Chapter 5: Prison Never Ended

Evelina’s POV

I thought he was done. He wasn't.

I was returning the empty basket when Damon called me again.

"Evelina. Come here."

I stopped but didn't turn around immediately.

"What is it?"

"We're not finished talking."

"I have nothing else to say."

He walked toward me, his expression already showing how little he liked my answer.

"You still haven't apologized to Aurelia."

I looked at him. "For something I didn't do?"

"Don't start that again."

"I didn't commit the crime, Damon."

He scoffed. "You expect everyone to believe that just because you keep repeating it?"

"I don't expect anything from you."

His face hardened.

"Two years in prison, and you still haven't learned your lesson."

I looked down at the floor. I had spent enough time defending myself to people who never wanted to hear the truth.

Damon stepped closer.

"Go to Aurelia. Apologize. She's the one who had to live with what you did."

"I already served my sentence."

"That doesn't mean you deserve forgiveness."

I said nothing.

He grabbed my wrist.

"Look at me when I'm speaking."

I froze.

His hand wasn't as rough as the guards' hands had been, but I couldn't stop looking at it. I tried to pull away.

"Let go."

"Not until you listen."

I pulled harder. He finally released me, but his expression turned even colder.

"Still pretending you're the victim?"

"I just want to leave."

"Then you should have thought about that before hurting Aurelia."

He caught my arm again and dragged me toward the hallway.

I stumbled, nearly hitting my shoulder against the wall.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Somewhere you can think about your behavior."

"Damon, stop."

He kept walking.

We reached a staircase leading to the lower level of the estate. I rarely went there anymore. The hallway was narrow, and most of the doors were closed.

He stopped in front of one.

"Open it."

A servant nearby looked uncertain. "Sir, that's the old archive room."

"I know. Open the door."

The servant unlocked it.

Inside were shelves, old boxes, and a small opening near the ceiling. The room had no proper lighting.

I stayed where I was.

"No."

Damon looked back at me. "What now?"

"Please don't put me in there."

"It's an archive room, not a prison."

I couldn't explain why I was asking him. I just needed him to choose another place.

"I'll go upstairs. I won't cause any trouble."

"Stop acting like I'm hurting you."

He pushed me through the doorway.

I lost my balance and caught the side of a shelf. Before I could turn around, the door slammed.

A lock clicked.

I rushed toward it.

"Damon!"

I pulled the handle. It wouldn't open.

"Open the door!"

His footsteps faded down the hallway.

I hit the door once, then again.

"Please! Let me out!"

There was no answer.

The room was almost completely dark. I searched for a lamp or a switch, moving my hands along the wall. My fingers brushed against something rough, and I pulled them back.

I couldn't stay there.

I had to get out.

The sound of the prison came back in pieces. A guard locking a door. Someone crying in the next room. Men laughing while a prisoner begged them to stop.

I pressed my palms against my ears.

"Please..."

My voice barely came out.

I tried the handle again, but my fingers wouldn't grip it properly. I slid down against the door and covered my head.

"Please don't punish me. I didn't do anything."

I was no longer thinking about Damon or the estate. I only wanted the door open.

"Help me!"

Outside, someone stopped.

A man's voice cut through the hallway.

"Who is inside?"

A servant answered, but I couldn't hear the words clearly.

Then another voice spoke, firm and unmistakably angry.

"Open the door. Immediately."

The lock turned.

Light spilled into the room.

I moved away from the doorway and covered my face. Someone stepped inside, but I couldn't make myself look up.

"Don't hit me!"

The room went quiet.

"Please, I won't do it again."

"Stay back," the man ordered.

The footsteps stopped.

I heard him speak again, this time to someone outside.

"Get the doctor."

A few seconds passed before he asked, "Who locked her in here?"

No one answered.

I slowly lowered my hands.

A man stood near the entrance. He wore dark formal clothes, and the people behind him kept their heads lowered. I recognized the presence of someone important, even before I heard one of the servants whisper his title.

"The Lycan King..."

Theron Valtieri looked at me, then at the locked door.

His expression changed.

"Who put her in this room?"

Still, nobody answered.

He turned toward the servants.

"Find the person responsible. I want an explanation."

I tried to stand, but my legs wouldn't cooperate.

The Lycan King looked back at me.

"What's your name?"

I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

He didn't repeat the question.

Instead, he looked at the people gathered outside and gave another order.

"Nobody touches her until the doctor arrives."

For once, no one told me to apologize.

No one asked what I had done to deserve it.