LOGINThe heavy door suddenly banged against the wall, making everyone turn toward it.My breath caught as I spun around.Dan stood at the entrance, holding a man by the collar of his torn guard uniform. The man looked terrible. His face was swollen, his lip was bleeding, and his uniform was almost completely ruined. A silver laptop was tucked under Dan's other arm.Behind him, several maids had gathered in the hallway, whispering among themselves as they tried to see what was happening."Dan? What on earth is the meaning of this?" Mrs. Vance demanded.For the first time since I met her, she looked genuinely shaken. Her eyes moved from Dan to the injured guard, and the colour slowly drained from her face.Dan didn't bother answering. He shoved the guard forward, sending him crashing onto the hardwood floor. The man landed on his knees with a groan, his head hanging low.Dan straightened and gave Mrs. Vance a slight bow."Forgive the intrusion, ma'am. But I think you need to know the truth.
Her eyes darkened, a venomous rage flashing across her features. Mrs. Vance lunged forward, grabbing my wrist in a vicious grip and spinning me around to face her directly."Who do you think you are to defy my orders?" she hissed, her voice vibrating with malice."I'm Elena Stewart," I said, holding her gaze with unyielding steel. "I may not have everything, but that doesn't mean you get to order me around like a servant. First, you framed me for attacking your son, even though you found me unconscious on the exact same floor. Then, you went ahead and—""Don't you dare talk back to me!"I let out a cold chuckle. "You asked me a question, and I answered it. Why cause a massive fuss over the truth?"Her breath caught in her throat. The sheer shock of my defiance made her chest heave. I guessed absolutely no one in her entire life had ever spoken to the matriarch of the Vance estate in that manner.I glanced down at her hand constricting my wrist. In a fraction of a second, I snapped my
Elena's POV"Let go of me!" I yelled, thrashing against them. But their grips were like iron cuffs around my wrists.They dragged me out of the room, hauling me down a grand, sprawling corridor I didn't even know existed. The moment we stepped into the open air, the brilliant morning sun struck my eyes. I gasped, frantically trying to shield my face from the blinding light with my shoulder.As they continued dragging me, we passed several groups of maids. The moment they saw me, they covered their mouths, whispering in low tones that made my stomach drop."I actually feel bad for her. She's about to become a sacrificial lamb.""I heard even her own father disowned her and left.""Well, that's what she gets for trying to frame the matriarch for her own son's attack."I swallowed hard, fear twisting in my throat.A sacrificial lamb? What do they mean? Were they taking me to an execution?When we finally turned into a wing of the estate I actually recognized, the entire area was buzzing
Elena's POVMuffled voices drifted over me like a distant, chaotic argument. I rolled over on the small mattress, my eyelids sewn shut by a heavy, exhaustion. Every time I tried to force them open, they felt too heavy to obey.Then, a subtle, intoxicating scent brushed past my nose.Rich cedar and moss.It was a scent I would recognize anywhere. It was Ethan's.My eyes snapped open, my heart hammering against my ribs with wild, desperate expectation. But as my vision cleared, the crushing reality set in. The room was empty. There was no one there.I closed my eyes again, a bitter ache blooming in my chest. What was I thinking? Even if he were awake, why would someone like Ethan ever think of visiting me in a place like this?But as the fog in my brain began to lift, a sudden realization hit me. How had I ended up on the bed? The last thing I remembered was a cold, brutal needle sinking into my neck.I tried to sit up, but a fierce throb in my head forced me back down. I buried my face
I stood up, my throat tight and my pulse hammering. My gaze remained locked on the door, bracing myself for whatever was about to walk through it.If Dan had truly gone to my mother, I was ready to face the consequences. I just had to make sure none of the fallout hit Elena.Suddenly, the door burst open. Dan entered first, panting and sweating heavily as if he had just run a marathon. He was clutching a leather medical bag to his chest as though his very life depended on it.My eyes followed him as he staggered toward me, still catching his breath. Then my gaze shifted past his shoulder to the doorway. A shadow loomed in the hall, bending down briefly to examine the unconscious men scattered across the floor.Before I could fully process the sight, the family doctor stepped into the room.My eyes widened. What is he doing here?I nearly screamed the question aloud. As the doctor walked further into the dim light, his own eyes widened when he noticed my bare chest and the damp shirt i
ETHAN'S POVHer name ripped from my throat, raw and trembling. I tapped her cheek, but she didn't flinch. She didn't move, didn't breathe, didn't say a word.When I lifted her head, her body slumped into my arms, drained of life. My heart skipped a violent beat. I looked up at Dan, utterly lost, panic clawing at my chest."She's not responding," I stuttered, my voice cracking. "Dan, what do we do?""We need to leave this place. Right now," Dan said coldly.My breath caught. I stared at him, my eyes widening in disbelief. For as long as I could remember, I thought I was the cold-hearted one. But hearing him say those words made me realize how wrong I was."Leave?" I nearly screamed. "Leave her like this? Look at her condition!"Dan just nodded, his eyes darting past my head toward the door."That sleeping spray can only keep those men out for a while. We need to leave before—""You're insane! I am not leaving her like this!""If we don't leave right now, we're going to get caught," Dan







