Semua Bab Banished in the Name of Love: Bab 1 - Bab 10

I lay on the cold concrete floor, every inch of my body screaming in pain.The men who had just tortured me left with satisfied smiles on their faces, laughing and fastening their pants as they walked away.The air reeked of a nauseating stench, and I retched instinctively, but nothing came up.Just then, the door opened again, and a few people in staff uniforms walked in."Put these on. You can leave now."One of them threw a few sets of clean clothes at my feet, his tone laced with disdain.I forced my eyes open from exhaustion and stared at the clothes on the ground, feeling momentarily dazed.Leave? Leave for where?My thoughts spiraled out of control and drifted back into the past.Half a year. It had been a full six months since I'd been imprisoned in this hellish illegal factory.I was forced to work 16 hours every day. My hands were covered in thick calluses. The skin on my fingertips were cracked and bleeding.The foremen here beat and cursed at us trafficked worker

"What's wrong, Lina?" Priscilla lowered her gaze slightly as she felt my stare, the corners of her mouth even curled with a perfectly measured touch of shyness.She was acting as though nothing happened.Emma didn't notice the undercurrent between us and remained cheerful as she tugged at my arm. "It's cold out. Come in and warm up."Hylton must have sensed the awkwardness. He cleared his throat and offered an explanation for Priscilla. "Lina, you didn't take many clothes with you to Zubania, and those were just sitting there. Priscilla didn't have much to wear recently, so I let her use them for now. I'll buy you new ones later."He said it as if it was the most natural thing in the world. My clothes and my necklace were now someone else's emergency stash. And that someone was Priscilla.I tugged at the corner of my lips, giving a smile that didn't quite qualify as one.Saying nothing, I followed them into the villa.The living room was nice and warm. The dining table was piled

The shock on Hylton's face only lasted a few seconds.Then, as if he had been played, a flash of anger rose to his face, though he quickly forced it down and replaced it with a look of feigned tolerance."Lina, don't make a scene, okay?" he said with the helpless tone one might use to coax a child.He took a step forward, trying to come closer, the rose stem in his hand swaying meaninglessly."I know what happened before made you feel wronged." He sounded as if he were doing me a favor."We were doing just fine before. Have you forgotten how long we've been together? All those happy times…"He began to list our past memories, his voice gentle. But his gaze was evaluating, as if he were calculating how much patience it would take to fix my "childish" outburst."I know maybe… something bad happened while you were away, and you got led astray." He paused, looking as though he were in deep pain. "But it's okay, Lina. As long as you're willing to change, I…"He took a deep breath an

The reception room at the villa was tastefully arranged, but the air was thick with silent tension.I sat between my parents, facing the four people on the opposite couch—Robert, Emma, Hylton, and Priscilla.Priscilla shot me a silent, provocative smile. Only now did I get it. When one truly was out of words, all they could do was laugh.We were about to discuss breaking off the engagement, and they brought Priscilla here?Robert cleared his throat, breaking the silence first. He forced a kind smile and said, "Things have gotten messy. Hylton's young, hot-tempered, and a bit impulsive. Every couple has their little fights."Emma chimed in quickly, "Yes, yes. It's all just a misunderstanding. Our friendship has been standing strong for years. It'd be a shame to ruin that over something so small."She turned to me, her gaze carrying a subtle hint of scrutiny. "Lina, dear, if you ever feel wronged, you can always talk to me. How could you just—"Before she could finish, my dad cut

Hylton stayed at the hospital with Robert through the night. It wasn't until the next day, when Robert's condition had stabilized a bit, that he finally left.But he didn't go home or to the company. He took the investigation tablet—detailing every bit of the suffering I had endured—and went to find Priscilla.That report didn't just cover the details of my captivity. It laid out, in even greater detail, the one who had orchestrated it all—Priscilla.She was the one who had pushed me into the living hell of Zubania.The evidence was irrefutable.When Hylton found Priscilla, she didn't seem to realize how deep in trouble she was. In fact, she even tried to approach Hylton the way she always had, with just the right touch of worry and grievance on her face."Hylton, you look terrible. Is it because of your dad—"She couldn't finish her sentence, as Hylton raised his hand and slammed the tablet on the coffee table in front of her.The glass surface cracked instantly with a sharp,