Chapter 4
I lost track of how many times they hurled me into the air.
Each drop felt like the last–my lungs burning, the wind slamming against my face, my body snapping back violently as the bungee cord reached its limit. My cries echoed into nothingness, vanishing into the night like they never existed. Every time I was hoisted back up, I begged them to stop, my voice raw and tattered beyond recognition. But my pleas were ignored.
No one came to help. No one cared.
The ordeal continued, over and over, until my voice gave out entirely. My body felt detached from itself–heavy, limp, and on the brink of collapse. Every muscle ached, my limbs barely responding. I wondered if I was already dying… or maybe I already had.
Somewhere in the middle of it all, the sun had disappeared behind the horizon. The cold crept in, slowly at first, then all at once, cutting through my soaked dress like blades. I was shivering uncontrollably, my skin damp with a mixture of sweat, tears, and fear.
I managed to lift my head just enough to glance at the butler. My lips barely moved, my voice nearly inaudible.
“Please… no more. I can’t… my baby…”
For the first time, something shifted in his eyes. He didn’t speak, but I saw the flicker of guilt or maybe doubt–flicker across his features. He stepped back and pulled out his phone with trembling fingers.
He dialed Lucien.
I could barely make out the conversation over the ringing in my ears, but some words made it through.
“Sir, it’s been too long. She looks pale… dangerously so. If we keep going–she might not survive. And the baby…”
Continue,” Lucien said coldly, his tone void of hesitation.
Then a female voice filtered through the line–soft, sickeningly sweet.
Vanessa.}}
“Lucien… maybe she really can’t handle this anymore,” she said with mock concern lacing her voice. “What if something goes wrong?”
“If it does, so be it,” Lucien snapped. “Let it happen. She brought this on herself. Keep it going until sunrise.”
The butler didn’t say another word. He looked at me briefly, his eyes blank again, and turned back to the harness.§
Then… he pushed me off once more.
This time, my body didn’t fight.
There was no resistance left in me—just limp limbs and the numbing sound of air rushing past. My mind drifted far from the moment. I was barely conscious, the wind lulling me into a cruel sleep.
But then–suddenly, violently–pain erupted in my abdomen,
My eyes flew open as I gasped, instinctively clutching my stomach. Warm liquid gushed down my thighs, and sheer panic surged through
me.E
No.
Not now.
Please, not like this.
A strangled sound escaped me as agony gripped every part of my body. My fingernails clawed into my skin, my legs quivering beneath me. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. The pain intensified, wave after wave, merciless and unrelenting.§
And then-
Something shifted inside me.
Something… let go.
And after that-
A soft splash.
A small, heart–shattering sound that changed everything.”
The world went silent.
My body became weightless, my breath frozen in my lungs. I couldn’t process it. I couldn’t even blink. My baby…”
My babies.
Darkness swallowed me whole just as the bungee cord recoiled, jerking me upward once more.
I must’ve blacked out.
Because when I came to, it wasn’t from sleep–it was from the impact of a boot slamming into my ribs. “Wake up.”
The pain barely registered. I was beyond pain now. Beyond everything.
Another kick landed, harder than the first.@
“Stop faking it. You think I’m that gullible?” Lucien’s voice was sharp, filled with irritation. “Get. Up.” But I couldn’t move.
I couldn’t even lift my head.
A shuffle of feet. The butler stepped forward, voice tight with concern.
“Sir… Miss Mara fainted. Her condition’s deteriorated. Her body’s failing.”
Lucien scoffed. “She’s just weak.”
He turned, annoyed, ready to storm off–when he stopped dead in his tracks.}]
“The hell is that?”
There was a strange edge in his voice–confusion, almost disbelief.
He approached the pool.
I didn’t follow. I couldn’t. But I heard every word.
“What’s wrong with the pool?” he demanded. “Why is there… something red floating in there?“>
Silence stretched uncomfortably long.
Then-
“Are those… toys? Two of them?”
Another pause.
“Are they… shaped like infants?”
The air went still, colder than before.
PA
さい
–
Lucien turned back toward me, disbelief plastered across his face.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
The butler’s breath caught. Then slowly, cautiously, he answered.
“Sir…”
He took a deep breath, as though forcing the words out.
“Miss Mara’s… her stomach. It’s flat.”
Lucien froze.
“What?”
The butler lifted a shaking hand and pointed toward the pool.
“Those… those aren’t toys. I think those are… your twins.”
