Westley dropped, yanking Natalia into his arms, shouting without even looking at me. “Amelia! Cover us!”

I drew my gun and ran forward, but I was weak, my body still recovering. I fired, dodged, tried to stay alive, but then—pain. A knife buried itself in my side and I collapsed, blood gushing. I barely had the strength to call his name. “W-westley…”

Through blurry vision, I saw him sprinting, carrying Natalia away without even looking back.

When I came to, the smell of medicine made me cough. The doctor’s voice shook. “Amelia… your pulse is weak… even with all the medicine, I’m not sure—”

Then Westley slammed his fist onto the table so hard the glass rattled. “What did you do to her? How much did she pay you to fake this?”

I barely opened my eyes and saw him standing over the doctor, face dark, eyes sharp. “Do everything you can. Keep her alive. If she dies, every one of you is going to answer to me.”

For days I floated in that haze of medicine and pain. My body ached, my back throbbed, I could barely tell night from day. I could hear whispers of the doctor, feel my wounds burning, feel my heart breaking all over again.

Finally, one morning, I opened my eyes and saw the green canopy over the bed. Footsteps came fast. Westley stepped in, dark suit, face unreadable, the pendant at his belt swinging slightly.

“You’re awake,” he said, crouching slightly. “Can you move? Are you in pain? Tell me everything, Amelia. Don’t hold back.”

I tried to sit up when Westley walked in. Reflex. But the second I moved, a sharp pain stabbed through my chest and I fell back against the pillow.

“Don’t move,” he said flatly. “Just lie down.”

I still forced myself halfway up, breathing through the pain. “You’re leaving somewhere?”

“Tomorrow,” he replied, already turning away. “There’s a gang on the Jersey side causing problems. I’m dealing with it.”

“I’ll come with you.” My voice came out hoarse. “I can still fight.”

“No.” The answer came instantly. “You stay here and watch Natalia.”

My fingers tightened on the blanket. “Understood.”

He walked toward the door but paused. His back stayed to me. “Remember something, Amelia. If anything happens to her while I’m gone…” The sentence hung there, heavy with threat.

“I’ll protect her with my life,” I said quietly.

The door shut. I stared at it for a long time. Funny. The wound in my chest hurt less than whatever that feeling was in my ribs.

During recovery I followed his order and stayed around Natalia. She made sure every minute felt miserable.

“Amelia, kneel.” She said it casually one afternoon in the backyard.

I looked at her. “What?”

“You heard me.” She smiled sweetly. “The sun feels nice today. Kneel here for a bit.”

So I knelt. The stone burned under my knees and sweat soaked the bandages on my back.

Two hours later she clapped her hands lightly. “Alright. Now go wipe the floor.”

“It’s already clean.”

“I know.” She tilted her head, amused. “But I want it cleaner.”

So I wiped it again. And again.

Later she handed me tea and then suddenly tipped the cup forward. Hot liquid splashed across my hands.

I didn’t even flinch.

“Oh no,” she said softly. “Did that burn you?”

I kept cleaning.

That night she leaned back on the couch watching me quietly. “You know something, Amelia?”

“What.”

“Westley told me something before he left.” She smiled like she was sharing a secret. “When he comes back this time, he’s going to marry me.”

My hand trembled slightly. Tea spilled across my fingers again but I barely felt it.

“Congratulations,” I said.

That evening I went to the kitchen to get her dinner. The second I stepped into the hallway, shouting erupted from the front yard.

“What’s going on?” I grabbed a servant rushing past.

“Mr. Grimshaw is back!” the man said breathlessly. “He rushed back for Miss Natalia’s birthday but his convoy got attacked on the highway. He was shot.”

The tray slipped from my hands. Plates shattered everywhere.

I didn’t care. I ran.

The backyard was chaos. Guards shouting, doctors pushing through with medical bags. I forced my way through the crowd.

Westley lay on a stretcher. Blood soaked his shirt near the chest.

Natalia clung to him crying. “Westley, please wake up. Don’t scare me like this.”

The mansion stayed lit the entire night. I stood outside the medical room listening to doctors rushing in and out.

Finally one came out wiping sweat from his forehead. “The bullet is out but it was poisoned.”

