Chapter 7

I clutched my torn dress against my body and stared at the pendant. I didn't steal it. Someone had planted it there!

Alaric's mother stared at me with disgust. "Freya, we've given you everything you needed while you stayed here. How could you steal our family heirloom after everything we've done for you?"

I met her eyes calmly. "I didn't steal anything! Someone put that pendant on me."

"You're still denying it?" she snapped. "The evidence is right there."

Before I could answer, two small figures came running toward me. Arkin and Arjun, the five year old twins who'd spent the whole evening pulling my hair and kicking my legs, now looked furious.

"You're a bad woman!" Arkin shouted.

"You stole Mommy's ruby!" Arjun yelled.

Arkin kicked my injured leg, and pain shot through me. "Stop it," I shouted, but he kicked me again while Arjun grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled hard.

I clenched my teeth. These two really didn't know when to stop. I pushed Arjun's hand away, but Arkin came at me again, so I shoved him back. I didn't use much force, but he stumbled. Arjun grabbed for him, and both boys lost their balance and crashed into the enormous birthday cake behind them.

It collapsed under them, cream and frosting covering their clothes. For a second everyone froze, then the twins started screaming.

"I hate you!"

"You ruined our birthday!"

"You humiliated us!"

They cried so loudly that half the guests rushed toward them. I stood there, breathing hard. I hadn't meant to hurt them, but I'd had enough. How many times was I supposed to let those two kick and pull at me before I was allowed to defend myself?

Then the twins ran toward the edge of the long banquet table.

"Arkin! Arjun, stop!"

They were crying too hard to hear anyone. Both boys collided with the corner of the table, their heads striking the edge with a loud crack before they dropped to the floor.

The crowd erupted.

"Call a doctor!"

"There's blood!"

"Get the children!"

Alice screamed and rushed toward them. "Arkin! Arjun!"

Alaric's father slammed his hand on the table. "This is outrageous."

His mother pointed straight at me. "Guards! Take her away!"

I stared at the chaos, my torn dress still clutched in my hands, when I heard Alaric's footsteps. He came running downstairs with the shawl he'd gone to get for me, but the moment he saw the twins bleeding on the floor, his face changed completely.

"What happened?"

His mother stepped forward. "Alaric, look what she did. She stole Alice's family ruby, and when the children confronted her, she attacked them. Look at them."

Alice was crying, holding one of the boys. "She hates me, and now she's taking it out on my children. Ali, please save them."

Alaric looked at me. For a moment I saw shock in his eyes, then doubt. He didn't ask what happened. He didn't even come closer. He just picked Arkin up and held him tightly.

"Take the children to the hospital first."

I stared at him. He was leaving me there again.

My heart didn't even hurt anymore. Maybe there was nothing left to break.

His mother pointed at me. "And her? We can't let this go."

Alaric's father nodded coldly. "Take her to the backyard. She needs to understand the consequences of hurting a Mancusso heir."

Alaric glanced at me one last time. I waited, hoping that just once he'd say something, anything. He said nothing. He carried Arkin away with Alice beside him, and I watched their backs disappear.

So that was it. After six years, I wasn't even worth one question.

The bodyguards dragged me outside. I didn't struggle much. My body was already covered in injuries, and my back still hadn't recovered from the car accident. The whip came down again and again, pain tearing through me. I bit the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood, refusing to give them the satisfaction of hearing me beg.

I could have stopped them. One phone call to my family would've been enough. One word, and the Sorrentino name would have shaken this entire place. But I'd promised myself I'd finish those six years without revealing who I was.

Now I didn't care anymore.

Alaric's mother stood nearby, watching without a trace of sympathy. "We already investigated you. Your father's a drunk, your mother's sick, and you crawled out of a miserable family. Do you really think someone like you belongs beside Alaric?"

I raised my head, but she kept going without giving me a chance to answer. "Alaric was born to stand at the top. You're not even worthy of carrying his shoes. Leave while you still have some dignity, or we'll make sure you have none left."

I almost laughed. If she only knew who she was talking to.

I wasn't some poor girl who needed their charity. I was Freya Sorrentino, and if I wanted, her entire family could learn exactly what that name meant.

But I was too tired to care.

The pain eventually swallowed everything, and darkness took me.

When I woke again, I was lying on a cold bed. My wounds had been treated, but barely, and every breath hurt. The door opened, and Alaric walked in. He didn't ask how I felt. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me up.

"Alaric, what are you doing?" I cried, struggling to keep my balance. "Let me go, I'm injured!"

He didn't answer. He half dragged, half carried me to the hospital and took me straight into a treatment room.

"Draw her blood," he told the nurse. "Arkin and Arjun lost too much. They're compatible."

I stared at him in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

"Freya, listen to me."

"Look at me!" I shouted, my voice breaking. "Can't you see what they did to me? I'm barely standing, and you're asking me for blood?"

His expression tightened. "They're only six. They needs it."

"Why should I save them?" I cried. "The two kicked me, pulled my hair, blamed me for everything. Why am I the one who has to pay for this?"

"Because you pushed them?!"

"I pushed them away because they were hurting me!"

My whole body was shaking, and his patience finally snapped. "You caused this whole situation, Freya. Arkin and Arjun is lying in the next room fighting for their life. You have to take responsibility."

"I didn't steal that ruby, and I didn't mean for them to get hurt!"

He didn't listen. He forced me into the chair while the nurse prepared the needle.

"Alaric, don't."

My voice had gone small. For the first time, I wasn't pretending. I was begging.

"Please. I can't do this anymore."

He looked away. "Just cooperate. It'll be over soon."

The needle went in, and pain spread through my already weakened body. I clenched my teeth as the blood was taken, the nurse glancing at me the whole time.

"Mr. Mancusso, she's extremely weak. We shouldn't take any more."

"Continue," he said coldly. "Arkin and Arjun needs more."

My vision blurred, and I could barely keep my eyes open before everything went black.

...

When I woke again, I was alone. A nurse eventually told me Alaric was next door with Alice and the twins. He never came to see me. Instead he sent a message.

[Freya, I know you're still angry, but the twin's injuries happened because of you. You need to take responsibility. Calm down and stop making things harder. No matter what happens, I'll always love you.]

I stared at the screen, then laughed. I laughed until my body hurt and my wounds started bleeding again.

His love?

His love was watching his parents whip me. His love was forcing blood from me when I could barely survive. His love was standing beside another woman and her children while telling me he'd always love me.

What kind of love was that?

I wiped my tears. No. I couldn't afford this kind of love anymore.

After several days I was strong enough to leave, so I quietly completed my discharge papers without telling anyone. When I got back to the villa, my phone rang.

"Freya, have you finished everything there? It's time to come home."

I stood alone in the empty living room and looked around. For six years I'd lived here as someone I wasn't. A poor girl. A harmless girl. A girl who needed Alaric.

That girl was gone.

I took a slow breath and answered calmly, "Yes. Everything's taken care of. I'll be home soon."

After hanging up, I packed only what belonged to me, pulled my suitcase behind me, and walked out of the villa without leaving a note or looking back.

This time, I wasn't pretending to be poor anymore.