At first, Violet thought she saw the ache of betrayal in his eyes, but she couldn’t be sure. Her vision was blackening as she dug her hands and nails fiercely into his, trying to rip his hand off her neck—and failing. She felt him increasing the pressure, his grip rciless.
She couldn’t cough, gasp, or even make a sound as the world around her began to crumble. His voice cut through the air, dark and chilling, a tone she had never heard from him before.
"Who sent you? The coven? I should have known they would make a move!" His words dripped with bitterness as Violet’s nails clawed at his hand, drawing blood, but it did nothing to loosen his hold.
"...To think... to think they almost succeeded!" he barked, his fury palpable. Violet’s head swam as the pressure increased, the blood flow to her brain nearly ceasing.
Please! Please! She wanted to beg, to plead for her life, but no words ca out. Her chest burned, her lungs ached, and her thoughts grew faint.
Her vision blurred to the edges of darkness, pain consuming her. And yet, in her final monts of clarity, she couldn’t summon any hatred toward him.
He’s a monster. I knew that, she thought faintly, her final thought as her consciousness dissolved into nothingness.
*****************
Her eyes stayed shut, but Violet could hear voices in the background, though her body was too weak to move.
"He needs a doctor, Lord Cain. Taking him to the hospital will—"
"Get the doctor, but he’s not going to the hospital! Take him to the basent!"
"He’s weak! The environnt—"
"If you argue with again, you’ll accompany him there first! Drop him there and find a doctor!"
The sharp command silenced the argunt. Violet wanted to hear more, but though the words echoed around her, her brain couldn’t process them fully. Dizziness clouded her senses, and her body refused to respond. She tried to move, to open her mouth, but nothing ca.
Her mind sank into the blackness once again.
*****************
The next ti she woke, she was lying on a bed. The room was dimly lit, its low light helping her adjust to her surroundings quickly. The space was clean, but it didn’t take long for her to recognize it.
She was in the basent.
Her heart jumped in panic as she scrambled upright, but a tallic clink stopped her. Looking down, she saw chains secured tightly around her ankles. Two heavy iron links bound each ankle to the floor, chains she instinctively tugged at, trying to free herself.
Her breathing quickened, but her frantic attempts sent sharp pain lancing through her side. She froze, her hands moving to touch her upper belly. A heavy bandage was tightly wrapped around her abdon, and her fingers trembled as they brushed against her neck.
Her throat ached terribly, a searing reminder of what Cain had done.
If he wants to kill ... he should just do it! she thought bitterly, sinking back onto the bed. She stared blankly at the ceiling before her eyes fluttered shut again, the exhaustion overwhelming her body.
When she woke again, she had no idea how much ti had passed. It wasn’t pain or weakness that roused her—it was the sound of the cell door opening.
Her eyes snapped open, and she instinctively tensed as she saw two n entering the room. One was a servant carrying a plate of food, and the other was an older man—clearly a doctor.
Violet froze as the servant placed the food on a small table and quickly exited, leaving her alone with the doctor.
"I’m here to check your wound," he said plainly, stepping toward her.
She imdiately shook her head, clutching the oversized shirt she wore tightly around herself. Her grip faltered as she realized the shirt wasn’t hers. The realization sent a chill down her spine—it was Cain’s shirt.
"Cain has personally inford of your... unique circumstances," the doctor continued, his words sharp. Violet’s stomach churned at his tone, the weight of her situation crashing over her.
He knows. He knows everything.
Then why am I not dead yet? Hope flickered briefly in her chest before extinguishing as quickly as it ca. She thought of Rane’s fate, and dread consud her.
If I confess, Rexter will go after my family. If I don’t, Cain might do sothing worse.
"I need to finish quickly and report back," the doctor said, his tone brisk. Violet nodded hesitantly, slowly lifting the hem of the oversized shirt to reveal her wound.
The doctor worked swiftly, changing her bandages with practiced hands. "You’re recovering well," he inford her, finishing his task in a matter of minutes.
Violet lowered the shirt back down, watching in silence as he packed up his supplies and stood to leave. She had nothing to say to him—what could she say? Even if he wanted to help her, why would he? He probably had a family to protect, people he cared about.
The door clicked shut behind him, but relief didn’t last long. A guard appeared outside her cell, and the next mont, the doctor’s neck was gripped in the guard’s iron hand.
There was a sickening crack, and the doctor’s lifeless body crumpled to the ground.
"No!" Violet scread, bolting to her feet. She ignored the searing pain in her side as she stumbled toward the bars, her chains clinking loudly.
"Why?" she shouted, her voice shaking with disbelief. "He did nothing wrong!"
The guard turned, his expression twisted with disgust. "Lord Cain’s orders," he spat, slamming his hand against the bars. Violet flinched as the loud clang echoed through the room.
"If it were up to , a killer like you would already be hanging from the mansion walls!" he snarled, lifting the doctor’s body effortlessly over his shoulder like it weighed nothing.
Violet’s breath hitched as she watched him go, the words echoing in her mind.
A killer?
? I’ve never killed anyone in my life!
But the hate she saw in the guard’s face couldn’t be faked. It left her trembling as she clung to the bars, her heart pounding with fear and confusion.
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