Chapter 63 Cracks In The Glass (Demilia’s POV)
I felt like I was wound too tight, like something inside me might snap at any second. I knew what had to happen next. I had to get to Ethan before they shipped me off somewhere I’d never come back from.
So the next morning, when the orderlies came in, I took a breath and tried to look braver than I felt.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked. My voice sounded steady, even though my nerves were going wild.
“To the evaluation wing,” one of them said, trying to sound like this was all normal.
I sat up straighter. No way was I going to give them the satisfaction of seeing me scared. “I want to see my husband first. I have the right to legal counsel.”
The guard looked annoyed. “That’s not how this works.”
I didn’t back down. “Say it out loud. Say you’re forcing a pregnant woman to cooperate against her will.”
He tensed. His partner just stared straight ahead. “You’ll comply, or this gets harder for you.”
“Harder for me?” I snapped. “You’re the ones making me do this! You’re the ones trapping me here!”
They looked at each other, not as sure anymore.
I could feel it that shift, like maybe I could make them doubt themselves. I pressed on. “Document this,” I said, my heart pounding. “Make sure it’s all seen.”
They moved in, hands ready to grab me. My body flooded with adrenaline. I wasn’t just fighting for myself anymore. I was fighting for everyone else stuck in places like this.
And for a second, I caught something in their eyes. A hint of doubt. Like maybe, just maybe, they weren’t as in control as they wanted to be.
Ethan
The second my phone rang, I knew something was off.
“It’s time,” the voice said. No emotion. “We’re moving her.”
My heart slammed against my ribs. “Where?”
“To the evaluation wing,” the agent said, every word tight. “She’s resisting.”
“Let me talk to her.” I gripped the phone so hard my knuckles turned white.
A pause. Then: “She’s not available.”
“You can’t just take her!” I yelled. My head buzzed with anger.
“Stand down,” they ordered. “You’ll only make things worse.”
Then the call cut off. I stood there seething, then spun to Adrian and Liora. “They’re moving her. We have to do something. Now.”
Adrian’s jaw was set. “This is dangerous. We can’t just break in without proof.”
“I get that,” I said, voice low. “But if we wait, they’ll break her.”
Liora was already at her tablet, fingers flying. “I can widen our access. If they’re watching her, we’ll watch them even closer.”
“Let’s go,” I said. I wasn’t going to just sit around.
Demilia
They walked me out of the room, their grip tight but shaky. I kept my chin up, holding onto that one thought: I had to get to Ethan.
“What do you want me to do?” I asked, keeping my voice calm.
“Just cooperate,” one of them said, but I could hear the cracks already.
Inside the evaluation room, everything was white and cold, nothing welcoming about it. I couldn’t let them see me break. Not for a second.
“Sit down,” Dr. Keller said, all business.
“Before we start,” I said, not flinching, “I want my husband here.”
She let out a long sigh, pretending to be patient. “That’s not how this works.”
I leaned forward, refusing to back down. “If you want to judge my mind, you need to know my life. You can’t cut me off from the one person who actually knows what’s happening here. I’m not just a problem to solve.”
She narrowed her eyes. I could see her thinking, weighing her next move.
“You’re not in control here,” she said.
I held her gaze. “You’re not in control of the truth. And I won’t let you quiet me.”
Ethan
Adrian and I were glued to the feeds, every second dragging.
“Liora,” I called. “Anything?”
She shook her head, eyes never leaving her screen. “No movement yet, but I’m recording everything. We’ll show the world if we have to.”
We waited, nerves frayed.
“Don’t lose sight of her,” I said. “If they move, we move.”
She looked at me, determined. “They’re not going to bury her story. Not if I can help it.”
I sucked in a breath and braced myself as Dr. Keller strode over, clipboard in hand.
She flashed a smile too polite to be real and said, “Let’s begin your evaluation, shall we?”
I cut her off. “No. We start with honesty. That means you listen instead of barking orders.”
Her eyes widened for a second. I pressed on.
“I’m here to speak for people who can’t. I won’t hide what’s really happening. If you’re evaluating me, then I want everything out in the open why you’re doing this, and what you hope to get out of it.”
She set her jaw, the muscles in her arms tightening just a bit.
“Alright,” she said, sounding less sure of herself. “Let’s discuss”
I jumped in again, couldn’t help it. “No, you’re going to hear me out first.”