. . .love them already.
I stood there, frozen, unsure of what to do with the sudden affection. I wasn’t used to this—being hugged, being held like I mattered to someone.
Not outside of Moni.
It wasn’t until Chloe leaned her head against my chest that I felt it—a single tear slipping from the corner of my eye, trailing down my cheek.
Tonight, I’d cried more than I had in several years.
These sweet sisters weren’t hugging me just for Moni. They were hugging me because, in that moment, I needed it too.
I wiped the tear away quickly but the warmth of their embrace lingered, sinking deep into the cracks I didn’t know were there.
This is truly my family now.
Not just Moni, but these girls too—Jo, Chloe, TT.
They were part of this, part of me.
Tomorrow, I would fight for them too with everything I had.
I gently pulled away, offering them a small, grateful smile. “Thank you. I really needed that.”
“Yeah.” TT nodded.
I cleared my throat. “Alright. Moni’s orders. Let’s all get some sleep.”