“You expect me to believe that?” he asked in a low, controlled voice.

My chest tightened, but I kept my tone steady. “I’m only repeating what actually happened.”

A short laugh left him, sharp and empty of warmth.

“Valeria?” he repeated. “The same girl who cries over a stray animal? The one who spent the entire day begging me not to send you to Cassius Vale because she was afraid something might happen to you?” His expression hardened. “I heard she locked herself in her room while you were gone and cried nonstop. She kept saying she wished she could go instead of you.” His gaze locked onto mine. “And now you’re telling me she poured boiling water on you?”

My mouth felt dry. “I’m not making it up.”

“When did you start lying to me, Elira?” His voice dropped, darker now.

“I didn’t,” I said quietly. “I’ve never lied to you.”

He studied me for a moment, like he was trying to see something buried under my skin. Then, without warning, he shoved me hard.

“Still insisting on it?” he snapped.

I staggered back, nearly losing my balance.

“Guards,” he called out.

Two men rushed into the backyard immediately.

“Twenty lashes,” Cassian ordered without looking at me. “Here.”

The guards hesitated for a fraction of a second. None of them liked laying hands on me—they all knew I was usually the one who kept them alive.

But his word was final.

They seized my arms and forced me down onto the wooden bench. I didn’t resist. There was no point.

The first strike landed across my back, and pain exploded through my body, tearing into wounds that hadn’t even closed.

Cassian stood a short distance away, watching.

Unmoved. Detached.

“This is a reminder,” he said evenly. “Anyone who speaks against Valeria will face the same punishment.”

The second lash followed.

Then the third.

I bit down on my lip until I tasted blood. My vision blurred, but my mind kept slipping backward.

I was fifteen the first time I killed someone. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking, the knife barely staying steady.

That night, Cassian had held me.

“Hey,” he said softly. “Look at me. You’re fine.”

“I was scared,” I whispered then.

“I know,” he answered, brushing my head gently. “But you’re not alone. I’m here.”

Now he was standing there, watching someone tear me apart.

Fourth strike.

Fifth.

By the time it reached twenty, my entire back felt like it had been set on fire. Blood soaked through my clothes and dripped onto the ground beneath me.

The guards stepped away slowly, and the world tilted into darkness.

Far away, voices drifted in.

The doctor spoke first, his voice unsteady. “Mr. Valcourt… her pulse is dangerously weak. I don’t think she has much time left.”

Something shattered.

Glass hit the floor.

“What did you just say?” Cassian’s voice turned razor-cold.

The doctor sounded panicked now. “Sir, her condition is deteriorating rapidly. The injuries are severe—her heartbeat is fading.”

“Get out,” Cassian ordered sharply.

Footsteps hurried out of the room.

Silence settled.

A moment later, the curtain around the bed was pulled aside.

Cassian stood there.

His face was partly in shadow, but his eyes were unmistakably cold. My hands—the same hands that had fought for him for eleven years—rested uselessly on the blanket.

“You swore a blood oath to me,” he said slowly. “That night, you said if anyone ever hurt you, I would make them regret existing.”

His voice lowered.

“So tell me, Elira… when did you start cooperating with doctors to stage something like this?”

I didn’t respond.

I closed my eyes instead.

The silence stretched until I felt the air around him shift.

“You’re not even going to defend yourself?” he said sharply. “Do you really think I’m that easy to fool?”

Still nothing from me.

His steps came closer.

“You’ve been strange lately,” he continued, colder now. “But this? Pretending to die for attention? I didn’t think you’d go this far.”

My breathing stayed slow.

I didn’t answer.

That only made his anger sharpen.

“Fine,” he said abruptly.

His voice turned completely void of warmth.

“Throw out everything she’s being given. All of it. Medications, bandages—everything.”

Someone outside hesitated. “Sir Valcourt…”

“Did you not hear me?” he barked. “If she wants to act like this, then she can deal with the consequences herself.”

Moments later, I heard drawers being yanked open, bottles being collected, things shoved into a bag.

Then the door slammed.

The sound echoed through the room long after he was gone.

I lay there staring at the ceiling. Every breath pulled pain across my back like fire under the skin.

But pain had stopped being unfamiliar a long time ago.

Just like him hurting me and calling it normal.

As the night deepened, the pain worsened. My body trembled uncontrollably, sweat soaking the sheets. I pressed my teeth into the edge of the blanket to keep from making a sound.

And somewhere between consciousness and exhaustion, my mind drifted backward.

To the first time I was badly injured on a mission.

I had been stabbed. I was bleeding out.

Back then, Cassian stayed by my bedside for three full days. He never left. He even changed my bandages himself.

