The sound rang through the room.

I staggered back, one hand pressed to my cheek, the sting spreading deep under my skin.

“Out of everyone, it had to be you?” she yelled.

I tried to speak—anything at all—but nothing came out. Only tears.

Elowen lifted her hand again, ready to strike, but Darius caught her wrist mid-air. “That’s enough,” he said sharply. Then his eyes shifted to me, empty and unreadable. “Kaia, go to your room. Don’t come downstairs unless I say so.”

My voice wouldn’t come back.

I could only nod and turn away, still holding my cheek.

Each step up the stairs felt heavy, like I was walking through water.

When I reached my room, I sat at the edge of the bed, my body trembling. A folded paper slipped from my pocket—the sonogram.

I stared at it for a long time, my vision blurring.

“Our baby,” I whispered.

And then everything broke.

I cried until I couldn’t breathe, until the world outside faded into nothing. All I could hear was the sound of my own heart shattering—while downstairs, I knew Elowen was probably clinging to him again, pretending to cry.

And he was letting her.

…

When I woke up, my eyes were swollen, my chest aching like I had nothing left inside.

Sunlight filtered through the curtains—soft, almost gentle—but it felt wrong. Too normal. Like nothing had happened.

I pushed myself up, head pounding—then I saw her.

Elowen.

Sitting on the couch like she owned the place, legs crossed, calm and satisfied, holding something between her fingers.

It took me a second to realize what it was.

The folded paper.

My sonogram.

“Well,” she said lightly, spinning it between her fingers, “looks like you’re pregnant.”

I froze. My heart dropped.

“Give it back,” I said quietly.

She smiled, slow and sharp, like she had caught something helpless. “Not yet. I want to tell you a story first. It’s a good one—you’ll enjoy it.”

“I said give it back.”

She ignored me completely, leaning back with that same glint in her eyes.

“You always thought you had everything, didn’t you, Kaia? Always loved. Always lucky. Want to know how I became his fiancée?”

I stayed silent. I didn’t want to hear any of it. But she continued anyway, her voice smooth and cruel.

“Two weeks ago, my brothers told me Darius took you. Leonhart and Evander—remember them? They said you were living here, that he was protecting you.” She let out a laugh that sounded wrong. “Can you imagine how that felt? You, the nobody Langford girl, suddenly in his arms.”

She stood and started pacing, like she was telling some casual story. “You were always the favorite. Even when we were kids. So I decided to take everything that was yours.”

She paused, turning to me with that practiced smile. “Leonhart told me Darius was going to Paris for business. I begged for an introduction. I made sure I looked perfect that night. You should’ve seen me—white silk, tears in my eyes, like some broken angel. Men fall faster when they think they’re saving someone.”

I stared down, trying not to cry, but my chest tightened again.

She chuckled softly. “You know what made it work? The shooting. Oh, Kaia, it was perfect. Leonhart hired men to stage it. I made sure Darius saw everything—the guns, the chaos. I pretended to protect him, even fell to the ground. Fake blood everywhere. I looked like a hero. He carried me all the way to the hospital, you know? Stayed there the whole night.”

Her eyes lit up at the memory. “When I woke up, he told me I saved his life. Said he owed me everything. So I told him what I wanted.”

She stepped closer, slow and deliberate, then crouched in front of me. “I told him I wanted him. I wanted to be his.”

I just stared at her. None of it felt real anymore.

Her smile widened, sharp and satisfied. “He gave me this ring. Promised me everything. All because he thought I took a bullet for him. Guilt is such a useful thing, don’t you think?”

Something inside me snapped.

I started laughing. Quiet at first—then louder. It came out wrong, broken, like I didn’t know how to stop.

Her smile faltered. “What’s so funny?”

I wiped my face, still laughing through the tears. “That’s it? Fake blood? A staged attack? That’s all it took for you to get him?”

Her jaw tightened. “Don’t laugh at me.”

But I couldn’t stop. It hurt, but I kept going. “You can have him,” I said softly. “I don’t care anymore.”

Her expression shifted. The anger faded, replaced by something colder. She tilted her head, smiling again—soft, almost gentle. But her eyes stayed the same.

I recognized that look.

I stood quickly, stepping back. “What are you doing?”

She moved closer. “You’re pregnant. I’m his fiancée—the one who saved him.” Her smile deepened. “Let’s see who he chooses to save first.”

Before I could react, she grabbed my arm, her nails digging into my skin. I tried to pull away, but her grip tightened.

“Let go of me, Elowen!”

Suddenly, her voice changed—loud, shaking, like she was the victim. “Kaia! Stop! You’re hurting me! Why do you always hurt me?”

“I said let go—”

Before I could finish, she staggered backward, still holding onto me. My foot slipped at the edge of the stairs.

