Stella POV
I woke up with a pounding headache.
It was a familiar sensation—one I had grown accustomed to over the years.
A dull, relentless ache that wrapped tightly around my skull, pressing against my temples as though trying to squeeze memories out of me.
It was the typical aftermath of those terrible nightmares, the ones that left me disoriented long after my eyes opened.
At first, I thought it was all tied to my stay with the Nortons.
My time with that family had been nothing short of a nightmare in itself—an experience akin to being thrown into a den of wolves, surrounded by smiling faces hiding sharp teeth and deadly instincts.
Every word spoken there had carried hidden meanings, every gesture layered with calculation.
It would have made sense if my subconscious was simply replaying that trauma.
But this time… it felt different.
The dreams had become more persistent since I met Adrian. More vivid. More detailed. And more unsettling.