I still remembered his expression.

Like it hurt him too.

Like my pain meant something.

How foolish I had been.

I thought it meant care.

I thought it meant I mattered.

…

Morning arrived quietly, and the pain eased just enough for me to breathe without shaking. I had barely closed my eyes again when a knock came at the door.

The butler’s voice followed. “Miss Kane, Mr. Valcourt has ordered you to the main hall. You’re accompanying him today to fulfill a promise.”

Slowly, I pushed myself upright.

Every movement felt like needles driving into my back. My hands shook as I rewrapped my bandages and pulled on a plain black dress.

By the time I reached the main hall, Cassian was already there.

He wore a dark tailored coat, standing beside Valeria as he carefully adjusted a soft scarf around her neck, as if the slightest breeze might harm her.

Valeria stood in a light pink dress, looking bright and untouched.

Beside her, I probably looked like something dragged out of ruins.

“You’re here,” Cassian said without looking at me.

His tone was flat, almost indifferent.

“Stay close to Valeria today. Do your job.”

Then he finally glanced at me.

“And Elira,” he added coldly, “if anything happens to her, you won’t like what follows.”

I lowered my gaze. “Yes, sir.”

The cars were waiting outside.

Cassian helped Valeria into the back of the Rolls-Royce. I took a motorcycle with the other guards and followed behind.

The road out of the city stayed quiet until the sky suddenly broke open. Rain poured down in heavy sheets, soaking everything within minutes.

Cold water ran down my back, slipping into my bandages, reopening pain I had barely contained.

Warm blood slowly traced my spine beneath the fabric.

Valeria rolled the window down slightly, glancing out.

She looked at me riding through the storm for a moment.

“Cassian,” she said softly, “Elira looks awful. She’s injured, and it’s raining so hard. Shouldn’t she sit inside for a while? Or at least have an umbrella?”

For a brief second, I almost laughed.

Cassian didn’t even look in my direction.

“She’s a bodyguard,” he said evenly. “She’ll manage.”

That was all.

Valeria’s lips curved faintly before she turned away, hiding her smile.

I tightened my grip on the handle and kept riding through the rain.

Right.

Just a bodyguard. Just a tool he could discard whenever it suited him. Even if I disappeared tomorrow, he would probably keep going without a second thought.

The convoy eventually came to a stop near an old mountain church outside the city. It was the kind of place people visited to pray, to make vows they swore they would never break.

But what happened there was nothing anyone expected.

Cassian stepped out of the car without a word and removed his coat. Then, in full view of everyone, he lowered himself onto his knees at the base of the long stone staircase leading up to the church.

The guards reacted immediately, rushing toward him in alarm.

“Mr. Valcourt, what are you doing?”

His reply was steady, almost detached.

“When Valeria was dying, I said I’d crawl these steps if she made it through,” Cassian said evenly. “I don’t believe in God. I don’t care for faith. But I don’t break my word.”

Valeria’s eyes filled at once. “Cassian… you don’t need to do this,” she said softly, shaken. “That was just something you said in fear. Nobody expected you to actually follow through…”

But he was already moving.

He bent forward, his forehead striking the stone step with a dull, heavy sound.

Then he rose slightly, climbed one step, and repeated it.

Again. And again.

Each movement forced him to bow against the unforgiving stone. Skin split across his forehead, and blood began to trail down his face, dripping onto the steps. Around the church, murmurs spread quickly through the crowd.

“That man…”

“He must love his wife deeply…”

“What a devoted husband…”

Wife.

That single word cut through my chest more sharply than any blade.

By the time we reached the mountain church grounds, the rain had eased into a soft drizzle.

Cassian’s knees were stained dark with blood from the climb, but he still insisted on guiding Valeria inside first. He held her hand carefully, as though she might break if he loosened his grip, leading her through the heavy wooden doors.

Inside, the air smelled of wax and burning incense. Valeria liked places like this—quiet spaces where people whispered prayers they hoped would be heard.

Cassian never believed in any of it. Everyone knew that.

But he stood beside her anyway, because she did.

Valeria knelt before the altar and closed her eyes. Her voice came out soft and trembling.

“Please… keep everyone I love safe.”

Cassian didn’t kneel. He simply stood behind her, resting a hand lightly on her shoulder.

“If praying helps you,” he said quietly, “then go ahead.”

I stayed near the entrance, rainwater still dripping from my hair and soaking through my clothes. The bandages beneath were already damp again, sticking to my skin.

When Valeria finished, the church pastor approached them. He was an older man, visibly nervous but honored to have them there.

“Mr. Valcourt,” he said respectfully, “you’ve supported this church for years. We’re grateful. I wanted to offer something in return.”

