2| A Painful Night

LILIANA

Oh, Goddess, what’s wrong with me? I should hate him! After a month of marriage, it was only last night that he decided to show his face and touch me. Maybe it was the alcohol—or something else entirely.

Ethan buried his face into the curve of my sweat-slick neck. I was helpless, frozen with fear, unable to utter a single sound. My long hair clung to my damp skin, trailing between my breasts, carrying the faint scent of my soft, floral shampoo.

He took me in the most primal way possible. His strength was overwhelming, unstoppable. All I could do was endure, obeying every command he barked at me. My fists clenched tightly, my freshly painted red nails digging into my palms so hard they left trails of blood.

Ethan’s hands roamed relentlessly over me. Sure, he couldn’t walk—but his dominance, his sheer presence, was flawless.

The pain was unrelenting, a destruction that seemed to have no end. When it finally reached its peak, I found myself letting out a long, broken sob. A red stain bloomed on the white sheets beneath us—a mark of my humiliation. I felt disgusted with myself.

Ethan collapsed next to me, utterly spent, curling up like a baby. Meanwhile, all I could do was silently cry, tears streaming down my face as I stared blankly at the ceiling.

I tried to shake off the memories of last night, swallowing down my fear as I turned toward the bed. Maybe I had woken him up. Ethan’s messy black hair framed his cold, unyielding eyes, which stared back at me with open disdain.

“Y-you’re awake?” I asked, forcing myself to speak as gently as possible.

He didn’t respond. Instead, he groped for the talking digital clock on the nightstand, which announced the time as 5:00 a.m. The sky outside was still pitch dark. Ethan grabbed a shirt from the chair, slipping it on swiftly. With practiced ease, he maneuvered himself into his wheelchair, grabbed the car keys from the table, and rolled toward the door without a word.

“Ethan, wait,” I called after him, my voice trembling. “I mean, Alpha…”

I had to make sure he wasn’t angry with me. Had I met his expectations last night? If I failed, my fate was sealed. There was nowhere else for me to go—my family had thrown me away. If Ethan rejected me too, I would have nothing left.

But he ignored me completely, continuing to push his wheelchair toward the door.

Damn it. My body was still weak, the soreness between my thighs making it impossible to move properly. I tried to follow, but I stumbled and fell to the floor. Pain shot through my knees, but what hurt even more was the look of disgust Ethan gave me as he turned to glance back.

“What are you doing? Faking weakness? Do you think this will make me pity you and forgive your family?” he said coldly.

I looked up at him, my hatred boiling inside. Of course, he couldn’t see my expression clearly. I didn’t want any of this, but I had no choice. I had to act meek in front of him if I wanted to keep my head attached to my body.

“I’m your wife, Ethan. How can you treat me like this?” I said, my voice trembling with indignation. I hated calling myself his wife—it left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Ethan turned his wheelchair, moving closer until he loomed over me with an intimidating presence.

“My wife? Don’t make me laugh,” he said, his tone dripping with contempt. “You’re nothing more than a pawn your family sent here to beg for forgiveness and leech off my wealth. Don’t ever think you’re anything more than that.”

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. Quietly, I clenched my fists on my lap. I’d endured humiliation by marrying Ethan, and I’d endured even more by staying here with him. But hearing those words directly from his mouth still cut deep. I tried to hold back my tears, but they rolled down my cheeks regardless.

Ethan sighed, then leaned forward from his wheelchair, grabbing my chin roughly. His piercing gaze bore into mine, as if he could see right through me.

In that moment, I couldn’t help but wonder—was Ethan truly blind? Everyone said he was partially blind, unable to recognize faces, but it felt like he could see everything. His eyes were striking, almost glowing. And contrary to the rumors, he wasn’t old. No, Ethan was a man in his prime—a powerful wolf at the peak of his dominance.

“Unfortunately for you, you won’t be Mrs. Darnell for much longer,” he said coldly. “A shameless woman like you doesn’t deserve to be here.”

I blinked, trying to hold back more tears. “I don’t deserve it? You’re saying I don’t deserve it? I didn’t even ask to be here, Ethan. Why do you keep humiliating me like this? You’re the one who wanted me here!” My voice cracked with frustration. “Why didn’t you just kill Raymond instead?”

Ethan chuckled darkly, his grip on my chin tightening to the point of pain.

“You’re right—killing the bastard who murdered my beta wouldn’t have been enough. I’ll make him pay tenfold for what he did. And keeping Luna Lennox as a hostage wasn’t enough either. But you?” He leaned closer, his sneer deepening. “You’re not even Sophia Lennox, are you?”

Sophia Lennox? My heart skipped a beat. For the past month, I’d thought I was here because of my family’s deal. But hearing him say that name made my blood run cold.

“What do you mean, Sophia? How do you know her?” I asked, my voice tinged with fear and confusion.

Ethan scoffed, disgust flashing across his face. “Did I insult you? You made yourself worthy of it. Did you really think pretending to be Sophia Lennox would fool me?” he said mockingly.

I froze. “I never pretended to be Sophia! I just…”

“Just what?” he cut me off sharply. “Just a tool your family used to beg for my forgiveness and my wealth? Don’t forget—I’ve known the truth from the start. You’re nothing more than an illegitimate, wolfless shifter. Weak,” he hissed.

His words made my face go pale. I fell silent. Was he really going to judge me for being wolfless? What about him? He was the epitome of imperfection.

Rage burned through me, shaking my entire body. Oh, it should’ve never been me sent here as his hostage. Now I realized—he didn’t want me. He wanted Sophia Lennox, my flawless half-sister.

I let out a silent, bitter laugh. I’d been betrayed over and over by the people I cared about. Tricked by my own family. And now I discovered Ethan had known all along that I wasn’t the woman he wanted. Was that why he avoided me for a month? Even so, last night, he still touched me—knowing I wasn’t Sophia.

Was this all just another humiliation?

My body felt weak, as if all my strength had drained away.

“If you care so much about your family, leave Solaris Heights now. You don’t deserve to be part of the Darnell family,” Ethan said before turning to leave.

Leave Solaris Heights? After everything? He used me, broke me, and now he’s rejecting me?