The alcohol surged through my veins like a rising tide, flooding my awareness until I could barely stay conscious.
Before they could force another drink on me, I let my body go limp and collapsed on the sofa, pretending to be completely drunk.
The noise around me quieted.
Kurt leaned in, gently patting my cheek. His voice dropped low. "Hey... you okay? Feeling sick?"
His palm was cold, while my face was burning.
I couldn't stop myself—habit made me nuzzle lightly into his hand.
That tiny movement made him freeze.
His eyes wavered—hesitation, guilt, something almost soft. But the moment shattered as one of his classmates snorted.
"I knew it. She's just a loyal little lapdog. Whatever Kurt tells her to do, she does. He really trained her well."
Laughter broke open around us.
"Tomorrow will be a show! When she finds out the truth, she's gonna lose her mind."
Olivia tugged lightly on Kurt's sleeve, her voice soft and fragile. "Maybe... we shouldn't. Isn't this too much? She's still your sister."
Her eyes were perfectly red—enough to look kind, not enough to look fake.
Kurt's classmates immediately chimed in.
"Olivia, you're way too softhearted! After what she did to you back then, you still pity her? No way."
"I won't be soft," Kurt said suddenly.
He pulled Olivia into his arms, shielding her. His tone was colder than I'd ever heard.
"Evil should be repaid with evil."
My nails dug painfully into my palm.
Another voice joined in, sounding almost excited. "Good thing we got that tip from Crown Prince's side early. Otherwise she wouldn't suffer enough. If she doesn't hit rock bottom, how will she realize how good Kurt is to her?"
Someone else added, "And the stuff in the drinks should be working by now. It's about time to send her to the room."
A violent ringing exploded in my skull.
So the drinks... were drugged.
I thought forcing alcohol on me was already the worst they'd do. I didn't expect the alcohol to be spiked.
Their plan was simple yet cruel. They would send me to a hotel room alone, let some "pervert" walk in and destroy me. And at the last second, Kurt would burst in and "save" me.
They wanted me terrified, broken, dependent—unable to leave him ever again.
This was their revenge.
Planned. Calculated. Perfectly orchestrated.
I tried to stand, but my limbs were turning heavy, my head swollen, my stomach twisting with a metallic sourness.
I wanted to vomit but couldn't.
The drug was taking full effect.
My whole body trembled, but I didn't dare move.
Tears slid down my temples, and I couldn't even lift a hand to wipe them.
I could only watch.
Watch Kurt hold Olivia in his arms. Watch him walk step by step toward the door. Watch his silhouette grow farther and farther away—leaving me here to be used, plotted against, thrown into hell.
When the door closed, my heart dropped like a stone into a bottomless pit.
A large man was already waiting beside the bed.
When they pushed me inside, he stepped forward in one giant stride, his shadow swallowing half the room.
I tried to retreat, but my legs were soft as sand.
He reached for me.
I screamed for help—my voice echoing through the room before being smothered by the thick walls.
No one came.
Not a single person.
The man looked down at me, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Relax. At first I was only supposed to put on a show. Someone else would kick the door down later, carry you out, and you'd know who your 'savior' is."
He paused. Then his lips curled. His voice turned disturbingly casual.
"But too bad—you offended someone you shouldn't have. I've been told not to act anymore. So... I'll just cooperate."
A cold numbness shot down my spine.
It was... Olivia.
She wanted to destroy me completely. Only now did I realize how thoroughly I had been trapped.
The man's thick fingers grabbed my collar.
I heard fabric tear.
The sound was like the last shred of my dignity being ripped apart.
"No—!!" My scream tore out as my hand brushed against something on the nightstand—a heavy glass ashtray.
I didn't think, didn't hesitate. I grabbed it and slammed it into his head with everything I had.
There was a dull thud, and the man staggered.
It was my only chance.
I scrambled—almost crawling—toward the window.
My hands shook violently as I forced the latch open.
Cold ocean wind blasted into the room, sharp as knives.
Outside the window, the balcony hung suspended.
Below it—the dark sea churned under the night sky.
I stepped out.
And then I let myself fall.
