I drifted in and out of feverish dreams that night, waking with a cry and soaked in sweat after each one. The scenes ranged from horrifying to agonizing. In one, I watched helplessly as the wreck unfolded before my eyes—only this time, I was the one behind the wheel. Dimitri was the passenger, and I hadn't been able to save him.

In another, Will and I had been involved in a head-on collision with another car. Miraculously, we escaped with minor injuries; unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for the driver and passenger of the other vehicle. Upon closer inspection, Will and I realized that Declan had been driving and Dimitri was the passenger. Neither man survived. Declan was ejected from the car and thrown ten feet. Dimitri was unconscious but regained consciousness long enough to reach the hospital, where he sadly died from a traumatic brain injury caused by the crash.

After Will and I arrived at the hospital, I held Noemi as she sobbed. My own tears came silently and distantly, as if I were having an out-of-body experience. Instead of feeling guilt, shame, regret, and anger, I felt nothing. There was a deep, bottomless chasm inside my heart.

The next was just as agonizing, if not horrifying. The day of the divorce hearing had finally arrived, and everyone was in the courtroom—me, Declan, Daniela, Julie, Liv, Will, and Skye.

After I took the stand, I told everyone about Daniela and Declan's divorce and learning of Unknown Paradise. But no sooner had I finished, with trembling hands and an impassive face, than Declan spoke. His mask of mock pity cut deeper than his accusations of delusions, claiming I had fabricated the discovery of Unknown Paradise and everything I'd experienced inside the book to cope with the pain, shock, and trauma of their divorce. He argued that we should support a plea of insanity for me and told the judge that I was clearly unfit to care for myself, let alone make my own decisions.

When Declan walked up to me and put a hand on mine, it took everything in me not to rip it away. I saw a glimmer of cruel amusement beneath his mask, but it vanished instantly when he turned away. He knew what he was doing, and he was enjoying it. I looked at Will, Liv, and Julie, pleading with my eyes for them to understand. And from their expressions, I knew they did, but they were powerless to do anything.

I had just jolted awake from that nightmare—heartbroken, disoriented, and numb—when I felt Will pull me into his arms. I was shaking, but aside from the tremors wracking my body, I didn't feel anything. I wasn't even crying as I had been in the second dream. Will stroked my hair with one hand while holding me tightly with the other. He didn't say a word, but I felt the worry emanating from him as clearly as the heartbreak had radiated from me in the nightmare.

Aside from my shuddering breaths, the room was silent. When I finally pulled away, lightheaded and aching, I glimpsed Liv sleeping in one of the chairs beside the bed. Without saying anything, Will grabbed my phone and handed it to me before reaching for his own.

Do u feel up to telling me what happened? U were having a nightmare, but I couldn't wake u.

I realized my hands were shaking as I began to type my response. The day of the divorce hearing had finally arrived, and everyone was in the courtroom—me, u, Declan, Daniela, Liv, Julie, and Skye. After I took the stand, I told them about learning about Unknown Paradise and Declan and Daniela's divorce. But no sooner had I finished, with trembling hands but an impassive face, than Declan spoke. His mask of mock pity cut deeper than his accusations of delusions, claiming I had fabricated Unknown Paradise to cope with the pain, shock, and trauma of their divorce. He argued that we should support a plea—

The phone fell onto my lap as I covered my face with my hands. My body shook as I breathed through the waves of anger crashing over me. I hadn't realized until now how much the nightmare had affected me. A few seconds later, I pulled myself together enough to grab my phone and continue.

A plea of insanity, telling the judge that I was clearly unfit to care for myself, let alone make my own decisions. When he walked up and put a hand on mine, it took everything in me not to rip it away. I saw a glimmer of cruel amusement on his face beneath his mask, but it was gone in an instant when he turned away. He knew what he was doing, and he was enjoying it. I looked at u, Liv, Julie, and Skye, pleading with my eyes for any of u to understand. And from ur expressions, I knew u did, but u were powerless to do anything.

As I looked up at Will, a chill went down my spine at the fury in his eyes. His jaw was clenched, his hands curled into fists as he took sharp, staccato breaths through his nose. I reached for his hand, but he ripped it away as he rose to his feet and paced the room. When he lashed out, I sucked in a frightened breath. His fist slammed into the wall with a deafening crack that woke Liv and made me jump. As she sat up with a gasp, her eyes flew open.

