Everly Zamora POV:

Pain. It was the first thing I registered when consciousness flickered back. My head throbbed. My wrists and ankles were bound. The air in the room was thick with dust and a metallic tang. I struggled against the ropes, a sob catching in my throat.

"Well, well, look who's finally awake." A voice, rough and familiar, made my blood run cold. I knew that voice. It was the man from the bar, the one Hayes had humiliated. The one who had kidnapped Karmen before.

He was glaring at his henchmen. "You idiots! I said the fragile blonde! The one Hayes McCall is always protecting! Not this… this nobody!"

One of the men mumbled, "Boss, his friend said she was leaving tonight. Said she was the one he cared about now. We just followed the directions."

My heart plummeted. Hayes. Had he sent them? Had he deliberately misdirected them to me? Was this his final punishment for trying to expose the truth? The thought was a crushing weight. He had destroyed my work, my memories. Now, he was offering me up to his enemies. I felt utterly, completely abandoned.

The man, the leader, grabbed a handful of my hair, yanking my head back. "Hayes McCall thought he was so smart, getting me locked up. And then he tries to pay me off? He thinks money fixes everything." He sneered. "He got his revenge on me once, for 'his girl.' Now, I' ll get mine. With interest."

My mind flashed back to the day Hayes beat those bullies at the university. He called it "revenge for me." But he had done nothing when I was actually hurt. He only acted when his reputation, his sense of justice was at stake.

"Kill her," he commanded, his eyes burning with malice. "Make it slow. Make sure McCall feels every single beat."

The blows started, sharp and brutal. I curled into a ball, trying to protect my head, my stomach, anything I could. Each impact was a jolt of agony. My body screamed. This was a pain I had never known. Growing up, I was shielded, protected. My brother, my father. They never let anyone touch me. Now, I was just a punching bag.

Tears streamed down my face, hot and silent. They were not for the physical pain, but for the devastating realization that Hayes truly didn't care. He had thrown me away. I closed my eyes, wishing for the darkness to take me again.

Then, a distant shout. A familiar voice, deep and commanding.

My eyes fluttered open. A tall, powerful figure stood in the doorway, silhouetted against the dim light. Before I could make out who it was, darkness swallowed me again.

The details swam in my head. The kidnappers were after Karmen. They had been given wrong information. And Hayes' s friend, Hayes' s inner circle, was the one who had sent them after me. Hayes was the only one who even knew my flight details. Did he set this up? Was this his ultimate betrayal?

The thought was a cold poison, spreading through my veins. He had used me as a decoy, stolen my work, and now, perhaps, he had delivered me to his enemies. The man's words, "Make McCall feel every single beat," echoed in my ears. I was just a tool. A message.

I tried to fight, but my body was weak, my limbs uncoordinated. I felt fists, boots, hitting me from all sides. The world blurred. Each blow was a fresh wave of agony. I had faced pain before, the emotional kind, but never this. This raw, brutal violence. It was suffocating.

My tears were not just for myself now. They were a silent scream at Hayes. Is this what you wanted for me? Is this what I meant to you?

Everly Zamora POV:

The sterile scent of antiseptic filled my nose. I opened my eyes slowly, the hospital room bright and unforgiving. My body ached, a dull, constant throb. The first thing I saw was my brother, Casimir, his face etched with worry, perched on the edge of my bed.

"Everly? You're awake!" His voice was thick with relief.

"Casimir?" My voice was a dry croak. "What happened?"

"Someone found you. You called me, remember?" he said, his eyes avoiding mine for a split second. A small smile touched my lips. He was lying. I knew I hadn't called him. I had been unconscious. I wondered for a moment if Hayes had saved me, but then the cold truth returned. He would never.

Casimir' s jaw tightened. "They'll pay for this, Everly. Every single one of them. No one touches my sister." His voice was low, dangerous. The protective older brother, a force of nature. "You're coming home. Immediately. No arguments."

"No," I insisted, my voice gaining strength. "I have to go back. It's graduation. And... and I left something important." He looked at me, exasperated, but I could see the understanding in his eyes. He knew I needed to face things on my own terms.

He had told me I' d been unconscious for days. Days. Today was the day. Graduation. The day of the play. The play where I was the villain.

I refused Casimir's offer to accompany me back to campus. I needed to do this alone. The department hall was bustling, students everywhere, rushing to prepare for the final showcase. I ignored the whispers, the stares. My body was still bruised, but my resolve was solid. I just needed my locket and then I could leave this nightmare behind for good.

I found my classroom. Students were still rehearsing. Karmen Barry, of course, was center stage, practicing her lines. She looked even more fragile now, almost ethereal. I remembered how they had forced me into the villain role. They had done it to mock me, to shame me.

I walked past them, searching for my locket. That's when Karmen saw me. Her eyes widened, a strange, frantic light in them. She rushed forward, grabbing my arm, her grip surprisingly strong. "Everly! You came back!" Her face was ghostly pale.

"I just came for something I left," I said, trying to pull away.

"No, you can't leave!" Her voice was a desperate plea. "They'll make you take my place! And I can't. I can't do the play. I'll mess it up. I'll… I'll hurt myself again." She pulled up her sleeve, revealing a fresh crisscross of shallow cuts. "Please, Everly. You have to take over. I can' t do it."

I stared at her, horrified. "Karmen, what are you talking about? I'm not playing your part."

But before I could say anything else, she let out a piercing scream, collapsing to the floor in a heap, hyperventilating.

Hayes, of course, burst into the room. He took one look at Karmen, then at me. His face was thunderous. He scooped her up, his eyes burning into mine. "What did you do to her?" he snarled, as if I had orchestrated her breakdown. He didn't wait for an answer. He carried her out, yelling for someone to call paramedics.

Then, he turned back, his voice cold and hard. "You. You'll go on stage. You'll play her part. You created this mess, you fix it."

My classmates giggled. "Everly? As the lead? She' ll ruin it."

They didn't give me a choice. They surrounded me, pushing me into Karmen' s elaborate gown, roughly applying makeup, ignoring my protests. My body was still aching from the beating, too weak to fight them off. They shoved me onto the dimly lit stage, leaving me alone in the wings.

I could hear their whispers, their cruel laughter. "She's going to make a fool of herself." I closed my eyes, feeling the despair rise. There was no escape.

My hand brushed against a makeup remover wipe on a prop table. A sudden, defiant spark ignited within me. A new plan formed.

The light cue came. I took a deep breath. I wouldn't be their joke. I wouldn't be Hayes's pawn.

Meanwhile, Hayes had just dropped Karmen off at the emergency room. He got a text from one of his friends: "Everly's on stage! She's playing Karmen's part!" He felt a surge of panic. He never meant for her to be humiliated. He just wanted to get Karmen out of there. He rushed towards the auditorium.

He saw Casimir, my brother, sitting in the front row, a stern look on his face. Hayes felt a jolt. Casimir never missed my performances. Not my real ones.

The auditorium lights dimmed. The curtain began to rise. The crowd buzzed, anticipating the spectacle. Hayes pushed his way through, his heart pounding. The curtain was fully open.

A gasp rippled through the audience.