CHAPTER NINE.

CRUZ’S POV.

A bead of sweat rolled down my face, and numbers rolled off my tongue inaudibly.

“Thirty-Six.” I counted as I continued with my push-up.

I still found it hard to push the day’s incident aside. Even after years of his death, my monster of a Father still had this terrible effect on me. He still managed to bring out the other side of me. For a minute I saw his face right on Eleanor’s, his lips parted slightly with a devilish smirk on his face. The one he used to have on every time before he landed his long wipe on my back, its body filled with thorns that would pierce right into my skin and scrape some off.

“You need to let how to control your emotions as the future ruler of this kingdom.” He would say every time a drop of tears fell down my cheek and land another wipe on my back till I can take it no more and eventually go silent.

My fingers curled into fists in anger. This kingdom and its people had robbed me of my childhood moments all because I had to be a good King for