"Will? What's going on? Are you okay, Malia?" She rubbed her eyes, voice raspy with sleep as she looked from me to Will, then back again.

For a few, eternal seconds, no one spoke. The only sound in the room was Will's tight, audible breaths as he struggled to get his emotions under control. "It was a premonition," I breathed. My voice cracked as my eyes widened with shock, horror, and fear, the horrifying truth of it all hitting me with the force of a slap. "He's going to use Unknown Paradise—the very thing that started this whole mess—to take me away from you."

I swallowed hard, closing my eyes as Dimitri's face flashed through my mind. A crazy idea popped into my head, and as I was getting ready to dismiss it, I suddenly stopped. If we could somehow get Dimitri and Noemi here, they could testify against Declan in the trial. Along with me, Liv, Julie, Will, and Skye, both Noemi and Dimitri's testimonies could be what we needed to beat Declan.

I grabbed my phone with a shaking hand and quickly texted Skye, tears blurring my vision. Hey, I know this is a lot to ask, but Declan's trial is next week, and we could really use another witness to testify against him. We've already got Liv, Julie, and Will, but I'm going to ask a couple of friends I met in Unknown Paradise as well. With so many people against him, I can only hope it'll be enough to sway the vote in our favor. But we can't do this without you. LMK ASAP.

As I sent the text, I closed my eyes and took slow, steadying breaths. "I just texted Skye," I said hoarsely without opening my eyes. "Now all we can do is wait and hope she says yes."

A knock sounded on the door seconds after the last word had left my mouth. "Malia?" Julie's voice reached my ears at the same moment I let out a weary sigh. "Can I come in?"

I didn't notice Will's bloody and bruised left knuckle until I looked at him. He followed my gaze, shame and apology flashing in his eyes. Shaking my head, I cleared my throat before answering Julie. "Yeah. Come on in."

Will tucked his left hand behind his back when Julie walked in. I tore my eyes from his and focused on her face. Liv didn't say a word, but I could tell she wanted to. Julie smiled at Will and Liv before focusing on me. "How are you feeling tonight, Malia?" As she spoke, she checked my chart at the foot of the bed.

I watched her eyes lock on my face, softening in concern as she undoubtedly noticed my red-rimmed eyes and the dried tear streaks on both cheeks. "Better," I replied, my voice rough. Physically, it was true—I felt more alert than I had since being admitted. Mentally... not so much. I felt drained, defeated, furious, and a host of other emotions I couldn't begin to identify.

"I'm glad to hear that. Do you think you could manage something to eat? It's almost dinner, and I know you're probably hungry." My stomach growled a heartbeat after the last word left her mouth, and I couldn't help the tiny smile that peeked out. Julie smiled as well, but neither Liv nor Will's expressions changed.

We all flinched as my phone buzzed. I exchanged a nervous glance with Will before looking down at the screen. Of course. U know u never have to ask. I'm always here for u, Malia. I'll be there whenever and however u need me.

I could feel the sincerity in Skye's words through the phone, and I knew my relief was reflected in my gaze when I looked up at Will. "I'm scared," I whispered, finally voicing the vulnerability I hadn't yet acknowledged, let alone felt.

Liv and Julie came to either side of the bed before putting a hand on each of my shoulders. It wasn't just my fear of facing Declan that had my heart in my throat—it was the realization that I would soon be in a room with him while recounting one of the most traumatic and painful experiences of my life. It was the fact that he would be using every tool in his arsenal to get what he wanted, even if it meant lying and deceiving.

My breathing turned sharp and ragged as my hands began to shake. "I don't know if I can do this. I don't know if I can face Declan again. What if—what if he—" I broke off, running my hand through my hair as I struggled to sort through the tangle of emotions inside me.

Fear, pain, shame, guilt, anguish—they were all there, combining in my gut to create a ball of tension so tight it almost caused me physical pain. "Malia, look at me, sweetheart." I dragged my gaze to Julie's, barely noticing as Will and Liv squeezed my hands.

"You are not—nor will you ever be—alone. One or all of us will be by your side every step of the way. And if it becomes too much, just say the word. We'll take care of you, sweetie. I promise."

I clung to Julie's words, not daring to hope for success in the trial. All I could do now was stick to my testimony and tell the truth, no matter how painful it would turn out to be. Truth—did I even know what that word meant anymore?