Chapter 175
The room was dark and silent as I drifted in and out of a restless sleep. My body was heavy, but my mind was uneasy, tugged by an invisible string that wouldn’t let me rest. I heard the voice again, soft yet urgent, piercing through the haze of my dreams.
“Ayla... wake up. Go to them.”
It was Prisca.
My eyes flew open, and I sat up in bed, my heart pounding. The room was cold, the night air chilling my skin, but it wasn’t the temperature that sent a shiver down my spine. Something was wrong.
I threw on my robe and bolted out of the room, my feet carrying me down the hallway toward the twins’ nursery. As I approached, the sight of the guard slumped against the wall froze me in my tracks.
“Lance?” I whispered, shaking his shoulder. He didn’t respond. His breathing was steady, but he wouldn’t wake up. It wasn’t normal sleep—it was too deep, too unnatural.
Fear gripped me as I turned toward the door. It was ajar, and the faint light from inside spilled into the hallway. Slowly, I pushed it open, the creak of the hinges making my pulse race.
Inside, everything seemed normal at first glance. The twins’ cribs were in their usual spots, their tiny forms nestled under blankets. But then I saw her.
A woman stood by Lily’s crib, her back to me, her hands reaching out as if she were about to lift her.
“Hey!” I shouted, my voice cracking with panic. “What are you doing?”
The woman froze, her head snapping toward me. Her face was pale, her eyes wild with something unhinged. Without a word, she turned and bolted toward the window.
“No!” I screamed, lunging forward, but she was faster.
She climbed through the window and leaped, vanishing into the night like a shadow. My breath came in ragged gasps as I reached the window, staring out into the darkness. There was no sign of her—no movement, no sound.
Shaking, I turned back to the twins. They were still asleep, blissfully unaware of the danger they’d just been in. My hands trembled as I picked them up, holding them close to my chest.
“It’s okay,” I whispered, more to myself than to them. “You’re safe. I’ve got you.”
I called for the guards, my voice echoing through the halls. Within moments, the packhouse was alive with movement. People rushed to the nursery, their faces pale with shock and confusion.
Jake was among the first to arrive. His eyes were sharp, scanning the room before landing on me. His expression softened for a moment when he saw the twins in my arms, but the tension in his jaw quickly returned.
“What happened?” he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.
I swallowed hard, my throat dry. “I woke up... I don’t know why, but I just knew something was wrong. When I got here, the guard was out cold. There was a woman in the room—one of the workers, I think. She was about to take Lily. When I confronted her, she jumped out the window and disappeared.”
His fists clenched, and his gaze flicked to Lance, still slumped outside the door. “The guard?”
“I think he was drugged,” I said, adjusting the twins in my arms. “He wouldn’t wake up, no matter how hard I tried.”
Jake exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. He looked more shaken than I’d ever seen him, though he quickly masked it with his usual stoicism.
“Everyone out,” he barked at the gathered crowd. “Now.”
People shuffled out reluctantly, their whispers filling the hallway as they left. Only Sophie, Fatima, and a few trusted guards remained behind.
Jake turned to me, his eyes dark with emotion. “We need to talk.”
I nodded, my heart pounding. “Yes, we do.”
We moved to the sitting area near the nursery, Sophie and Fatima following close behind. Jake sat across from me, his gaze fixed on the twins in my arms.
I took a deep breath, glancing at Sophie and Fatima for reassurance. “Jake, I know you don’t believe in visions or messages from the other side, but I need you to listen to me.”
He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “Go on.”
I hesitated, then spoke. “Prisca came to me. In my dream, she told me to wake up and go to the twins. She said they’re in danger and that I have to protect them. That they’re special. The future.”
Jake’s expression hardened, and I could see the wall going up behind his eyes.
“I know how it sounds,” I said quickly, “but I’m not making this up. You saw what just happened. Someone was trying to take them.”
“You’re saying Prisca told you this,” he said slowly, his voice dangerously calm.
“Yes,” I said, my voice trembling. “She—”
“That’s enough,” he interrupted, his tone sharp.
I flinched, holding the twins closer.
Jake leaned forward, his eyes blazing. “Do you think I’m stupid, Ayla? That I don’t see what you’re trying to do?”
“What are you talking about?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
“You’re using Prisca,” he said, his voice rising. “You think if you bring her into this, I’ll believe you. That I’ll feel something for you. But it won’t work. It will never work.”
His words hit me like a slap, each one cutting deeper than the last.
“That’s not what I’m doing,” I said, my voice breaking.
“Then what is it?” he demanded, his gaze cold. “Why are you so desperate to make me believe this?”
Tears streamed down my face as I shook my head. “I’m not doing this for me. I’m doing this for them.”
Jake’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he might say something more. But instead, he stood and turned away, his hands clenched into fists.
Sophie stepped forward, her voice firm. “That’s enough, Jake. You don’t have to believe her, but you can’t ignore what’s happening. The twins are in danger. Ayla saved them tonight. That’s what matters.”
Fatima nodded in agreement. “We need to focus on protecting them, not tearing each other apart.”
Jake didn’t respond, his back still turned to us.
Finally, he spoke, his voice low. “Double the guards. No one gets in or out of the packhouse without my approval. And Ayla...”
I looked up, my heart aching.
“You’ll keep the twins in your room from now on,” he said without looking at me. “I don’t trust anyone else with them.”
I nodded, though his words felt more like a command than a show of trust.
As the meeting ended and everyone began to leave, I held the twins close, my heart heavy. I’d done what I could to protect them, but the cost was high. Jake didn’t trust me, and I wasn’t sure he ever would.
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