Chapter 3After We Were Gone, the Twins Lost Their Minds

As Asher buried his face in my neck, he chuckled, his touch finally softening.

But just a second later, his movements became rough again.

I sighed; this time, he wouldn’t be so easy to appease.

When it was finally over, Asher fell asleep quickly, calm as ever.

But I lay awake, mind racing, repeatedly calling on The Link.

Finally, that cold, mechanical voice answered.

“Host, apologies for the delay.”

“I want to leave this world.”

I was blunt, and even The Link seemed surprised.

“Host, this is a one-time opportunity, and it cannot be reversed. Are you sure you want to exit?”

“Absolutely.”

The second Asher said I “only had him to rely on,” I knew I couldn’t wait to get out.

I’d finally seen it clearly—in his mind, I was nothing but an attachment, something he owned.

The Link scheduled my exit for two weeks out. Lydia and I would be leaving one after the other.

When she found out, she smiled with relief.

“I’m glad you’ve come around, Nora. Once we’re back, let’s just be sisters, okay? No more fighting.”

I nodded and agreed.

As kids, Lydia and I fought constantly.

For things as small as a test score, and as big as Dad’s attention.

If we didn’t fight, we’d get hit.

It wasn’t really us fighting, but our mothers who pushed us into it, each one hoping the other would disappear.

But Lydia’s smile didn’t last long; her gaze shifted, turning dark as she looked over my shoulder.

I turned to see Damien standing there.

Same face as Asher’s, but somehow, Damien’s gaze always made my skin crawl.

“Hey, Sis. Asher’s looking for you—don’t keep him waiting.”

“And I need to talk with Lydia. We’ve got some things to settle.”

The twins had bought neighboring apartments so that Lydia and I could see each other anytime.

I glanced at Lydia, worried, but she just smiled and shook her head.

“Go on, Nora. It’s late, and I need to talk with him.”

I had barely shut the door when I heard glass shattering inside.

I turned to rush back in, but an arm wrapped around my waist, a hand covering my mouth.

“Their business is theirs. Let’s go home.”

Asher brought me back.

The moment we stepped inside, he pressed me against the wall, his kiss desperate and unrelenting.

The strong scent of that cologne still lingered, and I pushed him away, feeling disgusted.

“Go shower. You smell...filthy.”

Asher froze, looking at me, stunned.

“Nora, are you calling me...dirty?”

I wiped my mouth, my expression hard, letting my revulsion show.

“Asher, you’re coming in here smelling like someone else’s perfume, and you don’t think that’s dirty?”

A tense silence filled the room.

Asher’s face darkened, his eyes sharp as a hawk’s, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

Then suddenly, he let out a low chuckle.

“Nixie, are you jealous?”

Was I? Maybe a little—otherwise, why would it bother me so much?

Asher lifted my chin, his eyes glinting with amusement.

“I like it, Nixie, that you’re jealous for me.”

“But I told you before—you need to know your limits. You don’t get to be jealous over Cora.”

His tone was tinged with warning.

It sent a shiver through me.

I’d seen Asher break a man’s arm without blinking, just because he’d brushed up against Cora’s arm.

If I really tried to harm her, who knows what Asher would do to me.

We were locked in that tense silence when a sudden banging shook the door behind us.

“Nora, open the door! Help me!”

I moved to open it, but Asher grabbed my hand.

He leaned in, voice low and menacing. “I said, don’t get involved in their business.”

“She’s my sister!”

For the first time, I shouted at Asher with real anger.

He blinked, momentarily surprised, and I used the chance to open the door.

Lydia gasped as I pulled it open; I saw Damien gripping her hair, dragging her back to his place.

Seeing me, he shot me a cold smile.