The box itself looked deceptively simple, dark gray in color, but its contents made Violet’s heart lurch violently in her chest. Knives—so short, others long—and tools she didn’t even know the nas of were neatly arranged inside. Their appearance alone was enough to tell her these were things she wanted to avoid at all costs.
"Wha-what are those for?" Violet gasped, her voice trembling as desperation etched itself across her face. Her gaze flicked toward Cain, silently pleading for rcy.
"Please! This is my real face!" she swore earnestly, but her plea didn’t move Cain. Without a word, he lowered his hand and picked up one of the smallest knives in the set. The motion was deliberate, almost thodical, and as he began walking toward her, Violet’s panic erupted into full-blown terror.
She scrambled off the bed, trying to dash to the opposite end of the cell. Her chains, however, betrayed her, pulling taut and preventing her from getting anywhere near the wall.
"Ca-Cain!" she stuttered, her body trembling uncontrollably. She wanted to drop to her knees and beg, though deep down, she knew it wouldn’t help.
"I don’t trust anything that cos out of your mouth, Viole," he said softly, his calm tone betraying the simring anger beneath.
He reached her in only a few strides, grabbing her head roughly and jerking it back so he could study every inch of her face. Violet barely remained standing, the trembling in her legs growing worse as his cold, scrutinizing gaze burned into her.
Cain’s anger was palpable, simring behind his dark eyes as he lifted the knife, pointing it directly at her face. Violet’s breath hitched, her entire body trembling from head to toe. Cain’s firm grip on her head was the only thing keeping her upright as tears slid freely down her cheeks.
"Cain!" she begged, her voice cracking as she called his na. He ignored her.
Instead, he placed the blade just beneath her eye, his voice dropping to an icy command. "Show your real face."
Violet couldn’t even muster a response. She shut her eyes tightly, shaking her head in denial. The sharp edge of the knife pressed into her skin, digging in just enough to draw blood.
The pain started as a dull sting but quickly sharpened, making her push futilely against Cain’s solid fra. Her weak struggles didn’t faze him. He continued holding her firmly until, suddenly, he let her go.
Violet collapsed to the floor, her heart pounding wildly. Her hand instinctively reached for her face, fingers trembling as they brushed against the deep gash now dripping blood. She stared at him in shock, unable to believe she was still in one piece. For a mont, she had been certain she would lose an eye.
Cain examined the bloody knife in his hand, his lips twisting into a grim smile. "I guess you weren’t lying. That is your real face," he muttered to himself, as if confirming sothing.
His dark gaze shifted back to Violet, who remained on the floor, too weak to stand. She wiped at her tears and sniffled, the sting from her wound a constant reminder of just how fragile her life was in Cain’s hands.
"What’s your real na?" Cain asked, his voice devoid of any warmth.
Violet’s blood ran cold. If she told him her real na, it would be far too easy for him to find her family. With his resources and connections, they would be as good as dood.
"If you’re going to kill , just do it!" Violet snapped, lifting her head to glare at him. She mustered all the bravery she had left, even though every part of her wanted to curl into a ball and disappear.
Cain’s response was a slow, cruel smirk. His dark eyes glead with amusent as he shook his head. "Kill you? Now, why would I do that, Violet?" He deliberately enunciated her na, each syllable a dagger to her already fragile hope.
"It wasn’t even that hard to discover," he continued, walking back toward the box. He reached inside and pulled out a small black bag, placing it in her lap as he squatted in front of her.The wet, pungent sll coming from it made Violet wrinkle her nose in disgust.
"Go ahead. Open it," he ordered, his tone laced with cruel anticipation.
Hesitant but unable to disobey, Violet obeyed, the sense of looming doom suffocating her. As she peered inside, her eyes widened in horror. Her mouth fell open as she stared at the contents—four bloody fingers of varying sizes.
Her stomach churned violently as she turned to Cain, who had returned to his chair. He sat casually, his posture relaxed, but the malicious glint in his eyes told her everything she needed to know.
"I figured we’d start with that," Cain said, his voice calm yet cold, "if we were to have a serious conversation."
"You—you wouldn’t!" Violet whispered sharply, her voice trembling. Her gaze flickered between the bloody fingers and Cain’s impassive expression. "You—you—"
"Why not?" Cain interrupted, his voice dropping to a condescending murmur. "Because I care about you?"
Her stomach sank further as Cain continued. "It was shocking to find out that your father has already lost two fingers. Now...he’s missing three!" he said coldly, his words striking her like a blow.
"You fucking bastard!" Violet scread, her fury montarily outweighing her fear. "You’re a monster! They’ve done nothing wrong! How could you do such—"
"SHUT UP!" Cain roared, his voice echoing through the cell. Even the doctor, who had been silently standing by the door, flinched at the sheer force of it, his entire body tense as though ready to flee.
"They’re not even your biological parents!" Cain spat, his tone dripping with disdain. His expression darkened, as if he couldn’t comprehend why she cared so much.
The sight of the severed fingers made Violet want to vomit. Her gaze rose to et Cain’s as she lashed out in a mont of reckless anger. "Well...if your parents were still alive, maybe you’d understand!"
But the second the words left her mouth, Violet knew she had made a grave mistake.
Cain’s entire body stiffened, his dark eyes narrowing dangerously. His jaw clenched, and his hands curled into tight fists. The barely-contained rage in his deanor made Violet’s breath hitch.
"I—I’m sorry," she whispered, lowering her gaze to the floor. Her fury over her family’s suffering had clouded her judgnt, but self-preservation quickly took over.
"I didn’t an that," she added, her voice trembling. Tears stread down her face as she raised her head, desperation etched into every feature.
"I’ll tell you anything...everything," she said, her tone pleading. "Just...please, don’t hurt my family!"
Her chest ached as she sobbed, the thought of her siblings suffering because of her tearing her apart. "You can hurt ! Just don’t hurt them!" she begged, her voice breaking under the weight of her despair.
Violet’s tears continued to fall, her anguish raw and unrelenting as she sat on the cold, unforgiving floor of the cell, her only wish being to protect her family from the monster before her.
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