Snowflakes were falling profusely and I was walking with great difficulty in the heavy snow.
I was still wearing long-sleeved sumr sportswear, and my legs were tightly bound by the cold and gradually lost their sensation.
"Don't make call you again or the punishnt will be doubled." My stepmother's words echoed in my ears, making shudder.
"Sorry, I just cleaned the table. I don't know where the dust ca from."
The typical fierce look on her face was still engraved in my mind. "Are you implying that I'm lying?
Before the words were finished, a heavy slap landed on my face. "Clean it up imdiately, or I'll break your hand."
Insults and beatings had long been a common occurrence for .
The old wound on my face hadn't healed yet, and the pain was piercing when the cold wind blew. I rubbed my hands vigorously and blew on my palms, but it was of no use. The cold wind was howling and hitting my face.
I tugged at the material on my arms. It was too thin. I really should get a thicker one.
When passing by a shop window, the thick clothes inside made my heart flutter. But I couldn't. I had to earn money for my family.
I endured the pain caused by the frostbite and walked away silently.
Last ti, just because I didn't clean the table thoroughly, I was punished to kneel in the snow for a whole day. I still had a lingering fear.
This ti, I deliberately found an extra part-ti job in a restaurant, hoping to earn more money to satisfy my stepmother and father. Maybe then there would be fewer beatings and scoldings.
I approached the door of my ho and opened it, trembling. It wasn't because of the cold, but because of fear.
I felt much warr, but I couldn't stop shivering.
I didn't dare to delay too long and quickly went to clean up the kitchen. Finally, as usual, I heated a glass of milk for my father. The aroma of the milk floated in the air. It slled sweet, but I couldn't drink it.
I had to finish the housework before I could eat anything, or I would surely be beaten again.
I only slowed down as I got closer to my father’s office. The voice of my stepmother drew my attention.
“Mark, sweetie, in a few days she won’t be our problem anymore.” The subtle smugness and malice in my stepmother's tone made instinctively aware they were talking about .
What did she an?
My heart was pounding from what I had just heard, but I couldn’t help but quieten my footfalls as I listened.
I knew I shouldn’t be eavesdropping—anything I did without permission would co back to bite . But her words made stop in my tracks. I had to know more.
“...they’ll take her, and we’ll have the money.”
My eyes widened and my body began to shake uncontrollably.
What was she talking about?
"Tori, are you eavesdropping?" A man's voice ca from behind . "Guess what? If Dad gets angry, he might just leave you in my hands to deal with, right?"
I snapped my head around and ca face to face with Liam’s sinister smile.
My stepbrother’s gray eyes looked up and down in my clothes as if he wanted to peel them off with his gaze.
Ever since he first t when I was 14, he had been trying to lay his hands on . I didn’t want to know what he would’ve done had my stepmother not forced him to leave alone—only because I was the one who had been making money for the family.
I tried my best to avoid Liam, and that no doubt angered him. It was likely the reason he got the sick pleasure of seeing chastised by my father or stepmother.
But at this point, Liam wasn't my greatest concern.
I noticed the voices in the office had fallen silent. They had heard what Liam said.
The door opened with a bang.
Father's face was full of anger. He waved his hand at vigorously. I dodged instinctively and dropped the cup in my hand. The milk spilled all over the floor.
"Wow, you've spilled the milk for Father," Liam shrugged and said with schadenfreude.
There was nothing better than a good beating to end this night.
I took a deep breath and suppressed the fear in my heart. "Father..."
Before I could finish my words, Father grabbed and dragged down the stairs, then threw onto the floor.
I imdiately felt a heavy blow to my head. The sharp pain made it impossible for to stand up.
"It hurts..." I groaned.
Father sneered, "You're late. You still have the nerve to say it hurts. How could I have such a terrible daughter like you!"
The already frozen skin was now bruised from the fall, and the pain made it impossible for to speak.
Father beca more and more annoyed when he saw my state.
"If I don't teach you a good lesson today, I won't be your father!"
Father looked around, grabbed a broom in the corner, and broke off the broom head by stepping on it. The stick as thick as two fingers landed on my back with a thud. I couldn't help but let out a shrill cry.
I began to tremble uncontrollably. I knew how horrible my father could be after he took drugs.
I lowered my head, afraid to look him in the eye.
I had to redirect his attention. "Here's the money I earned today...”
"Look how slick you are, trying to cover up your cri with just a few bucks?” my father said.
Out of reflex, I lifted my hands to cover my head.
Trembling, I bit my lips so I would not scream out—screaming would only bring more brutal chastisent.
One second, two seconds... the expected pain did not co.
Instead, I felt my wallet being pulled out of my hands.
I opened my eyes to see my father with money in hand, gloomily surveying . Instead of feeling relieved, I felt even more scared.
The look in my father's eyes told that sothing worse was going to happen.
He hefted the wallet in one hand and frowned. "Is that all?"
I shuddered and whispered, "It was too cold today, so not many custors ca to the restaurant... I've given you every penny I've earned...”
"How dare you quibble! Still quibbling!" With each word Father said, the stick landed on .
I slumped to the ground, hearing my father's angry roar faintly over the ringing in my ears.
"What do you an? Are you saying that I'm dependent on you for support? How dare you mock ?"
