Chapter 3 The Weight of the Night

The ropes were ice-cold against my skin, biting into my wrists and ankles. Someone had shoved a filthy sock into my mouth. It reeked of sweat and humiliation.

I struggled, choking out muffled cries, only to hear laughter that was sharp, cruel, and gleeful.

"Behave yourself when we get there. If Grayson's feeling nice, he might throw you a bone."

The car sped through the darkness, and my heart sank deeper into the pit inside me.

…

They dragged me into my father's hospital room. The place was silent except for the steady beeping of the monitors. The sterile air felt suffocating.

My father lay there, motionless, a breathing tube keeping him alive.

Grayson ordered them to tie me to the foot of the bed. My knees hit the cold floor. Then, he pulled out his phone and switched to video mode.

"Come on," he said. "Look into the camera and tell everyone your father, Benjamin Ward, is a fraud."

I clenched my jaw so hard it hurt. Not a word came out.

Grayson clicked his tongue in irritation, grabbed my chin, and forced my head up.

"Forgot to mention," he said, his tone casual and cruel. "This fancy VIP room, the advanced equipment—all of it costs a fortune. If you don't cooperate, I'll move him to the general ward right now. He can spend his last days packed in with the dying. Maybe one day, a nurse gets tired and unplugs his oxygen tube. Who'd ever know?"

Each word sliced straight through me.

Maris stood nearby, her expression detached, arms folded.

"Grayson, that's enough. Don't blow this out of proportion," she said in a calm, almost careless tone.

He gave a low laugh.

"What, feeling sorry for him now? Maris, get real. Your future is with me, not with this loser who can't even save his own father."

Then, his hand slid under her blouse, right in front of me.

Maris pushed weakly at his chest, then melted against him, her cheeks burning. "Don't… Lucen's watching."

"So what if he is?" Grayson said. "You'll get used to it."

He pressed her down onto the couch beside the hospital bed. "You've been with him for too long. Now, it's my turn."

The other rich kids started whistling and cheering, phones out, recording everything.

"Grayson, you're savage—doing it in front of her ex!"

"Maris' body's insane, man. You're one lucky guy."

The chaos before me made it feel like my whole world was coming apart. A wave of nausea rose from my gut, and I doubled over, gagging. I shut my eyes, unable to watch that sickening scene any longer.

I had no idea how much time passed before their twisted spectacle finally ended.

Grayson straightened his clothes, satisfied, then kicked me hard in the ribs.

"Now," he said, "ready to speak?"

I spat out the blood pooling in my mouth, staring at Grayson—then at Maris, her hair tangled, her clothes in disarray.

"Grayson, Maris, you'll pay for this."

Maris snapped the moment my words hit her. She stormed over and snatched a phone from one of the rich brats nearby.

"Pay for this? I'll show you what payback really looks like!"

Her fingers flew across the screen. In seconds, the obscene videos they'd just filmed—and the screenshots of my father's stolen manuscripts being sold—were all online, wrapped in carefully fabricated captions.

'Renowned scholar Benjamin Ward exposed as a thief—his own son kneels to confess for money.'

"Lucen," she spat, "you forced me to do this!"

I thrashed against the ropes, desperate to stop her, but they pinned me down again.

Grayson stomped on my wrist until I heard the sickening crack. "It's your own damn fault for not knowing your place. Don't blame us for being ruthless!"

I stared straight at Maris, forcing out each word. "Maris, my father's new research partner is the world-renowned Professor Adrian Locke."