Chapter 2

I do not know how much time passed before I woke from the darkness.

When I opened my eyes, I found Julian's cold gaze.

He stood by the bed in a pressed suit, his expression impatient, though his eyes held shadows he could not quite conceal. He had clearly not slept in days.

"You finally woke up."

His voice was hard. "How old are you now, acting so impulsively — making such a scene over nothing. You have embarrassed the Voss name."

The thought of having to face this nauseating world any longer drained me of all energy. I had no interest in arguing. I looked at him with empty eyes.

"You are right, Julian. I am shameless. I do not deserve to be alive."

"It would be cleaner if I just died."

Julian's expression went cold and rigid.

His hand rose instinctively to strike me, but when his gaze fell on my bloodless face and the thick bandaging wrapped around my shoulder, his hand stopped in midair.

"Vivian! I am warning you. Do not say things like that."

His voice trembled slightly. The impatience in his eyes faded a little, replaced by a trace of panic he had not yet noticed in himself.

"I used every connection the Voss family has to get you out of that place. Not so you could lie here talking like this."

I pulled at the corner of my mouth and laughed inwardly.

Every connection. He was probably only afraid that if I died, there would be no one left to serve as a backup donor for Isabella. No one to make her look like the fragile, pitiable creature that fed their need to protect her.

While I was thinking this, the door opened quietly and Silas walked in carrying a cup of nutritional supplement.

When he saw I was awake, a brief flicker of relief crossed his eyes, but his voice was still cold when he spoke.

"Now that you are up, drink this. Do not make me force you."

He held the cup toward me. I turned my head away instinctively.

"No need. It is a waste."

"You—"

Silas' hands were shaking with anger, but he did not actually force me. Instead, he placed the cup on the nightstand and reached over to carefully lift the bandaging from my shoulder to check beneath it.

In that moment, his hands were surprisingly gentle.

"Good. The wound is healing reasonably well with the treatment we used."

He rewrapped the bandaging, shot me a look, but his voice had softened.

"Stay still. If you touch that wound again, I am done with you."

The words were harsh, but I could clearly see the shadows under his eyes.

He had probably not slept properly in days either, keeping watch here the whole time.

In the past, that rare gentleness would have moved me. I would have held onto him and wept through all my years of grievances.

But now, I only found it grotesque.

This was the man who had done this to me with his own hands. Whatever this was now, it was nothing but a crocodile's tears.

I pulled free of his hand, threw off the covers, and moved toward the edge of the nightstand.

Every second spent alive in this place was suffering. Only death would give me any real release.

"Have you lost your mind!"

Marcus appeared in the doorway without warning and rushed over, grabbing me in one motion.

I let out a muffled sound of pain. He immediately eased his grip.

"Vivian! What do you think you are doing?"

"I want to die."

My voice was calm.

"Let me die. It is better for everyone. You will not have to struggle with this anymore, and Isabella can settle comfortably into her place as the Voss heiress and Alaric's fiancée."

"So please, Marcus. Let me go quickly."