Everything happened too fast.

Her scream echoed through the house. “Kaia! Please—don’t hurt me!”

And then—

We fell.

I couldn’t move.

The floor felt freezing against my cheek, and above me, the white light spun, blurring in and out of focus. Pain tore through my stomach, spreading to my back until I couldn’t tell where it began or ended. Then voices broke through.

Shouting.

Footsteps rushing closer.

Someone called my name.

Darius.

My heart stirred, fragile but hopeful. He came… he was coming for me—

But then I saw him.

He ran past me. Straight to Elowen.

She lay a few steps away, crying softly, clutching her arm as if it were broken. Without hesitation, he gathered her into his arms, panic clear in his eyes.

“Call the doctor! Now!” Darius shouted.

One of the maids stammered, “Sir, Miss Kaia is bleeding too—”

“Deal with her later!” His voice cut through everything. “Elowen comes first!”

First?

Something inside me shattered. Their voices faded. The light dimmed.

And then—nothing.

---

When I opened my eyes, all I saw was a white ceiling. The sharp smell of medicine filled my nose. My throat felt dry, almost impossible to swallow. There was a bandage wrapped tightly around my stomach.

I tried to sit up, but pain shot through me, forcing me back down.

The door opened.

Darius walked in. His face was set, his eyes colder than I had ever seen.

“So this is how you repay me?” His voice was steady, but anger lingered beneath every word. “I took you out of that place. Gave you everything. And this is what you do in return?”

I stared at him, confused. “W-what do you mean?”

He stepped closer, arms crossed. “Stop pretending. You tried to hurt my fiancée. Do you even realize she once saved my life? She took a bullet for me. And you… you pushed her down the stairs.”

My stomach twisted. “No, Darius, please—it wasn’t me—”

“Enough.” His voice rose slightly. “You always have an excuse. Always crying, always acting like you’re the victim.”

I shook my head, tears spilling over. “Please, just listen to me—”

A knock interrupted me.

A nurse peeked in, her gaze lowered. “Sir… Miss Elowen just woke up. She’s crying. She’s still in shock and asking for you.”

Darius’s jaw tightened. His eyes flicked toward me for a brief second—cold, empty, like I didn’t matter at all.

“Save it,” he said quietly. “I’ll deal with you later.”

Then he turned and walked out.

The door closed softly behind him. But to me, it sounded final—like something breaking beyond repair.

“Don’t worry, baby… we’ll leave. I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”

My hand slowly reached toward the IV needle. I just wanted to go. Anywhere. Away from all of this.

But before I could do anything, the door slammed open.

Leonhart and Evander rushed in like a storm.

Leonhart’s eyes burned with fury. Evander looked at me like I was something disgusting.

Evander moved first. His hand struck my face hard, the sound echoing through the room.

“How dare you, Kaia?” he shouted. “How dare you try to kill our sister?”

My head snapped to the side, my cheek throbbing. “I didn’t,” I whispered.

Leonhart’s voice came louder. “Don’t even think about lying. You already killed our parents. Wasn’t that enough? Now you’re going after Elowen too?”

Tears filled my eyes again. “She’s the one who—”

Leonhart stepped closer, pointing at me. “She’s the one what? You said that before. Every time you say that, someone ends up dead. Mom. Dad. Now Elowen?”

“No,” I cried, shaking my head. “You don’t understand. She lied. She set me up. Please, Leonhart—you have to believe me.”

Evander grabbed the metal tray beside my bed and slammed it to the floor. It crashed loudly—glass shattering, water spilling everywhere. “Shut up!” he roared. “You think anyone would choose your word over hers? You’re nothing. Just a stain on this family. A curse that won’t disappear.”

I covered my mouth, sobbing.

Evander leaned in closer, his voice low, filled with hatred. “Why are you still alive? Just die already and spare us the trouble.”

Leonhart grabbed my chin roughly, forcing me to look at him. His eyes were cold, almost hollow. “You’ll pay for this, Kaia. Even if Darius lets you off, we won’t.”

Then they turned and walked out, the door slamming shut behind them.

That night… I peeled the tape from my skin, the soft ripping sound too loud in the silence. I bit down on my lip to keep from crying out as the needle slid free. My arm burned, but I didn’t care. I just needed to get out.

I pushed myself off the bed, my legs weak, my body cold. The floor felt too far beneath me. Every step hurt, but I kept going, dragging myself toward the door.

Just as my fingers reached for the handle, it burst open.

Darius stood there, his face flushed, his eyes sharp with anger.

“So now you’re trying to run?” His voice filled the room. “After everything you’ve done, you still think you can just leave?”

