He dragged her forcibly toward the dining room, while she rained blows upon his back with all her might. "Put me down, you old fossil!" she shrieked. "Your expiration date passed centuries ago! Put me down right now!"
THUD! He tossed her onto the velvet sofa in the lounge. The moment she touched the fabric, she sprang up like a coiled viper. ZAP! Her eyes flashed with pure rage. "Why did you bring me here? To stare at your miserable faces?" she spat. The entire Singh Mandora Imperial family was gathered—her so-called family.
"You are a part of this family," one of them said, trying to calm her.
Holinia's voice choked with bitter pain. "Who do you think you are to claim me? Weren't you the ones who tossed me from one corner to another like a toy? Or have you suddenly grown a conscience?"
She leaned in, her gaze terrifyingly sharp. "Listen well. The girl you thought would forgive you for a scrap of food is dead! KABOOM! That girl is gone. The person standing before you wouldn't care if she saw you crawling in agony. I would step on your faces and walk away without a second thought. Do you understand?"
Lily, the first wife, stepped forward. "Holinia, we know we've wronged you, but please... just turn the page this time."
Holinia erupted into a long, mocking laugh. "Turn the page? HA! Do you think I'm some dusty, discarded book in a forgotten library? No, darling. I won't make the same mistake twice. A shattered glass cannot be mended; you can only drink what's left in the shards. I will never turn that page—only over my dead body!"
When the Empress tried to intervene, Holinia snapped, "Back off! You are my uncle's wife; you have no business in our family matters. Go play Empress and stay in your lane." The Empress recoiled in shame.
"Fine," the Duke sighed. "We get it. But there is a ball at the Imperial Palace tonight, and we want you there."
"I'm not going," she sneered. "Why would I hang out with a bunch of bacteria like you? I'd die of disgust!"
"If you don't come," the Grandfather intervened, his voice cold as ice, "I will force you in a way you won't like."
Holinia stepped up to him, chin high. "Are you threatening me? Do your worst. You don't scare me."
"I'll cut off your allowance," the Grandfather whispered. "Not a single penny."
SILENCE. He hit the bullseye. Holinia cleared her throat. "Ahem... who said I wasn't going? I'll be there, but in my own way. Now stop annoying me!" She strutted out of the hall with pride.
The Grand Entrance
At the ball, Holinia appeared like a dark goddess in a long black gown embroidered with blood-red patterns. Her hair was swept up, crowned with sparkling flowers. SHINE! She didn't need makeup; her beauty was lethal.
"Look, the Crow has arrived," whispered the Count's daughter.
Holinia walked straight up to her. Everyone expected tears, but Holinia's voice was ice. "Listen, you brat. The Crow is the one who taught your kind how to bury the dead. Shut your mouth before I bury you alive. My 'Crow' only cares for shiny things, and if you aren't shining, I'll put you under the dirt."
CRACKLE! Sparks flew from the girls' terrified eyes as Holinia walked away to sit on a red sofa, crossing her legs with utter arrogance. When the Crown Prince approached, she didn't even look up. "Get out of my face, you wolf. You're annoying me."
"Is everyone an animal to you?" he smirked.
CLAP! Holinia clapped her hands loudly, drawing every eye in the room. "How did you know? It's my first time seeing a talking animal. Thanks for the heads-up!"
The Prince didn't get angry; he just smiled. "I'm waiting for the day you make me human."
"In your dreams, darling," she replied.
The Confrontation with the Past
Suddenly, the Harsis family was announced. Leticia, Holinia's mother, marched toward her. BOOM! The tension was suffocating. "What is this posture? Do you think you're a boy?"
Holinia looked her up and down. "And who gave you permission to stick your nose in my business?"
"You've become impudent!" Leticia gasped.
Holinia stood up, her aura exploding. "Mother? You think you're my mother? You threw me to a nanny when I was one year old so you could run to your lover! If you think you have a place in my heart, you're delusional. Speak to me again, and I'll make you crawl on the floor like a lizard!"
Leticia raised her hand to slap her—GRAB! Holinia caught her wrist with a grip that threatened to break bone. "Try it," Holinia hissed, "and you'll see what this 'bitch' can do!"
She shoved the Duke away as he tried to intervene. "Don't touch me, you filthy bastards! You're all just lizards in human masks. You traded your souls for greed. You're nothing but a pack of starving dogs!"
SLAM! She stormed out of the hall, leaving the echoes of her rage vibrating in the air.