Natalia grabbed his sleeve. “Then fix it!”

“There is a way,” he said carefully. “But it requires a large blood transfusion. Someone with the same rare blood type. A lot of blood.”

“How much?”

“Enough that the donor might die.”

Natalia’s face turned pale instantly. “I… have that blood type. But I’ve always been weak since I was young. If you take that much blood…”

Her eyes slowly slid toward me.

“Sister,” she said sweetly.

I didn’t move.

“You have the same blood type, don’t you?” she continued gently. “Westley has taken care of you for years. Isn’t it time you repay him?”

My back still throbbed from old wounds and the fake death drug made my chest feel tight.

I stayed silent.

Her expression cooled. “What? You think you can refuse me?”

She looked at the guards. “Hold her.”

Two men grabbed my shoulders and forced me onto a medical table.

“Sorry about this,” the doctor muttered.

A needle slid into my vein and a blood bag slowly began filling.

Warmth drained from my body.

First bag.

Second bag.

My head started spinning.

Third bag.

The room blurred and the sound of blood dripping into plastic bags echoed in my ears.

The doctor frowned. “That should be enough.”

Natalia’s voice cut in. “One more.”

The fourth bag filled slowly. My vision darkened at the edges.

Then everything went black.

When I woke again I was back in my own backyard. Someone had dumped me on the bed like a sack of trash.

The wound near my chest hadn’t even been treated. Blood had dried into the fabric of my clothes, sticking painfully to my skin.

I slowly pulled the cloth away. One tear. Pain shot straight through my chest. Another tear. My hands started shaking. Cold sweat soaked the mattress but I didn’t even have the strength to make a sound.

After cleaning the wound as best as I could, I collapsed back against the pillow.

My body felt empty.

My heart felt worse.

Eventually… I fell asleep.

…

In my dream I was twelve again.

Snow everywhere. Cold that bit straight into the bones. My little sister’s hand clutched tight in mine as we walked through empty streets looking for food. The famine had turned the whole town quiet. People stopped talking when they were hungry that long.

“Don’t let go,” she whispered.

“I won’t,” I told her.

But the snow kept getting deeper. My fingers felt numb. What if I couldn’t hold on forever? What if I lost her too?

Bang.

The door slammed open so hard it hit the wall.

I woke up with a jolt. Westley stormed into the room looking like a storm ready to explode. His eyes were dark and furious.

“Amelia Meadow!”

Before I could even sit up, he grabbed my arm and yanked me off the bed. Pain ripped through my chest and my legs almost gave out.

“What the hell did I tell you before I left?” he demanded. “Didn’t I make it clear that you were supposed to protect Natalia?”

I stayed quiet.

He tightened his grip and dragged me closer. “Then explain something to me. Why did she end up giving blood for my treatment? Why did she nearly die while you stood there doing nothing?”

My chest hurt where the stitches were tearing but I didn’t react.

“Talk!” His fingers grabbed my chin and forced my face up. “Who gave you the guts to ignore my order?”

My throat felt dry. “I know I was wrong.”

Even saying it hurt.

Because I knew the truth.

Natalia had taken credit for what I did and twisted the story so it looked like I forced her to help. But what was the point of explaining? Would he believe me?

No.

Of course not.

Westley stared at me for a moment like he was deciding how angry he wanted to be.

“Since you’re admitting it,” he said coldly, “then you can reflect on your mistake.”

I didn’t answer.

“You’ll stay in the basement until you confess properly,” he continued. “No food. Just water. Maybe hunger will help you remember what loyalty means.”

Then he let go and walked out.

The guards dragged me downstairs not long after.

The basement smelled like rot and damp concrete. I barely had time to sit before I heard scratching sounds in the dark.

Rats.

Big ones.

Hungry ones.

I laughed quietly to myself. Was this supposed to scare me? After everything else, was this really the worst he could do?

By the time they opened the door again, I didn’t even know how many days had passed. Three? Four? Five? I don't know.

Blinding sunlight poured in and burned my eyes.

Hands pulled me outside and dumped me on the ground.

My body felt shredded. Bite marks and scratches covered my arms and legs. My clothes were torn and sticky with dried blood.

I saw Westley standing a few feet away with his hands behind his back.

“Do you understand your mistake now?” he asked.

His voice was calm. Too calm.

I stayed on the ground and forced myself to speak. “Yeah. I understand.”

My voice barely came out.

“This is your only warning,” he said. “Don’t make me repeat this lesson again.”

Something small landed beside me.

A pill.

“This will keep you alive,” he added. “Take it and go heal yourself. You look disgusting.”

I slowly picked it up with shaking fingers.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

The pill tasted bitter when I swallowed it. But honestly? My heart already tasted worse.

Back in my small backyard room, I cleaned my wounds alone. No doctor. No nurse. Just me.

The drug I had taken earlier was slowly doing its job. My heartbeat kept getting weaker day by day. The man who gave it to me said the body would stop breathing on the fourtenth day.

That was all I needed and I counted each one quietly. Maybe this was freedom. Maybe dying was the only way out of this place.

…

Soon Natalia’s birthday arrived.

The mansion turned into a giant party. Expensive cars lined the driveway and rich guests filled the halls with laughter and champagne.

I stood in the corner like always.

Natalia walked down the stairs in a glittering silver dress, smiling like she owned the world. Guests kept handing her gifts. Designer jewelry, luxury watches, limited edition handbags.

Westley stepped forward last. He handed her a small velvet box.

She opened it and gasped. “Westley… this is beautiful!”

Inside was a custom diamond necklace. Huge stones. Probably worth more than most people’s houses. He stepped behind her and fastened it around her neck.

“It suits you,” he said.

She leaned into him happily. “Of course it does. You have good taste.”

Everyone laughed.

After a while she slowly walked across the room and stopped right in front of me.

“Amelia,” she said sweetly. “You’ve been standing there all night. Aren’t you going to wish me a happy birthday?”

“Happy birthday.”

“And my gift?” she asked.

I stayed silent.

She tilted her head. “Wait. Don’t tell me you didn’t prepare anything.”

“I’m just security,” I said quietly. “I don’t have anything worth giving.”

She pouted dramatically and looked around at the guests. “Did you hear that? My own sister didn’t bring me a birthday gift.”

A few people chuckled.

Then her eyes lit up like she had a brilliant idea.

“Oh I know,” she said. “Why don’t you entertain us instead?”

My stomach tightened.

“You used to fight your way out of underground arenas before Westley picked you up, right?” she continued with a playful smile. “I’ve heard those stories but I never got to see it myself.”

I looked at her silently.

She clapped her hands. “Perfect. There are some starving Leopards in the backyard cage. Why don’t you fight them?”

The room went quiet.

“Come on,” she added with a laugh. “Show everyone how amazing you are.”

My eyes slowly moved toward Westley. For a second he frowned slightly. Maybe he would stop this.

Maybe.

Natalia noticed and immediately hugged his arm. “If you’re worried about your bodyguard getting hurt then forget it. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Westley looked down at her. “That’s not it.”

“Then what?” she asked softly.

“I was just thinking it might be too bloody,” he said. “You might get scared.”

She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. “Not if you’re here.”

Then he looked straight at me.

“Go.”

Two words.

That was all it took. I bit my lips hard and nodded.

…

Inside the cage, four leopards paced slowly, their eyes locked on me like I was already dead.

Their ribs showed through their skin. They were starving.

So was I, in a way.

My arm still hadn’t healed and my chest felt tight every time I breathed. My body was slower than usual. Weak. Unstable.

Great timing.

The first leopard lunged.

I barely dodged to the side and grabbed the knife strapped to my thigh, driving it straight into its side. Warm blood splashed across my face and hands.

The other two went crazy.

“Come on…” I muttered under my breath. “Just come already.”

The second one came from the left. I twisted, slashing across its face, but it still managed to knock me off balance. I hit the ground hard.

The third one didn’t hesitate.

Its jaws sank into my arm.

Pain exploded through my body and I let out a low sound, not even a full scream. More like something breaking inside me.

I shoved the blade into its neck again and again until it let go.

I staggered back, my arm bleeding badly.

For a second my vision blurred.

And I thought I saw Westley stand up from his seat.

Did he finally care?