None of this makes sense.What the hell is going on?Hazel was just fine in the morning, so why? Why is this happening now?!Ryan can’t wrap his head around it. It still feels like a nightmare.Just this morning, before he went out, she smiled brightly at him. Just this morning, before he left, she smiled at him. He kissed her, and she kissed him back. He crouched down, kissed her bump, rubbed it, felt it.They were both okay in the morning… Then all of a sudden, he comes back, hears her cry, rushes to her room—only to find her trembling on the ground, unconscious, bleeding.The terror he felt then was unmatched. The terror he feels now is even worse.They’re all here—Ryan, Adora, Selene, and Lennox. The moment Lennox was informed his wife was rushed to the hospital and that her and the baby’s life were at stake, he left everything he was doing and drove at full speed to get here.Now they all sit, stand, pace restlessly in the hospital waiting room, drowning in the silence.Hazel has
Ryan stands still in the quiet, cold room.“Beep”“Beep”“Beep”The steady beeping of the monitors is the only sound breaking the heavy silence. Each cruel beep, a hopeful reminder that Hazel is still here with himHe shouldn’t give up… not yet— noot when she hasn’t herself. Not when she’s still fighting for her life.He stands motionless beside the hospital bed, his chest rising and falling in shallow, uneven breaths.He stares at Hazel’s unconscious body lying on it, his eyes tracing the wires, tubes, machines all connected to her. They’re meant to keep her alive… yet, they make her look even more lifeless.His chest tightens, like a blunt knife, passing through it. What the doctors had said before letting them in, it’s still echoing painfully in his mind.“As a team, We decided to focus on saving Hazel because her chances of survival were higher than the baby’s.”He lost his child.His son.Ryan blinks rapidly, trying to push back in the tears welling up in his eyes, but they betray
Lennox lets out a harsh exhale as he reclines into his swivel chair, his gaze lifting to the cold, dark ceiling. There underground, in his second office, where most people never make it out alive— They either die at his or his mens kill them, or end up killing themselves.“Please… please, sir, I’m just a doctor. I did all the checkups, I swear I—”“Arsh!” Lennox grunts in annoyance and irritation. His fist lands on the desk with a force that echoes through the room and instantly moves, a loud punch echoes through the cold walls.“Who gave you permission to speak?!!” Rafa shouts.A sigh slips through Lennox’s lips as he finally turns his chair to face the scene in front of him, his gaze dropping to the three trembling figures before himAdora, his long-time housekeeper Mrs. Huxley, the new midwife, and Dr. Marchet, the family obstetrician. They’re kneeling before him, arms tied behind their backs, ankles bound together.All this time, all they’ve done is fail him.It’s time to get rid
Hours pass, and Ryan hasn’t moved. He sits motionless in the chair, his head resting on the side of Hazel’s hospital bed, his hands tightly holding hers. His fingers are numb, but he refuses to let go.Until—Her fingers twitch against his hold, startling him. He lurches upright, his head snapping up, his gaze locking onto Hazel’s face.He stands abruptly, still holding her hand firmly.“Hazel…” he calls softly, staring at her intently. “Hazel, are you awake?”His breath catches in his throat as her head shifts to the side, her eyes slowly fluttering open as if she’s trying to regain consciousness.He watches as her dry lips part slightly. “My… baby…” she struggles to speak, her voice is hoarse, fragile. “Whe—where’s my baby… my son?”Ryan’s heart shatters into tiny pieces at her words.How is he supposed to tell her… he’s dead.He lets go of her hand and leans in, cupping her face between his trembling palms. “It’s okay, Hazel.” His voice is gentle but strained. “He’s in a better plac
Content Warning: Chapter contains physical violence.“DAD!!” Ryan yells, shock and fear coursing through his veins.He storms toward the monitor. “What the hell are you doing?” he yells, his eyes darting wildly across the split screen on the monitor.In one of them, Adora is there—her body hanging upside down in one of the locked rooms.“What should be done,” Lennox answers curtly, increasing the dread Ryan feels.His eyes shift to the next screen, and he sees the family doctor, Dr. Marchet, lying down on a table that he’s chained to. He seems fine at first, but when Ryan squints, looking further into the screen, he sees it—the doctor’s index and thumb fingers on both hands have been cut off.Looking at another screen, they don’t seem to be doing anything to Mrs. Huxely, yet she’s on the floor, screaming and shouting like invisible people are stabbing her repeatedly with a sharp knife.Ryan turns back toward Lennox, who is now standing up. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, you
After taking a short walk around the hospital, Selene steps back inside and makes her way toward the waiting area near Hazel’s room.Just as she turns down the hallway that leads to Hazel’s hospital room, Ryan comes storming around the corner. He’s moving so fast that his shoulder smacks into hers as he passes. He doesn’t even care to look back, let alone apologize.Not like he ever would. He hates her.Selene spins around with a sharp scowl. She hisses through her teeth, eyes narrowing as she glares at him disappearing from sight. “Brat.”But then something stirs in her mind.“Wait… where is he rushing to? Isn’t Hazel still…” She trips over her thoughts, suddenly alert, and quickens her pace toward Hazel’s room.When she arrives, her personal bodyguard stands dutifully outside the door, guarding her… as always.Selene takes a step closer to him, her eyes fixed on his, covered with black shades. “Excuse me, Mrs. Zephyr, how is she?” Selene asks.“Mrs. Zephyr just woke up, ma’am. The do
