a P
ed and dampness clung to the walls. I didn't argue. I didn't screa
dropping, though her eyes darted around. Aden, however, looked furious. His jaw clenched tightly; hi
gging my agonizing leg across the cobblestones. Each step
er," Gideon, had built it for me when I still believed in this family's love. I paused for a he
amp, and isolated from the warmth of the main hous
cot and a wobbling wooden table. The narrow window looked directly out on
oorway, her voice thick with pity. "I'll fetch a
soon as the door clicked closed, my mask of indiffe
. With trembling fingers, I pushed up the hem of my blood-stained trousers. My ankle was a horrific sight
w enough about injuries to understand the reality: if I didn't treat
e adjacent corridor. It wasn't far, perhaps a few d
ack toward the main building. I was only halfway across the courtyard, gasping for breath,
epping into my space. "Shouldn't you be locked up in your
reaction. I ignored his taunt, keeping my
er, his fingers digging into my flesh. "Did you hear me when I spoke to you?" he roared, shaking me. "Parad
ice low, vibrating with a cal
apologize for disrespecting my Mother!"
air. I tilted my head, meeting his gaze. "Make me kneel? You?
is restraint. His eyes went wild, r
on, he shoved me. Hard. B
catch myself. A gasp escaped my lips
th me, taking the brunt of the impact. The world exploded in a supernova
, I saw Aden standing frozen, staring down at me. The rage in his ey
Gods, what a
ones. I didn't even have to turn my
Elna, stood only a few feet away, her hands pressed
my lips. Another spectator had arrived for our little play. They thought they were breaki
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