Chapter 139 Back To The Past
Chapter 139 Back To The Past
Nova's Perspective
The transport rocks to a sudden halt, marking the end of what feels like the longest drive of my life.
The heavy door swings open, revealing Zion standing right outside. He extends a gloved hand to help me down, but I ignore it completely, scrambling out of the vehicle on my own two feet.
"You could at least try to look a little happy to see me," he says, taking a step back.
I let out a harsh laugh. "Sorry, but I’m not a professional actress."
Honestly, I shouldn't be surprised. Zion has a massive narcissistic streak that dictates pretty much everything he does. It’s that exact same twisted pride that allowed him to terrorize my mother and me throughout my entire childhood without a shred of remorse.
"I am your father, whether you like it or not," he reminds me, as if that title gives him some kind of automatic pass.
I look past his shoulder, and the sudden weight of my past hits me so hard I almost lose my balance.
Not a single thing about this place has changed. It's still the exact same towering, concrete fortress that I used to think of as a prison growing up.
The manicured front lawn looks just as cold as ever —the one I was strictly forbidden from stepping foot on, just in case a visitor or pack spy caught a glimpse of me
No one was allowed to know Zion had a daughter. Which meant I was essentially a prisoner in my own house.
And now, here I am, walking right back into that exact nightmare.
A sharp spike of panic shoots through my chest, causing my entire body to lock up.
My eyes drift over to the wide courtyard—the exact path my mother ran across with me tucked tight in her arms while the howling wind and pouring rain tried to force us back toward the monster chasing us.
Right now, the yard is soaked in warm afternoon sunlight, but in my head, I'm right back to that terrifying storm. I can still picture my mother being struck down by my father before he turned his anger on me.
My pulse spikes, a hot, searing tightness building inside my lungs. Every breath comes in short, shallow gasps, and my head starts to spin as hyperventilation sets in.
"Nova? What's wrong with you?" Zion asks, reaching out to grab my arm.
I yank my wrist out of his grip, stumbling backward three steps away from him. "I, I can't... I can't be here."
All those terrifying years I spent locked behind those massive walls come rushing back at once, completely smashing through the wall of safety I thought I had built.
The mere thought of having to set foot inside that house again makes my stomach turn so violently that I'm genuinely afraid I'm about to throw up on the driveway.
Zion's face darkens, a cold shadow crossing his features as he takes in my visible panic.
"We are not doing this here," he snaps, his patience completely running out. "Guards, bring her inside."
Before I can even react, two large guards step up behind me and grab my arms. They practically lift me off my feet, ignoring every frantic protest that leaves my mouth as they haul me across the sunny courtyard toward the main doors.
My shoes scrape uselessly against the pavement as I'm dragged through the wide entrance and tossed onto the hard floor of the foyer like a piece of luggage.
I drop my head, closing my eyes tight. I don't want to look around. I don't want to face the awful childhood I fought so hard to escape.
Knowing that practically nothing in this house has changed is terrifying, dragging me right back down into the dark hole of misery I grew up in.
Zion crouches down right in front of me, a mean, satisfied look in his eyes.
"Now, I get that this is a lot for you, but you need to get your act together," he says in a low, sharp tone.
"If you actually want any answers, you need to pull yourself together right now. Otherwise, I will happily lock you in your old bedroom for the rest of the week until you're ready to behave. Got it?"
I take a long, shaking breath, forcing my heart rate down. "I'm calm."
If there's one single thing I remember about Zion, it's that he never makes empty threats.
I would rather do almost anything than be locked inside my old bedroom again, staring out the window at the exact same patch of trees like I did when I was a helpless kid.
He offers me his hand, pulling me up onto my feet.
I just need to play it smart. There will be plenty of time to fight back and escape once I figure things out. For right now, my main goal is just staying alive and making sure I don't make my situation any worse than it already is.
"Great. How about we head into the living room and get some tea?" he suggests, throwing me a big, fake smile that makes my skin crawl.
"Fine... I guess."