~Ryan~“Arrgh!” I gasp as a splash of cold water snaps me awake. My chest heaves relentlessly, breath short and fast.“Nngh!” I groan, my eyes squeezing shut as my head lurching side to side. I can still feel the electricity pulsing through my veins.“Goddamn Rafa!” I yell, eyes snapping open as I jerk forward—only to be yanked back by a sudden force.“Hahaha,” my dad’s familiar laugh echoes around me, and I quickly look down to see the state I’m in.Restrained, body soaking wet, water dripping from my clothes—meaning they must have tried several times to wake me up.I wriggle my hands, which are tied to the arms of the chair, shake my legs tied to the legs of the chair, try to move my torso, which is duct taped around the chair forward, but I don’t budge. They have me bound to this chair tight! And I won’t be able to leave unless they let me leave.My father’s irritating laugh fills the air again, closer now. “Quit being so stubborn, Ryan. It’ll take you nowhere.”I sharply turn to th
“The doctors said I can’t get pregnant again.”The moment those words leave my mouth, his face changes. His expression collapses—eyes wide, stunned, almost… horrified.It’s the first time I’ve seen Lennox this visibly shaken, and honestly, I nearly laugh. I hold the file out to him. He snatches it from my hand and tears it open, flipping through the pages like a man searching for a lie. His movements, frantic and rough.When the doctors first told me, I wasn’t sad. I wasn’t angry.In fact. I loved it.It’s for the best, really. I don’t want to ever go through that pain again—to carry life and then have it ripped out of me before it can even breathe on its own.And knowing Lennox, he’d obviously want to get me pregnant again the moment I step foot back into this mansion.I watch him as he urgently tries to find the meaning og documents in his hand. My lips part to speak, not letting him do so,“According to the statement of the doctors and results, it is advised that I don’t conceiv
TRIGGER WARNING: Contains Offscreen Non-con, Murder.(Originally meant to be written in first pov)*~7 years ago~*The car screeched to a halt in front of 19-year-old Selene’s house.“Bye, babe,” she leaned in and kissed her boyfriend behind the steering wheel.It was 3 a.m., she had sneaked out of her house to go clubbing with her friends and boyfriend, and after that, went to her boyfriend's place to get even more freaky.“I wished you could’ve stayed over for the night. I’m already missing that kitty.”She giggled. “Some other time, baby. You know how my parents are. If they wake up and don’t see me, they’ll come with the police to your house.”In about four months she’d turn twenty, yet her parents still cherished her.Their lips met again in a slippery kiss before she pulled away, slipping out of the car and jogging toward the house.She was about to head towards the back door when she realized the front was slightly ajar.Fear and curiosity peaked in her as she walked to the fro
“You know I had BPD as a kid, right? I guess it’s resurfacing.”Selene’s skin crawls as she remembers the amount of times he tried to hurt Melody. The unease in her chest increases, and she’s about to reach out to take Melody from his arms, but he beats her to it, already letting her down.“It won’t happen again,” Ryan says, casting one last smile at Melody. She nods, and as he turns and leaves, a relieved sigh instantly escapes her.“Fucking weirdo,” she hisses under breath.But then she suddenly freezes. His words echoing in her mind. “One push down these stairs—just one push and you’d be dead.” She can still feel his intense grip tightening on her arm, his deadly stare still haunting her.“Uhhh.” She shivers.if Hazel hadn’t shown up? if she hadn’t called his name? What would have really happened after that.‘Would he have pushed me?’‘Would I be dead right now?’She inches forward, peeking around the corner, checking the hallway to see if he’s gone. Not even seeing his shadow, s
Content warning: Contains subtle narratives of sensitive topics; Non—con, Human trafficking.My chest tightens listening to Ruth, trying to process, and piece things up.“I don’t think you’ve ever seen Claudia…They surely made it that way. Made her a ghost” She continues.She’s always in the kitchen or in the room. Never in the corridor, never outside.Last week, I noticed that she suddenly finally vanished—not in the mansion, not in the Villa Personnel. Not anywhere.That means she succeeded. And as promised by Madam Selene and Mrs. Huxely, she was surely sent back home.I frown, shaking my head in disapproval. “That’s impossible.” “Neither Selene nor Mrs. Huxely have the right to hire maids and send them off however they like.” I argue, “They don’t even have the right to assign them here or to the Villa unless—”Realization strikes, as I lock eyes with Ruth. “Did she ever mention any of my father’s men? The best men?”Ruth shakes her head. “She hardly spoke to anyone. Always stay
