Chapter 3

Elena's POV

Jason saw the silence in my eyes and a flicker of irritation crossed his face.

"Stop making a scene. Your parents had an arranged marriage too, and they each did their own thing. You don't need to stand here pretending to be hurt."

My fists clenched. I clenched my jaw so hard my teeth ached, glaring at him through burning eyes.

He knew this was my deepest wound—and he'd ripped it open without hesitation.

Part of the reason I'd defied my father and chosen a vampire was because I truly believed in their nature.

Vampires were loyal to their mates—forever.

I had desperately wanted that kind of marriage, that kind of love. I'd believed that one day, Jason would feel the same.

But I was wrong.

He'd married me under duress, and all he wanted was a hybrid heir.

Every way I'd tried to please him only made him despise me more—a clingy woman who couldn't even produce a child.

To disgust me and make me give up sooner, he'd never even bothered finding a steady companion. Instead, he brought a different woman home every time.

He would never love me. Maybe he was loyal by nature—just not to me. That was why he resented me so deeply.

I finally saw it clearly. It was time to let go.

Jason noticed the shift in my eyes—the absence of any warmth or longing—and something in his expression faltered.

It was the first time I'd ever looked at him without love.

"Shut up!"

I lost control, lunging forward to slap him across the face.

But as a human, I had no chance against a vampire's speed and strength.

Jessica rushed in front of Jason, making a show of taking the hit for him—eyes closed, head bowed. But her hands were already braced, and she shoved me sideways with hidden force.

I slammed into the wall and crumpled to the floor, clutching my abdomen. The pain was blinding, and for a long time, I couldn't catch my breath.

Jason caught the scent of blood. Something seemed to register, and he moved to help me up.

But Jessica was already clinging to his arm.

"Jason, my face hurts so much. Look—is it swelling?"

That suffocating perfume flooded his senses again, overriding every instinct, making him dismiss the blood pooling beneath me. He turned to stroke Jessica's flawless cheek with tender concern.

"Don't get blood on my floor. Clean it up yourself."

"We should call a doctor, though. We wouldn't want Mrs. Valerie dying here, would we, Jason?"

She called his name in that helpless little voice, pretending to be frightened.

But I saw what she did when his back was turned—the way she raised her brows at me, her smile sharp and venomous.

She mouthed something. Then her eyes cut to my stomach with unmistakable malice.

"Go die with your baby."

They disappeared from sight. The door slammed shut.

In my last moment of consciousness, I felt it clearly—the child was gone.

The last reason holding me back from leaving this place had vanished.

In the darkness, I saw the ball again.

The night I first met Jason. The crowded room, the grand feast—and I couldn't take my eyes off that boy across the hall.

I had told my father: I would never regret this. I wanted to marry the man I loved.

I said I refused to have a marriage like his and my mother's.

All of it had been my mistake.