I froze, my throat dry. “Darius, please… I just—”

He cut me off, louder this time. “Do you even understand what you’ve done? Elowen is losing blood because of you. She could die!”

Before I could say anything, his hand grabbed my arm, his grip tight enough to hurt.

“You’re giving her your blood,” he said coldly. “You’re both RH-negative. She needs it—and you owe her your life.”

I shook my head, trying to pull away. “No… I can’t. Please, let me go. I can’t do this.”

His eyes darkened, his voice dropping. “Why not? After everything I’ve done for you? I took you away from your brothers. I knew what you were, Kaia—a killer—and I still kept you. I gave you a place to stay, clothes, everything. I let you be with me. And now you act like you’re above me?”

“Darius…” My voice broke. “Please, stop.”

He let out a bitter laugh. “You should be grateful. Do you have any idea how many women would do anything to be in your place? To be the one beside me? But I chose you. And now all I feel when I look at you is disgust.”

His words hurt more than his grip. Tears blurred my vision. “I can’t,” I whispered. “I can’t give blood… I’m pregnant.”

For a second, he paused. Something flickered in his eyes. Then he laughed—cold, mocking.

“Pregnant? You think I’m stupid?” He shook his head. “You’ll say anything to get out of this. Lying comes so easily to you.”

“It’s true!” I begged. “Please, I’m not lying. It’s your child. Don’t make me do this.”

He yanked my arm, making me stumble. “Enough. You’re giving her blood whether you want to or not.”

“Darius, stop! Please!”

He didn’t listen. He dragged me down the hallway toward the nurse’s station. My feet scraped against the floor as I tried to resist, grabbing onto the wall, the doorframe—anything.

The nurses stared when we entered, frozen.

“Take her blood,” Darius ordered. “Even if you have to drain her. She’ll pay for what she did.”

“Sir…” one nurse hesitated.

Leonhart’s voice cut in. “Do it. She owes our sister her life.”

Evander nodded beside him. “Finish it.”

I screamed as they held me down. “Please, don’t! I’m begging you! I’m pregnant! You’ll kill my baby!”

No one listened.

The needle pierced my skin. I watched as my blood filled the bag, red and endless. My body turned cold. My vision blurred.

Before everything went dark, I whispered, “After this… I’ll end it.”

---

When I woke up again, the room was quiet. My body felt hollow. My hands looked pale. My breathing felt weak. It was like something inside me was gone.

A nurse stood beside the bed, her expression soft with pity. “Miss Kaia,” she said gently, “Miss Elowen is safe now. She’s stable.”

I slowly turned my head. “Did… he come?”

She looked away. “Mr. Voss hasn’t returned.”

I gave a small nod. My hand drifted to my stomach. It felt too still. Too empty.

Something wasn’t right.

“Where’s my baby?” I asked, my voice shaking.

The nurse hesitated. “I’ll call the doctor.”

When he arrived, he wouldn’t meet my eyes. His voice was quiet, like he didn’t want to say it out loud.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “We couldn’t save the baby.”

Everything stopped. For a moment, I couldn’t even cry. I just smiled faintly, trembling. “So that’s how it ends,” I whispered. “My baby died… just to save hers.”

The doctor left. The room fell silent again.

That night, I got out of bed. My legs almost gave out, but I kept walking. No shoes. No coat. Just the thin hospital gown.

Outside, the air was freezing. Rain poured heavily, blurring everything in front of me. I kept walking until I reached the bridge.

The water below was dark, rushing fast. I stood there, shaking.

I looked up at the sky. “Mom… Dad… I’m tired.”

Rain hit my face like needles. I smiled through my tears. “I’m sorry if I stop now. I tried to be good. I tried to stay strong.”

My voice trembled. “My brothers hate me. The man I loved… used me. And my baby… they took it too. I just want peace. Please… let me come home.”

I stepped forward. The sound of the river roared beneath me.

“Goodbye, Darius.” My lips shook as I said his name. “You took everything from me… and somehow, I still loved you. I don’t even know why. Maybe because I never really knew what love was.”

The rain grew heavier, swallowing my voice.

“Goodbye, Leonhart. Goodbye, Evander.” My voice cracked. “Maybe one day, you’ll remember I was your sister before I became your shame.”

A quiet sob escaped me. “You’ll wake up tomorrow and won’t even notice I’m gone. Maybe that’s better.”

Lightning flashed across the sky. I closed my eyes.

“My baby…” I whispered, pressing my hand to my stomach one last time. “Wait for me, okay? Mama’s coming.”

The river roared below.

I stepped closer to the edge, rain pooling around my feet. “This is it,” I murmured. “The last pain I’ll ever feel. I hope you both burn.”

Then I stepped forward.

The world tipped. The storm howled.

And I jumped.

The water swallowed everything.