“Kill her.”Hazel’s voice rings in my mind after I put her to rest. “Kill her.”It’s been non-stop, making me question my next move.“Kill her.”My eyes are glued to my phone screen. The live camera feed shows Selene in the backyard, playing with Melody.She’s laughing. Smiling. Tossing a ball back and forth with her daughter like she hasn’t shattered lives.As much as I want to fulfill Hazel’s request, one thing is holding me back—Melody. If Selene dies, in my hands or my father’s, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to handle the guilt of Melody growing up motherless, especially when I’ve experienced how horrible it is in this house.Despite the fact she is the daughter of a wench like Selene, she’s still my half-sister. I don’t want her to grow through the same thing I did.Selene steps away from Melody when someone offscreen calls her over. That’s my cue.I rise from the high stool at the bar—fast—and slide my phone into my pocket. I head toward the corridor that leads into the back
My grip is tight on her shoulder, fingers pressing into her skin in a bruising hold. Her eyes widen, blue irises darting in fear and confusion.“Just one push, and you’d be dead.”“Ryan.”That voice.My entire body jerks. I release Selene immediately and turn.It’s Hazel.Of course it’s her.The only reason I let go so fast.Our eyes lock for a brief second, but she shifts her gaze between me and Selene, suspicion flickering behind the calm in her gaze.She wants to talk. I can read her well enough to know that.I glance at Selene, who’s still very much stunned. I never have spoken that way, I never even speak to her, so I get it.“Selene was just on her way…” I say, back from her, sliding my hands into my pockets like nothing happened.I glance at her again, raising an eyebrow. “Right, Selene?”“Uh… yeah,” she utters halfheartedly, abruptly turning away, then frantically rushing down the stairs, like a frightened rabbit.Good.I turn back to Hazel. “Hazel,” I call softly as I walk to
“The doctors said I can’t get pregnant again.”The moment those words leave my mouth, his face changes. His expression collapses—eyes wide, stunned, almost… horrified.It’s the first time I’ve seen Lennox this visibly shaken, and honestly, I nearly laugh. I hold the file out to him. He snatches it from my hand and tears it open, flipping through the pages like a man searching for a lie. His movements, frantic and rough.When the doctors first told me, I wasn’t sad. I wasn’t angry.In fact. I loved it.It’s for the best, really. I don’t want to ever go through that pain again—to carry life and then have it ripped out of me before it can even breathe on its own.And knowing Lennox, he’d obviously want to get me pregnant again the moment I step foot back into this mansion.I watch him as he urgently tries to find the meaning og documents in his hand. My lips part to speak, not letting him do so,“According to the statement of the doctors and results, it is advised that I don’t conceiv
~Ryan~“Arrgh!” I gasp as a splash of cold water snaps me awake. My chest heaves relentlessly, breath short and fast.“Nngh!” I groan, my eyes squeezing shut as my head lurching side to side. I can still feel the electricity pulsing through my veins.“Goddamn Rafa!” I yell, eyes snapping open as I jerk forward—only to be yanked back by a sudden force.“Hahaha,” my dad’s familiar laugh echoes around me, and I quickly look down to see the state I’m in.Restrained, body soaking wet, water dripping from my clothes—meaning they must have tried several times to wake me up.I wriggle my hands, which are tied to the arms of the chair, shake my legs tied to the legs of the chair, try to move my torso, which is duct taped around the chair forward, but I don’t budge. They have me bound to this chair tight! And I won’t be able to leave unless they let me leave.My father’s irritating laugh fills the air again, closer now. “Quit being so stubborn, Ryan. It’ll take you nowhere.”I sharply turn to th
After taking a short walk around the hospital, Selene steps back inside and makes her way toward the waiting area near Hazel’s room.Just as she turns down the hallway that leads to Hazel’s hospital room, Ryan comes storming around the corner. He’s moving so fast that his shoulder smacks into hers as he passes. He doesn’t even care to look back, let alone apologize.Not like he ever would. He hates her.Selene spins around with a sharp scowl. She hisses through her teeth, eyes narrowing as she glares at him disappearing from sight. “Brat.”But then something stirs in her mind.“Wait… where is he rushing to? Isn’t Hazel still…” She trips over her thoughts, suddenly alert, and quickens her pace toward Hazel’s room.When she arrives, her personal bodyguard stands dutifully outside the door, guarding her… as always.Selene takes a step closer to him, her eyes fixed on his, covered with black shades. “Excuse me, Mrs. Zephyr, how is she?” Selene asks.“Mrs. Zephyr just woke up, ma’am. The do
Content Warning: Chapter contains physical violence.“DAD!!” Ryan yells, shock and fear coursing through his veins.He storms toward the monitor. “What the hell are you doing?” he yells, his eyes darting wildly across the split screen on the monitor.In one of them, Adora is there—her body hanging upside down in one of the locked rooms.“What should be done,” Lennox answers curtly, increasing the dread Ryan feels.His eyes shift to the next screen, and he sees the family doctor, Dr. Marchet, lying down on a table that he’s chained to. He seems fine at first, but when Ryan squints, looking further into the screen, he sees it—the doctor’s index and thumb fingers on both hands have been cut off.Looking at another screen, they don’t seem to be doing anything to Mrs. Huxely, yet she’s on the floor, screaming and shouting like invisible people are stabbing her repeatedly with a sharp knife.Ryan turns back toward Lennox, who is now standing up. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, you