Chapter 6

Elijah's POV

"How much blood will he need?" Sinead asked the doctor while gently patting Wesley's back.

"Mr. White needs to bathe in blood," the doctor replied.

Sinead hummed in acknowledgment and kissed Wesley on the forehead.

Then, she ordered in an even tone, "Do it. Wesley's health comes first."

Not once did either of them bother to ask if I was willing to give my blood. And how could one person's blood possibly fill an entire bathtub? And even if it could, would I have any chance of surviving after the ordeal?

I tried to retreat, but the attendants pinned me down, pressing on my shoulders.

The doctor approached me with an enormous needle. The next moment, pain spread through every bone and muscle in my body. My face drained of color as I shook my head.

"No…"

My feeble resistance didn't generate an ounce of sympathy in Sinead. Frowning, she covered Wesley's ears and shot me a warning glance.

I knew perfectly well that if I continued to resist, the punishment awaiting me would be nothing short of hell. Would I still have a chance to leave the Powell family after that? The answer was obvious.

I lowered my head and gave up resisting, allowing the needle to pierce my vein. As my blood was drawn, a sharp, hollow pain spread throughout my body. Fresh bruises from the needles appeared on skin already covered in whip marks.

My strength drained away. The attendants had to grip my limbs and force me upright while the doctor finally spoke up, unable to bear it any longer.

He warned, "If we draw any more blood, Mr. Storie could go into hemorrhagic shock."

"Is there enough blood for Wesley's bath?" Sinead asked sternly.

The doctor shook his head.

"Then keep going."

At her command, the doctor had no choice but to obey.

My body grew colder and colder until I finally lost consciousness. They forcibly revived me, only to begin drawing blood again.

That happened three times.

In the end, they dragged me to the bathtub and slit my wrist. They submerged my hand in the water until the surface turned crimson. Then, they dragged me out of the bedroom like a piece of trash and threw me into the storage room that was barely a hundred square feet.

Cold seeped into every part of my body. I nearly passed out again when Sammie appeared from nowhere and rushed toward me, her face deathly pale.

"Hang in there, Elijah!"

She smuggled me out of the Powell estate and took me to the hospital for emergency treatment.

By the following morning, my heart, which had stopped several times, was beating steadily again. But what hurt me even more was the news Sammie brought.

"Ms. Powell had an amniocentesis. The baby wasn't Mr. White's, so she terminated the pregnancy. I went through a lot of trouble to steal the baby…"

Sammie held out a surgical tray. On it lay a tiny embryo that was no bigger than my palm.

My heart felt as though it were being torn apart. My child had never even gotten the chance to come into this world.

"Please… make a headstone for the baby, will you?" I begged, gripping Sammie's arm.

Unable to bear the sight of my grief, she could only nod. She picked up the tray and left, her uneven gait painfully obvious.

Endless regret and anguish washed over me, yet I couldn't find the words to express any of it. All I could do was watch her limp away.

I didn't dare stay at the hospital any longer. Forcing my battered body to move, I returned to the Powell estate.

Before entering my room, I heard Sinead and Wesley laughing and chatting together. I didn't look back. I simply closed the door behind me.

A jar of all-healing balm sat on the table. I knew what it meant. It was Sinead's way of offering me consolation, as well as a warning.

I put the balm away in a drawer and sat motionless like a statue for the entire day.

By dusk, members of the bodyguard team came looking for me. "Ms. Powell is attending Mr. Price's banquet tonight to discuss a business partnership. She has specifically requested that you accompany her."

I had no choice but to change into my uniform and face Sinead once again. Wesley had his arm around her waist, looking every bit the dignified gentleman. The other bodyguards and I knelt silently on either side of them. Only after the couple got into their car did we prepare to follow.

The bodyguards' vehicle was right behind theirs, but when I approached it, someone stopped me.

"Mr. White gave us an order. He said you've been neglecting your training lately, so you'll follow the cars on foot tonight."

My heart lurched. The journey from the Powell estate to the yacht at the coast was at least ten miles. My body was battered and worn out. There was no way I could keep up with them at their usual speed.

"If you can't keep up, you'll be punished."