He gestured toward a wooden table lined with potted plants.

“This is a rare mountain orchid. It’s said to bring peace and harmony to a home.”

Valeria leaned in, admiring it.

Then her attention shifted to another plant nearby.

“What about that one?” she asked curiously.

The pastor hesitated. “That one was already promised to another guest today.”

Cassian’s gaze followed hers.

Nearby, a young wealthy man stepped forward, clearly from some influential family, his demeanor casual and confident.

“That’s mine,” he said simply.

Cassian studied the plant for a moment longer, then looked at the man.

“We can exchange it,” he said calmly.

The man blinked. “Exchange?”

“I’ll give you my nightclub on 8th Street,” Cassian replied. “The downtown one.”

The man’s expression shifted instantly.

“Mr. Valcourt… that place is worth millions.”

Cassian gave a slight shrug, as if it meant nothing at all.

“If Valeria wants it,” he said flatly, “then that’s enough reason.”

My chest tightened at those words.

So he understood what it meant to love someone.

He just never chose to give that kind of love to me.

The young heir let out an awkward laugh. “Well… I’d be foolish to refuse that.”

The pastor quickly passed the plant to Valeria.

She smiled brightly and reached for it.

Then she suddenly gasped.

“Ah!”

She pulled her hand back sharply. Tiny puncture marks appeared on her wrist.

Everything froze.

A rare red venomous scorpion had hidden beneath the pot and struck her.

Cassian’s expression changed instantly.

“Valeria!”

He grabbed her wrist and bent down, pressing his mouth to the wound to suck out the venom.

“Don’t move!” he barked sharply without lifting his head.

Valeria’s voice shook. “Cassian… I feel dizzy…”

I clenched my jaw. I remembered a time years ago when I had been poisoned—he barely glanced at me and only said, “Endure it,” before walking away.

The doctor rushed in and checked her pulse. “The venom is spreading quickly. There’s a rare herb growing on the cliffside that can counteract it, but the terrain is extremely dangerous.”

Cassian stood at once. “I’ll go.”

Valeria immediately grabbed his sleeve. “No… please don’t. It’s too dangerous. What if something happens to you? I don’t want that.”

His eyes moved across the room and landed on me.

“Elira,” he said.

I stepped forward.

“Get it,” he ordered.

“Yes, sir.”

…

The mountain behind the church was steep, wet, and unstable. Rain had made the rocks slick, turning every step into a risk.

I climbed with my bare hands.

Each movement sent sharp pain through my back. My nails scraped against stone, splitting and bleeding as rain mixed with blood and ran down the rock face.

The wind cut through my soaked clothes, clinging coldly to my skin.

At one point, my foot slipped on loose rock.

My body dropped suddenly.

For a brief moment, I thought I would fall straight off the cliff.

My hand shot out and caught a jagged branch embedded in the rock wall just in time.

It pierced straight through my palm.

Pain surged up my arm, but I forced myself not to make a sound.

Keep going.

Just finish it.

Why was I still doing this for him?

The question surfaced briefly, but no answer came.

By the time the sky began to pale with early morning light, I finally spotted the herb growing in a narrow crack in the cliffside.

I carefully pulled it free, gripping it tightly in my bloodied hand. On the way down, my consciousness faded twice.

Blood loss blurred my vision, darkness creeping in at the edges, but my body kept moving anyway. By the time I reached the church grounds again, the sun had already risen.

My legs nearly gave out beneath me.

But I still held the herb.

…

I handed it to Cassian, my hands trembling and soaked in blood. He didn’t even look at me—he simply took it and passed it to the doctor.

“Prepare it. Now.”

I leaned against the doorframe, gasping for air, my entire body aching from exhaustion, injury, and rain.

The doctor boiled the herb into a bitter-smelling solution while Valeria sat nearby, staring at it nervously. Cassian crouched beside her.

“Drink it,” he said softly. “I know it tastes awful, but it’ll save you. Don’t fight it. You want to live, don’t you?”

Valeria shook her head, tears falling. “I can’t… it’s disgusting…”

He studied her for a moment, then without hesitation drank the medicine himself. Before I could react, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, transferring it mouth by mouth.

“Like this,” he murmured. “It’s fine. Just a little at a time. That’s it…”

I froze.

My chest tightened so hard it felt like it might collapse. I wanted to look away, to move, to disappear—but I couldn’t.

Something inside me cracked deeper than any wound on my back.

Then she finally swallowed it all.

Cassian immediately stood and called out orders to the guards.

“Move out. Stay alert. Now.”

The gunfire started seconds later.

“Ambush!”