Fists fall on my head and back like heavy rain.
I cradled my head in my arms and cried out, "No, I am sorry... So sorry... Please stop...”
The intense pain put in a trance, and my vision began to blur.
"Father...please stop...”
"You'll kill her." My stepmother's voice sounded like it was coming from a faraway place. "Mark... sweetie, rember... that pretty face and voice of hers is her biggest asset. We don’t want to ruin things, do we?”
I used to be happy that my father found soone after my mother died, and she seed to make him happy. I had wanted to make her happy, too. I had naively hoped that one day, things might get better between us.
“She obviously isn’t working hard enough! This money is nothing! Pennies compared to what I was expecting. Why did the Moon Goddess give her such a talent to begin with?” my father roared.
I leaned against the wall and cowered on the floor, looking at my father in fear, afraid he would raise his hand to strike again.
“Well, sweetie,” Nancy stopped my father, “she obviously is more of a disappointnt than we expected. No matter. You already spoke to Jace this morning. You know what the plan is for her. In a few days, we’ll have all our financial issues sorted and she’ll be one less problem for us to worry about.”
There was sothing sinister lurking in his eyes, giving goosebumps.
“You seem confused, daughter.” My stepmother looked back at with a subtle smile. “Do tell her, Mark. I bet she will be excited about the news. I know I am.”
Nancy’s grin had terrified. If she was happy at this mont... it wasn’t for a good reason.
My father squatted to my level, and I couldn’t help but flinch in fear. He raised his hand and pressed it on my head, which sent a shiver down my spine.
“You are going to do a big job for . In fact, one that will change our lives forever.”
My heart was pounding with fear, but I remained silent waiting for my sentence.
“You are going to serve the Alpha of Black Shadow. It seems he is in need of a... maid and is willing to pay a lot of money to obtain one.”
I gasped in disbelief.
My father! I called him my father, but he sold as if I was just a sheep... How could he?
I was terrified, shocked, and speechless. This couldn’t be happening!
My eyes frantically went back and forth between Nancy and my father as he stood.
The look on Nancy’s face showed nothing but amusent and confird the truth of what he was saying.
“Don’t look like that, Tori,” Nancy said. “You should consider it a huge honor to work for the wealthiest and most powerful of all Alphas. He may have done his fair share of killing and hurting people. He is extrely ugly in appearance and disabled in both legs, but he is well renowned, and to be a part of his pack... well, that’s the greatest of honors,” she added with a smile.
The Alpha of Black Shadow, the ruler of the most powerful pack of the East Continent.
He was known for his cruelty and hatred for the ill-mannered. Rumor had it that he killed most of his servants, and his reign was steeped in blood—including his own father’s.
There was nothing that man wouldn't do to make sure those around him followed his every command. Manipulation wasn’t sothing he had ti for. He would rather slaughter the weak and bathe in their blood under a harvest moon.
Moreover, he couldn't take care of himself in daily life and had been confined to a wheelchair all year round. He had even scared children into crying because he was so ugly.
Even his wolf was said to be a monster, with red eyes that glow in the shadows, watching its victims before tearing apart their bodies limb from limb.
And I was going to be sold to that ruthless killing machine by my father!
I gathered all of my courage and begged. “Father, please don’t. Please, I’ll work harder. I promise. Let stay!”
Nancy seed to be in a fairly good mood. She smiled at , but her smile was vicious. “Tori, don’t stress your father like that. Begging gets you nowhere in life.”
They couldn’t be serious. I was his only child. The only one to carry on his bloodline!
“There’re many things I can do here to help make you more money... Please, give another chance to show my worth to you,” I pleaded with tears in my eyes.
I turned to Nancy. “ Nancy, please... say sothing...”
The hits that ca next were harder than the previous ones.
I let the tears roll down my cheeks.
“Don’t you dare speak to her like that!” my father yelled.
“Father, please don’t do this to ...” I sobbed on the floor. “Don’t send to him, I beg you... If my mother were still alive—”
I could not finish my words.
The defiance drove my father crazy. I watched his gaze turn murderous as he turned around grabbed by my throat, lifting into the air.
“YOU WILL DO WHAT I F*CKING TELL YOU TO DO!” he scread at , and before I knew it, my back hit the wall—hard. All the bones in my body felt like they were broken, and the intense pain made almost pass out.
Sliding to the floor, I began to cry. I no longer cared if he saw . I missed my mother more than anything right now.
My father, the Alpha of our pack, had changed when she died. He was never like this before. I had been his pride and joy, and so much more. He used to let ride on his shoulders and call his "little lark".
He loved , once upon a ti, and thinking about it broke my heart.
“Liam!” my father ordered.
“Yes, Alpha.”
“Take Tori upstairs. Our distinguished guests will arrive tomorrow, and I don’t want her looking the way she does.”
My entire body was in unutterable pain. I could not breathe. My vision blurred.
Liam walked slowly toward .
I was already swallowed up by fear and despair, and tears gushed out uncontrollably.
Just as my consciousness was fading away, I heard Nancy say to Liam, "Don't hurt her for now. If the Alpha of the Black Shadow sees her in such a wretched state, he'll definitely force the price down. We must ensure that she is delivered to him intact so that we can get the full paynt."
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