Chapter 4

"Who the fuck—"

Victor turned, and a kick to the stomach cut him off. He screamed.

Luke kicked him in the gut again and again, his face twisted with rage.

"Luke! Are you trying to kill my uncle?" Kate rushed between them. "Zoe agreed to all of this! He didn't do anything wrong!"

Luke still looked ready to kill, but he stopped, leaving Victor unconscious. He wiped Kate's tears with a bloodstained hand.

"She agreed?"

Tears streamed down Kate's face. "I saw it! She offered to sleep with my uncle. No one forced her!"

Zoe wrapped herself in a sheet and stood. Before she could speak, Luke grabbed her throat and dragged her into the bathroom.

"You'd cheat on me? You got a death wish?"

He threw her into the tub. She tried to get up, but he gripped her throat and shoved her underwater.

Water filled her throat. She couldn't breathe.

Just when she thought he'd kill her, he hauled her up. Air rushed into her burning lungs.

Before she could catch her breath, he pushed her under again.

After several rounds, her strength gave out. Her mind went blank from lack of air.

Just as Zoe thought she was done for, Luke's grip loosened.

She struggled out of the tub, coughing up water. Luke stood stiff beside her, his cold eyes blazing.

"I didn't come on to him..." She looked at him in despair.

He grabbed her throat again and pinned her against the tub.

"You drugged me to get me into bed. All those nights I left you crying, and you still wanted more?"

Zoe's eyes widened. Someone else had drugged Luke that night. He'd forced himself on her.

Afterward, he'd come to her every night, always wanting more.

All this time, he'd thought she'd drugged him.

That was why he'd hurt her in bed, refusing to stop until she cried and begged.

She'd been naive enough to mistake his kisses and hugs for love. They'd been punishment.

'I'm such a fool.'

Her tears fell into the water, leaving tiny ripples.

Luke pulled off his tie, bound her to the tub handle, and forced himself on her.

"Bring her mother in!"

His eyes blazed as the bodyguards dragged Elaine into the bedroom and pinned her to the floor.

"Zoe! No!"

Elaine's terrified cry came from outside the bathroom.

Luke spoke through gritted teeth. "You like sleeping around? I'll give you what you want!"

Zoe struggled, tears streaming down her face.

"Luke, please. Not in front of my mom. I'm begging you!"

Luke didn't stop. He bit her neck until it bled and grew rougher.

He gripped her chin and flung the bathroom door open.

"Let your mother see. You're just like her, begging a man to want you."

"Let my daughter go! Let Zoe go!" Elaine lunged toward them, but the bodyguards blocked her.

Too frail to fight them, she sank to the floor and watched helplessly as Luke tortured her daughter.

Elaine's sobs tore through Zoe.

Luke had never done this before—stripped away her dignity in front of the only family she had.

Now she understood. The love she'd believed in was just wishful thinking.

If he cared at all, he wouldn't humiliate her in front of everyone.

To him, she was worth less than a sex worker.

She stared at their reflections in the water. Her heart went numb.

Her love for Luke died.

'I'll take Mom away for good. Away from Luke.'

Luke knew her body too well. Even though she hated it, she couldn't stop crying and begging him to stop.

Thud.