The room was dark when I woke. Every muscle ached with a deep soreness that made breathing painful. I stared at the ceiling, trying to piece together how many hours had passed since his guards brought me here.
The interrogation. His accusations about John. His hands on my throat, squeezing until darkness crept into my vision, then releasing just before I lost consciousness. Over and over.
"Who sent you? What do you want?"
"No one! Please—"
But nothing I said mattered. He'd decided what I was.
I sat up slowly, head spinning. My clothes were gone, torn during his rage. Someone had left a plain dress on the chair. I pulled it on with trembling hands, each movement sending pain through my body.
My phone sat on the nightstand, screen cracked. Dozens of missed calls from Nonna. Messages from Richard. They'd been searching for me while I was trapped here.
I typed with shaking fingers.
I'm okay. Coming home soon.
The lie burned.
A guard opened the door. "Carriage is waiting."
He didn't look at me. Just stood there like I was nothing.
The ride home passed in a blur. When we stopped outside my building, I stumbled toward the door.
"Mummy!"
"Aurora!"
Cody and Nonna rushed from my neighbor's apartment. I tried to smile, but Nonna took one look at my face and her expression transformed to horror.
"Cody, sweetheart," she said steadily despite the fear in her eyes. "Go inside and get your coloring book."
"But Mummy—"
"Please, baby." My voice cracked.
He obeyed reluctantly. Nonna pulled me into my apartment, straight to the bathroom, and shut the door.
"What happened? Who did this?" Her eyes traveled over the marks on my neck, the fingerprints clearly visible. "We need a healer—"
"No." Sharp. "No healers. No guards. No one."
"But—"
"Please, Gene. If I report it, he'll destroy me. He threatened to take Cody."
"He threatened Cody?" Her face paled. "Who?"
"He wore a mask," I whispered. "I didn't see his face. It was dark."
"A mask?" Her voice rose with fury. "Someone attacked you—"
"I can't report it. He has power. More than you can imagine. If I go to authorities, he'll know. He'll take Cody from me."
Nonna pulled me into her arms, and I broke. All the fear and pain poured out in sobs I couldn't control.
"Did he..." She couldn't finish.
I nodded, and she held me tighter.
"I'll kill him," she whispered fiercely.
"You can't. No one can touch him." I pulled back, wiping my face. "Promise you won't try. Promise you'll help me protect Cody."
She nodded finally. "What do you need?"
"Did he use protection?"
Understanding dawned, followed by horror. "I'll be right back."
She returned twenty minutes later with contraceptive pills. I swallowed them without water.
After I bathed and changed, hiding bruises under long sleeves, Cody was getting restless.
"Mummy? Are you okay?"
I forced a smile. "Just tired, baby. Come sit with me."
He climbed into my lap carefully. "You were gone a long time."
"I know. I'm sorry." I kissed his forehead, breathing his familiar scent. "But I'm home now."
He snuggled against me. My beautiful boy. My reason for surviving. I would protect him from the truth of what his father was capable of.
Nonna made simple dinner while I sat with Cody. After he fell asleep, she helped me to bed.
"I wish you'd let me help properly," she whispered.
"You are helping. You're here."
She left reluctantly.
Alone in darkness, I touched my throat where his fingers had been and cried. Silent tears for everything I'd lost. For the innocence I'd given him four years ago. For the dignity he'd stripped tonight.
"I will never forgive you," I whispered to the empty room. "Never."
The next morning, John arrived at Blackthorn Holdings early. Something was wrong.
He went to Aurora's office, but it was empty. Her desk looked untouched since yesterday.
He headed to Jack's office. The secretary looked up nervously.
"Is he in?"
"Yes, but he's in a terrible mood—"
John walked in without knocking.
Jack sat behind his desk, looking like he hadn't slept. Bloodshot eyes. Clenched jaw. Something in his expression John had never seen before. Something like guilt.
"Good morning," John said carefully.
Jack just nodded.
"What's wrong? You look terrible."
"What's wrong is what happened with you and Aurora yesterday."
John's stomach dropped. "Don't be upset with her. I insisted on lunch. She didn't want to come, but I ordered her."
"It won't make a difference whether I'm upset or not."
"Jack." John's voice dropped low. "What did you do to Aurora?"
Silence stretched between them.
Jack finally looked up, and John saw something in his brother's eyes that made his blood run cold. Not anger. Not righteousness.
Regret.
"I thought she was lying," Jack said quietly. "I thought she'd slept with you. That you were together."
"We weren't. I told you. I was with Rosalinda. Aurora just waited for me at the restaurant."
"I know that now."
"Now?" John's voice rose. "You mean you didn't know when you... Jack, what did you do?"
Jack stood abruptly, turning to face the window. "I interrogated her. She wouldn't admit to something she didn't do. I thought she was protecting someone. I thought—"
"You thought wrong." John's hands clenched into fists. "Where is she? Is she hurt?"
"I sent her home last night."
"You sent her home." John laughed bitterly. "After what? Tell me exactly what happened."
"I can't."
"You can't or you won't?"
Jack's shoulders tensed. "Leave it alone, John."
"No. If you hurt that woman because of a misunderstanding—"
"I said leave it!" Jack's Alpha command filled the room.
John backed down instinctively, but his mind raced. Aurora's empty office. Jack's guilt. The way his brother couldn't meet his eyes.
"I need to check on her," John said. "I need to make sure she's okay."
"Stay away from her."
"Why? Because you're ashamed of what you did?" John headed for the door. "I'm going to find her. And if she's hurt because of you, Jack, I won't forgive you for this. Brother or not."
He left before Jack could respond, already pulling out his phone to call Richard.
Something terrible had happened. And John had a sinking feeling he knew exactly what it was.