Chapter 4

"Liam, help!" I screamed into the phone. "That man from the banquet is after me!"

But what came through the phone was Victoria's sweet voice.

"Liam's taking a shower. He can't answer right now."

The call ended with a click.

For a moment, I could hardly believe what had just happened. While I was running for my life, Victoria had simply hung up on me, and Liam hadn't even bothered to answer the phone himself.

Then I heard the man's footsteps drawing closer.

"Give up," he said with a sneer. "Your boyfriend didn't save you last time, and he sure as hell won't save you now."

He kept advancing until I had nowhere left to run.

With the man closing in on me, I had no choice but to take a desperate gamble. When he lunged at me, I gritted my teeth and jumped into the freezing river.

Fortunately, a man fishing nearby spotted me struggling in the river and managed to drag me ashore. I coughed violently, retching up muddy water as I lay shivering on the riverbank.

While I was still struggling to catch my breath, my phone buzzed with a new Instagram notification.

Victoria had posted something.

The photo showed Liam bending down to play with a kitten, several fresh scratches marking his forearm.

The caption read: [So glad I had you to help me find my lost baby late into the night.]

A gust of wind swept over the riverbank, sending another shiver down my spine. I stared at the picture, nearly dropping my phone.

The freezing water had left my legs throbbing with a deep, familiar ache. My old injuries always seemed to flare up whenever the weather turned cold or wet.

As the pain spread through my legs, I remembered the cat I'd raised when I was younger. It had stayed by my side for years, but Liam had gotten rid of it without hesitation after it scratched him once.

Back then, I'd accepted his decision because I knew how sensitive he was to pain. Yet the photo on my screen told a different story.

His sensitivity to pain had never stopped him from doing things for Victoria. Somehow, it had always been a reason to refuse me.

I called the police and gave my statement. After a long ordeal, I finally returned to the mansion. Even so, I still had to make my way back to the estate.

When I finally entered the mansion, I immediately sensed the tension in the room.

Victoria sat beside Liam with a stack of neatly printed documents in her hands, looking like someone who had just suffered a terrible injustice.

I was about to tell Liam what I'd overheard in the alley when Victoria spoke first.

"Mathilde, I know Liam helped you when your family was in trouble, and I understand why you fell for him. But how could you let your jealousy drive you to send Justin Brennan after me? He got me pregnant and then abandoned me!"

She had prepared everything in advance: fabricated documents, false accusations, and witness statements designed to make her story seem convincing.

Before I could fully process what she was saying, Liam's face darkened.

"That's not true!" I protested. "No. She's actually an impostor—"

"All the evidence is right here, and you're still denying it?" Victoria interrupted, her voice trembling as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Liam turned on me, his expression filled with disappointment and anger. "This is too much, Mathilde! You're so disappointing! It's time you learned your lesson."

At his command, the bodyguards brought out the heavy leather riding crop.

A cold laugh escaped me.

Years ago, Liam had made a disastrous business decision, and his family had sentenced him to ninety-nine lashes under its disciplinary rules.

Before the first blow even landed, he'd begun vomiting, overwhelmed by the anticipation of pain. Unable to bear watching him suffer, I'd stepped forward and taken every lash in his place.

The scars crisscrossing my back had never completely faded. And now, the very man I'd once protected at such a terrible cost was about to punish me with the same weapon.

Seeing no sign of remorse from me, he breathed heavily and took the riding crop.

His chest heaved as he took the riding crop from the bodyguard. Then he raised it and began to strike.

The lashes fell one after another, each blow adding to the pain of the last. Within minutes, my flesh had been torn open, and blood was soaking through my dress.

The servants dragged me away to tend to my injuries, leaving a bloody trail.

Yet by then, I no longer felt angry. All that remained was a hollow numbness where my heart should have been.

Victoria watched my suffering with undisguised satisfaction. Once she was sure Liam's attention was back on her, she wiped away a tear and spoke in a soft voice.

"It's so hard being pregnant and living on my own. Could I move in here with you?"

Liam paused, considering her request.

Then he nodded.