Rebirth Of The Heiress And The Tycoon's Lover (Alina) novel Chapter 340

**Collapsed 340**

**Chapter 340**

**AUTHOR’S POV**

The days that followed slipped into a monotonous haze, an indistinct blur of gray that felt suffocating.

Alina ceased her attempts to count them.

**E vouchers**

She confined herself within the four walls of her room, the same walls that seemed to close in on her more tightly with each passing sunrise and sunset, the curtains remaining drawn, blocking out the world beyond. Food trays arrived and departed, untouched and forgotten. Breakfast lay cold and uninviting. Lunch dried out at the edges, a testament to her neglect. Dinner was whisked away just as it had come, pristine and untouched.

She spoke to no one.

Not to the guards stationed outside her door, who had grown accustomed to her silence.

Not to the staff who knocked softly before entering, their gentle inquiries met with an impenetrable wall of quiet.

Not even to her parents, who stood in the doorway, their expressions a mix of concern and helplessness as they watched her fade away before their very eyes.

Her silence was not a sign of weakness.

It was an act of defiance.

On the second day of her self-imposed isolation, Luna entered, carrying a tray herself.

She dismissed the maid at the door, stepping inside slowly, as if the slightest misstep could shatter the fragile atmosphere that hung between them. Alina was curled up on the bed, her knees drawn tightly to her chest, staring vacantly at a spot on the wall that held no meaning.

“Alina,” Luna said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “Baby.”

There was no response.

Luna placed the tray on the bedside table, revealing a bowl of soup, a piece of bread, and a glass of fresh juice—once her favorites, now mere remnants of a happier time.

“You need to eat,” Luna urged gently, her voice laced with concern. “Just a little.”

Alina remained averted, her gaze fixed on the wall.

“Please,” Luna continued, sitting down beside her, the weight of her worry palpable. “You’ve barely eaten anything.”

Silence enveloped them like a heavy blanket.

Luna reached out, her hand resting tentatively on Alina’s knee. “You’re hurting yourself.”

Finally, Alina spoke, her voice dry and hollow, as if it had been trapped in a desert. “Good.”

Luna flinched at the word, her heart aching. “That party—”

“Funny,” Alina interrupted, her tone sharp, “not funny at all.”

“I’m not joking,” Alina replied flatly, her eyes still averted.

Luna’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Do you think this is easy for me? Watching you like this?”

Alina turned her head just enough to meet her mother’s gaze, her expression a mixture of pain and defiance. “Then unlock the door. Give me my damn phone. Let me breathe.”

Luna swallowed hard, the weight of her daughter’s words heavy in the air. “I can’t.”

Alina nodded once, the gesture heavy with resignation, as if confirming everything she already knew deep down. She turned away again, the chasm between them widening.

“Eat, please,” Luna begged, her voice breaking. “For me.”

But Alina remained motionless, a statue of despair.

Luna lingered until the soup grew cold, until the silence became unbearable, before finally standing and walking out, tears streaking her face like trails of sorrow.

That evening, Cassian arrived.

He knocked with a politeness that felt rehearsed, waiting patiently until the guard unlocked the door and stepped aside. He strolled in with an air of ease, hands tucked into his pockets, a mask of concern plastered on his face that made Alina’s skin crawl with unease.

She refused to look at him.

“I wanted to check on you,” he said, his voice gentle but insistent. “You’ve been… distant.”

A sharp laugh escaped her lips, devoid of humor. “You’re kidding. Get the fuck out of my room.”

Cassian closed the door behind him, a definitive click that echoed in the silence. “Alina—”

“Don’t say my name,” she snapped, finally turning to glare at him, her eyes blazing with defiance. “You don’t get to say my name.”

He sighed, as if the weight of her anger was exhausting him. “This attitude isn’t helping you.”

She stood up abruptly, fury crackling beneath her skin like electricity. “You think locking me up and starving me is helping?”

“I didn’t do that,” he replied smoothly, his tone infuriatingly calm. “Your father did.”

She laughed again, bitter and sharp. “Funny how everything you want just magically happens. All of this is happening because you fucking showed up.”

Cassian stepped closer, his demeanor shifting slightly. “I’m trying to have a conversation with you.”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify