Her voice sharpened instantly, all softness gone.

“Are you serious right now?” she snapped. “She just walked in here? No knock, no announcement, nothing? That’s insane. Who does she think she is? She has no manners at all. None.”

I stood there holding the soup bowl, my fingers tightening around the ceramic until it almost hurt, my hands shaking a little. Why am I shaking? I didn’t even do anything wrong. But my body didn’t care what I thought.

For a second, I almost forgot what this place used to be. Back then, when Ezekiel was still getting targeted in enemy territories, he used to wake up from nightmares shaking and furious, and the only way he could sleep was if I stayed nearby, so he gave me access and no one questioned it. That was the old rule. But rules didn’t mean anything anymore.

I slowly lowered my head.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

My knees bent before I even fully decided to move, and I knelt down. “I know I was wrong for coming in without permission,” I added, still not looking up. “I disturbed the boss and Miss Cassandra.”

Cassandra didn’t stop there.

She leaned closer into Ezekiel like she was performing for an audience, her tone turning sharper, almost disgusted.

“No, no, this isn’t just a mistake,” she said. “She does this on purpose. She’s been around too long, so she thinks she’s above rules. That’s what it is. People like her always act entitled when they get too comfortable.”

She tilted her head toward me.

“And honestly, it’s disgusting. Standing there pretending to be loyal when she clearly doesn’t understand her place.”

My throat felt tight, but I didn’t react. What place? Did I even have one anymore?

Ezekiel looked at me then, not angry, not kind, just… complicated in a way that made my chest feel heavier. But Cassandra didn’t give him space to think.

“She needs to be punished,” she said quickly. “If you don’t correct this now, she’ll keep doing it. Next time she’ll walk in during meetings. Or worse. You can’t just let her off with an apology. That’s not how respect works.”

Silence followed.

Then Ezekiel spoke.

“Since you disrupted her,” he said, eyes still not fully on me, “you’ll handle it yourself.”

I blinked once.

Did he just…

“Slap yourself,” he added.

The room felt smaller after that.

My fingers went numb around the bowl, and for a second I actually looked at him. Really looked. And I saw it. His eyes weren’t fully here, like he was somewhere else I couldn’t reach anymore.

Cassandra smiled, small and satisfied.

My chest dropped.

So this is it, huh?

I slowly set the soup bowl down, my movements distant, almost automatic, like I was watching someone else do it. Then I knelt again, and raised my hand.

The first slap landed hard across my face.

The sound cracked through the room.

Cassandra leaned forward immediately.

“Oh wow,” she said, almost laughing. “That’s it? That’s what you’re doing? Are you even trying? That looked pathetic.”

My cheek burned. I didn’t answer.

Second slap.

Harder.

My vision blurred for a second, but I kept going. Another. And another. I lost count somewhere between pain and silence, my skin stinging, then splitting slightly at the corner of my mouth, warm blood mixing with cold air.

Cassandra kept talking.

“Honestly, if you’re going to do it, at least do it properly,” she said. “Or is this your way of begging for attention? Acting weak so he feels sorry for you?”

I kept slapping. Because what else was I supposed to do? Stop? And then what?

Ezekiel finally spoke again.

“Enough,” he said.

No emotion. Just finality.

Cassandra turned to him instantly.

“Are you stopping it because you feel bad for her?” she asked softly, voice sharp underneath. “Or because you don’t want me upset?”

He didn’t answer that directly. Instead, he pulled her closer.

“I’m not thinking about her,” he said. “I just don’t want my appetite ruined.”

He turned slightly toward me.

“Bring the soup,” he ordered.

So I did.

My face throbbed with every step, but I still walked over and lifted the bowl again.

Cassandra leaned in the moment I placed it down, sniffed it, then smiled.

“Oh,” she said brightly. “This actually smells really good.”

Then she looked at Ezekiel.

“Can I try it?”

“Sure,” he said without hesitation.

She took a spoonful, paused, then smiled wider.

“This is amazing,” she said, voice turning sweet again as she wrapped herself around his arm. “Boss, why don’t you just give her to me? She’s useful. I could use someone like her at my place.”

My hand tightened slightly at my side.

Give me… away?

Like I was a tool?

Ezekiel frowned a little.

“No,” he said. “She’s the only one I rely on for certain things. Pick someone else.”

Cassandra’s face changed instantly, not angry, not upset, just petulant. She leaned closer, voice soft but sharp underneath.

“But I want her,” she said slowly. “Just for one day. Just send her to me for a day. That’s not a big deal, right? You can always take her back.”

She pressed her cheek against his shoulder.

“Please? Just one day. Don’t you spoil me a little?”

“…Fine,” he said. “Just for a day.”

Something inside me went still.

A day.

That’s all it took.

Cassandra smiled immediately, victorious, then turned to me.

“Get up,” she said. “You’re coming with me.”

I stood slowly. My face still burned, and my mouth still tasted like blood. My body still felt like it didn’t belong to me.

But I moved anyway.

Because I always move when told.

…

The moment we stepped into her place and the door shut behind us, everything changed.

The smile on Cassandra’s face disappeared, completely gone, leaving behind something cold and empty, something real. She didn’t need to speak at first, because one look was enough for the woman beside her to move.

I didn’t even see it coming.

A sharp kick slammed into the back of my knee, forcing my leg to give out instantly, and I dropped hard onto the floor. Pain shot up my spine, and a broken sound slipped from my throat before I could stop it.

Cassandra walked toward me slowly, without any rush or hesitation, her heels clicking softly against the floor, each step controlled and deliberate. Then she crouched down and grabbed my chin, her nails digging into my skin as she forced my head up.

Her eyes were cold.

“So,” she said quietly, her voice calm but carrying something darker underneath, “you’re more useful than I thought.”

Her grip tightened slightly.

“Even he hesitated to give you to me. That’s impressive. For someone like you.”

Someone like me.

I didn’t respond, because there was nothing I could say.

She leaned closer, her gaze sharp and almost curious.

“But don’t misunderstand,” she continued, her voice lowering, “if he actually cared about you, do you think I’d be able to treat you like this right now? Do you think he’d stand there and watch you get humiliated and not stop it?” Her lips curved faintly. “No. If you mattered, you would be untouchable.” Her nails pressed harder into my skin. “So get that into your head. You’re not special. You’re just something he got used to using.”

Something he got used to using.

I lowered my eyes.

“I understand,” I said quietly. “I won’t think beyond my place.”

She studied me for a moment, then let go abruptly and pushed my face to the side.

“That’s good,” she said. “Because if I ever find out you’re still holding onto stupid thoughts, I won’t just embarrass you. I’ll break you properly, slowly, and I won’t stop until you beg for it to end.”

I swallowed, my throat dry.

“I won’t,” I repeated softly.

She stood up and brushed her hands together as if she had touched something dirty.

“Good,” she said. “Then start working.”

And it didn’t stop after that.

She had me in the kitchen first.

“Cook,” she said simply.

So I did. I made what she asked for, careful and precise, following every step the way I knew how. She took one bite, then frowned.

“Too salty,” she said flatly.

Before I could respond, she picked up the bowl and threw it. The hot food hit my arm and chest, burning instantly. I flinched, but I didn’t step back.

“I’ll make another one,” I said.

The second time, she tasted it again.

“This is bland,” she said, her voice colder now. “Do you even know what you’re doing, or are you just pretending to be competent so you can stay close to him?”

The bowl came at me again.

I made it again.

And again.

And again.

Each time, there was something wrong. Too much. Too little. Not right. And each time, it ended the same way.

By the time she was done, my hands were shaking so badly I could barely hold the utensils anymore.

Then she got bored.

“Clean the place,” she said, waving her hand dismissively. “All of it. I don’t want to see a single spot left untouched.”

All of it.

Ground floor. Stairs. Rooms. Top floor.

I didn’t argue.I just started.

I wiped floors, scrubbed surfaces, cleaned glass, and carried things back and forth until my arms felt heavy and useless. Every movement hurt, but I kept going. Time blurred, and at some point I stopped thinking.

Just move. Just finish. Just don’t stop.

When I finally finished, I stood there quietly, waiting.

She walked through the space slowly, looking around, then clicked her tongue.

“This is what you call clean?” she said, her tone filled with disgust. “Are you blind, or just stupid?”

My chest tightened.

“I’ll redo it,” I said.

She laughed, a short and sharp sound.

“No,” she said. “You don’t get to fix it that easily.”

She turned slightly.

“Bring it,” she ordered.

Someone stepped forward behind me, and before I could react, they grabbed my hands, rough and tight. Something hard pressed against my fingers.

Wood.

My breath caught.

“Wait—”

Too late.

They tightened it.

Pain exploded through my fingers so suddenly I couldn’t even process it. It felt like my bones were being crushed slowly and deliberately. I gasped, my body jerking forward as a broken sound escaped me.

Cassandra watched, calm and attentive, as if this was nothing more than a passing moment.

“This is what happens,” she said, her voice steady and almost bored, “when someone forgets their place and tries to act above it.”

The pressure increased.

I couldn’t hold it in anymore.

A scream tore out of my throat, raw and uncontrollable, echoing through the room.

It hurts! It hurt so much.

My vision blurred, my body shaking, but they didn’t stop. Not until I couldn’t even tell where the pain ended anymore.

…

By the time Reed showed up to take me back, I was barely holding on.

My body felt heavy, my hands throbbed, my back burned, and every breath hurt. I didn’t even know how long I’d been there. Cassandra looked at me before I left, her lips curving into a slow, cold smile.

“Look at you,” she said, tilting her head. “You’re still alive. That’s impressive.”

Her eyes dropped to my hands, then back to my face.

“When you get back,” she continued, her voice soft but sharp underneath, “you know what to say and what not to say, right? Or do I need to remind you again?”

I lowered my head.

“I understand,” I said quietly.

She stepped closer.

“No, I don’t think you do,” she murmured. “Let me make it clearer. If you open your mouth and say anything you shouldn’t… even a single word… I won’t just hurt you next time. I’ll make sure you beg for death and still don’t get it.”

My fingers trembled slightly.

“I won’t say anything,” I repeated.

She smiled.

“Good. That’s what I like to hear.”

Then she waved her hand dismissively.

“Take her away. She’s making the place look ugly.”

Reed didn’t say much when he helped me out, just a quiet look, a tight jaw, controlled anger he didn’t show. We went straight back.

Ezekiel was already in his room, sitting behind his desk, going through documents like nothing else existed. He didn’t even look up when we walked in.

“You’re back,” he said flatly. “How was your time with Cassandra?”

I opened my mouth, but I didn’t get to answer.

“Boss!” my friend rushed forward, dropping to her knees so fast it echoed. “You have to do something! Elowyn was tortured! Cassandra didn’t just punish her, she went too far! Her hands… they almost—”

“Enough.”

Ezekiel’s voice cut through her instantly.

He finally looked up, not at me, but at her, his eyes sharp.

“Take her out,” he said. “Twenty lashes.”

My friend froze.

So did I.

My heart dropped.

“No—” I forced myself forward despite the pain and dropped to my knees. “Boss, this has nothing to do with her. She just spoke out of turn. Don’t punish her for this, please—”

His gaze shifted to me, annoyed.

“Nothing to do with her?” he repeated slowly. “She just accused someone who’s about to stand beside me publicly. You call that unrelated?”

My chest tightened.

“She didn’t mean it like that—”

“She spoke,” he cut in. “And what she said crosses the line. That’s enough.”

Future… beside him.

So that’s how it is.

Even words against Cassandra weren’t allowed.

Not even a little.

I swallowed hard, then lowered myself further until my forehead touched the floor.

“Then let me take it,” I said quietly. “Punish me instead. She doesn’t deserve this.”

There was a pause, heavy and dangerous.

“Elowyn,” he said, his voice colder now, “are you going against me?”

I didn’t move.

“I’m asking you to let me take it,” I repeated. “Please.”

Silence stretched.

“Fine.”

The word hit hard.

“If you want it so badly, you can have it,” he said. “Take her place. Twenty strokes.”

My back went stiff.

“Take her out,” he added, already looking back down at his desk. “Make it count.”

They dragged me out before I could think anymore.

Then it started.

The first hit landed across my back, sharp and heavy, knocking the air out of me. I bit down hard.

Second.

Third.

Each one tore through me, pain spreading deeper and hotter until I couldn’t tell where it started or ended.

Don’t make a sound.

Don’t make a sound.

I clenched my teeth harder.

By the time it ended, I wasn’t sure how I was still conscious.

They dragged me back to my room after.

I didn’t even feel the ground properly anymore.

Just… weight.

Darkness.

Later that night, Reed came in quietly.

He brought medicine, sat beside me, and sighed.

“Why do you keep doing this to yourself?” he muttered. “You know he still cares. He just… can’t see clearly right now. He’s too caught up in her.”

I didn’t answer.

I just let him treat the wounds.

Care doesn’t look like this.

Does it?

I kept that thought to myself.

Because it didn’t matter.

Not anymore.

The next day came too fast.

Ezekiel was heading out to the mountains for a hunt, and Cassandra went with him. He stood there in black, fitted gear, rifle slung over his shoulder, sharp and untouchable under the sunlight.

People stared.

Of course they did.

He helped her onto the horse himself, carefully and slowly, even lowering his hand so she could step on it to climb up easier. Cassandra laughed softly, leaning into him, and people noticed.

They always did.

“Did you see that?” someone whispered nearby. “He actually did that for her.”

“Yeah,” another voice replied. “Everyone says he’s ruthless. Took down his own brother’s faction, wiped out enemies without blinking. But look at him now… he’s completely different around her.”

“Right? Elowyn’s been with him for years, went through everything with him, and I’ve never seen him treat her like that.”

“Guess it really depends on who you are.”

I heard every word.

Of course I did.

I just didn’t react.

I kept my head down and followed behind them.

That was my role.

During the hunt, it got worse.

He stayed close to Cassandra the entire time. When she got tired, he slowed down. When she complained, he listened. When she missed a shot, he guided her hands, steady and patient.

At one point, she spat out fruit seeds, and he caught them without hesitation. Later, she handed him something she had already taken a bite from.

He ate it with no hesitation.

I had never seen that before. Not in all the years I stood beside him. So that’s what it looks like.

I lowered my eyes again.

And kept walking.

….

By late afternoon, Cassandra got bored with the hunt, and she let out a small sigh while tossing her rifle aside to one of the men.

“This is getting dull,” she said, stretching a little as she leaned closer to Ezekiel. “They just run and die. There’s no challenge at all. I want something more interesting.”

Ezekiel glanced at her, and there was that patience in his voice again, the kind I never heard directed at me.

“Then tell me what you want,” he said calmly. “I’ll arrange it.”

She smiled slowly, and her eyes moved across all of us standing behind them.

“I want to try something different today,” she said. “Something more fun. I want a live target.”

The moment those words left her mouth, everything went quiet.

No one moved, but I could feel the tension. People lowered their heads, trying to disappear, and even the guards stiffened slightly.

But Ezekiel didn’t react much.

“If that’s what you want,” he said, like it didn’t matter at all, “then do it.”

That was enough for her.

She laughed, clearly pleased, and started pointing around lazily while dragging it out on purpose.

“Not you. You look like you’d faint. And you… no, you’d probably cry before I even shoot.”

Some of them forced small laughs, but no one actually relaxed.

Then her finger stopped.

On me.

“I’ll take her,” she said, her voice bright. “That one. She looks like she can handle it.”

My chest tightened, but I didn’t move.

Ezekiel followed her gaze, and for a second, he just looked at me. I couldn’t read his expression, and I didn’t even know what I was hoping for anymore.

“Hmm?” Cassandra tilted her head slightly, her voice soft but pressing. “What’s wrong? You don’t want me to pick her? I thought you said I could have whatever I wanted.”

He looked away.

“As you wish,” he said.

That was it.

Something inside me just… dropped.

It reminded me too much of before, and I didn’t even want to remember it, but I still did. Back then, when we were trapped, there was someone who forced him to stand as a target just for amusement, and every time that happened, I stepped in front of him without thinking.

I still remembered the arrows. The sound. The pain. The one that went through my shoulder and left me burning for days.

He stayed with me that time.

He changed my bandages himself, and his voice was low when he told me not to do something so stupid again.

And I still said I had to protect him.

I thought it meant something.

Now… it didn’t.

I took a breath and stepped forward.

They handed me a watermelon, and I held it up the way they told me to. My arms already felt weak, but I kept them steady because I knew better than to show anything.

“Don’t move,” Cassandra called out, smiling as she lifted the rifle. “If I miss, that’s on you.”

Someone behind her laughed nervously.

“Miss Cassandra’s aim is perfect,” they said quickly. “She won’t miss.”

“Of course she won’t,” another added. “Boss himself trained her.”

Ezekiel stood beside her, watching, and then he said quietly, “Take your time. You’ll hit it.”

She adjusted her stance and aimed.

The first shot rang out, and the bullet clipped the edge cleanly.

People started praising her immediately.

“That was perfect!”

“Did you see that?”

She smiled wider.

Second shot.

It hit even cleaner this time, and the watermelon cracked slightly.

More praise followed, louder now, and even Ezekiel gave a small nod.

“Good,” he said.

My arms were starting to shake, but I forced them still.

Then she didn’t shoot right away.

She took her time.

Adjusted again.

And I noticed it.

The barrel shifted.

Not at the watermelon anymore.

Lower.

Toward me.

My breath caught, and something cold spread through my chest.

Is she… serious?

I didn’t move.

I couldn’t.

If I moved, would that make it worse?

“Stay still,” she said softly, almost amused.

Then she pulled the trigger.

The shot came fast.

Too fast.

And the next second, something slammed into my chest.

The impact knocked the air out of me, and my grip loosened as the watermelon slipped from my hands and hit the ground.

My vision turned red, and the world felt far away, like I was already being pulled out of it.

So this is it?

After everything?

My body stopped responding, and the last thing I felt was that cold taking over everything before the darkness swallowed everything.

“Somebody fucking call an ambulance!”

Finally, I can be with Hunter in my next life.