That night… I peeled the tape from my skin, the soft ripping sound too loud in the silence. I bit down on my lip to keep from crying out as the needle slid free. My arm burned, but I didn’t care. I just needed to get out.
I pushed myself off the bed, my legs weak, my body cold. The floor felt too far beneath me. Every step hurt, but I kept going, dragging myself toward the door.
Just as my fingers reached for the handle, it burst open.
Darius stood there, his face flushed, his eyes sharp with anger.
“So now you’re trying to run?” His voice filled the room. “After everything you’ve done, you still think you can just leave?”
I froze, my throat dry. “Darius, please… I just—”
He cut me off, louder this time. “Do you even understand what you’ve done? Elowen is losing blood because of you. She could die!”
Before I could say anything, his hand grabbed my arm, his grip tight enough to hurt.
“You’re giving her your blood,” he said coldly. “You’re both RH-negative. She needs it—and you owe her your life.”
I shook my head, trying to pull away. “No… I can’t. Please, let me go. I can’t do this.”
His eyes darkened, his voice dropping. “Why not? After everything I’ve done for you? I took you away from your brothers. I knew what you were, Kaia—a killer—and I still kept you. I gave you a place to stay, clothes, everything. I let you be with me. And now you act like you’re above me?”
“Darius…” My voice broke. “Please, stop.”
He let out a bitter laugh. “You should be grateful. Do you have any idea how many women would do anything to be in your place? To be the one beside me? But I chose you. And now all I feel when I look at you is disgust.”
His words hurt more than his grip. Tears blurred my vision. “I can’t,” I whispered. “I can’t give blood… I’m pregnant.”
For a second, he paused. Something flickered in his eyes. Then he laughed—cold, mocking.
“Pregnant? You think I’m stupid?” He shook his head. “You’ll say anything to get out of this. Lying comes so easily to you.”
“It’s true!” I begged. “Please, I’m not lying. It’s your child. Don’t make me do this.”
He yanked my arm, making me stumble. “Enough. You’re giving her blood whether you want to or not.”
“Darius, stop! Please!”
He didn’t listen. He dragged me down the hallway toward the nurse’s station. My feet scraped against the floor as I tried to resist, grabbing onto the wall, the doorframe—anything.
The nurses stared when we entered, frozen.
“Take her blood,” Darius ordered. “Even if you have to drain her. She’ll pay for what she did.”
“Sir…” one nurse hesitated.
Leonhart’s voice cut in. “Do it. She owes our sister her life.”
Evander nodded beside him. “Finish it.”
I screamed as they held me down. “Please, don’t! I’m begging you! I’m pregnant! You’ll kill my baby!”
No one listened.
The needle pierced my skin. I watched as my blood filled the bag, red and endless. My body turned cold. My vision blurred.
Before everything went dark, I whispered, “After this… I’ll end it.”
---
When I woke up again, the room was quiet. My body felt hollow. My hands looked pale. My breathing felt weak. It was like something inside me was gone.
A nurse stood beside the bed, her expression soft with pity. “Miss Kaia,” she said gently, “Miss Elowen is safe now. She’s stable.”
I slowly turned my head. “Did… he come?”
She looked away. “Mr. Voss hasn’t returned.”
I gave a small nod. My hand drifted to my stomach. It felt too still. Too empty.
Something wasn’t right.
“Where’s my baby?” I asked, my voice shaking.
The nurse hesitated. “I’ll call the doctor.”
When he arrived, he wouldn’t meet my eyes. His voice was quiet, like he didn’t want to say it out loud.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “We couldn’t save the baby.”
Everything stopped. For a moment, I couldn’t even cry. I just smiled faintly, trembling. “So that’s how it ends,” I whispered. “My baby died… just to save hers.”
The doctor left. The room fell silent again.
That night, I got out of bed. My legs almost gave out, but I kept walking. No shoes. No coat. Just the thin hospital gown.
Outside, the air was freezing. Rain poured heavily, blurring everything in front of me. I kept walking until I reached the bridge.
The water below was dark, rushing fast. I stood there, shaking.
I looked up at the sky. “Mom… Dad… I’m tired.”
Rain hit my face like needles. I smiled through my tears. “I’m sorry if I stop now. I tried to be good. I tried to stay strong.”
My voice trembled. “My brothers hate me. The man I loved… used me. And my baby… they took it too. I just want peace. Please… let me come home.”
I stepped forward. The sound of the river roared beneath me.
“Goodbye, Darius.” My lips shook as I said his name. “You took everything from me… and somehow, I still loved you. I don’t even know why. Maybe because I never really knew what love was.”
The rain grew heavier, swallowing my voice.
“Goodbye, Leonhart. Goodbye, Evander.” My voice cracked. “Maybe one day, you’ll remember I was your sister before I became your shame.”
A quiet sob escaped me. “You’ll wake up tomorrow and won’t even notice I’m gone. Maybe that’s better.”
Lightning flashed across the sky. I closed my eyes.
“My baby…” I whispered, pressing my hand to my stomach one last time. “Wait for me, okay? Mama’s coming.”
The river roared below.
I stepped closer to the edge, rain pooling around my feet. “This is it,” I murmured. “The last pain I’ll ever feel. I hope you both burn.”
Then I stepped forward.
The world tipped. The storm howled.
And I jumped.
The water swallowed everything.
