Chapter 2

Julian didn't take my candy.

"Elara, how long are you going to keep this up?"

His voice was too loud, too sharp.

I flinched and hugged my cracked bowl tighter against my chest. Inside were three dollars-my dinner money. No one could have it.

My silence only made Julian angrier. He grabbed my arm, his grip rough.

"Ow! Bad man! Don't hurt Elara!"

I cried out in pain, but my other hand still clutched the candy tightly.

Caleb had given it to me this morning as a reward for not wetting my pants yesterday.

"Playing crazy, are we? Pathetic!"

Julian scoffed, his gaze falling on my tightly clenched fist.

He probably thought I was hiding something valuable.

He forced my fingers open.

In my palm lay a slightly melted, dust-covered fruit hard candy.

Julian froze for a moment, then a wave of immense disgust surged in his eyes.

"All this... for this?"

He snatched the candy, slammed it to the ground, and crushed it twice with his gleaming leather shoe.

"No!"

I screamed. That was my candy.

I don't know where the strength came from, but I broke free from his grip and flopped onto the ground.

Desperately, I tried to pick the crushed sugar crystals embedded in the pavement.

So dirty.

But so sweet.

I shoved the candy bits, mixed with dirt and shoe prints, into my mouth, tears and snot smearing my face.

"Sweet... it's sweet..."

People had stopped to stare. Some were filming on their phones.

My display seemed to enrage Julian even more. He grabbed me by the collar and lifted me like a stray kitten.

"Elara! Have you no shame?"

I didn't answer him. I just cried, my eyes fixed on the crushed stain on the pavement.

"Give it back... you owe me my candy..."

Julian gritted his teeth, threw me over his shoulder, and shoved me into the black luxury car idling at the curb.

I beat my fists against the window, watching my cracked bowl sitting alone on the sidewalk.

"My money! My money!"

"My brother will be hungry!"

Julian locked the car doors and ordered the driver to leave.

He turned, staring at me with an gaze full of pure hatred.

"Good, let that stray starve to death."

"Elara, since you love acting so much, I'm taking you back to the place you most wanted to escape, so you can perform to your heart's content."