The heavy bedroom door opened slowly. Scarlett stepped into the room, wearing a pristine, pale pink designer dress.
Scarlett rushed immediately to the side of the bed. Her face was twisted into an exaggerated, theatrical expression of sisterly worry.
She grabbed Cordelia's uninjured right hand. She squeezed it tightly with her perfectly manicured fingers.
Scarlett let out a dramatic, loud gasp upon seeing the thick white bandage wrapped around Cordelia's left wrist.
She leaned down and whispered loudly: "Damien is a cruel monster. He keeps you locked up in this penthouse like a common prisoner."
Cordelia suppressed the intense, violent urge to rip her hand away. She forced her neck to move, offering a weak, pathetic nod.
Scarlett leaned in closer. Her expensive, overpowering floral perfume assaulted Cordelia's senses, making her stomach churn.
Scarlett whispered conspiratorially: "Julian is waiting for you. In a black car. Right outside the building."
Cordelia's heart remained perfectly steady. She feigned a look of desperate, tragic hope, widening her eyes slightly.
Scarlett looked around the massive room. Her eyes darted suspiciously into the corners, checking for visible security cameras.
Satisfied they were alone, she unclasped the gold hardware on her oversized Hermes Birkin bag resting on her lap.
Scarlett reached deep inside the expensive leather bag. Her eyes locked intensely onto Cordelia's pale face.
She pulled out a small, intricately carved silver dagger. It was hidden inside a black velvet pouch.
Scarlett slid the cold metal dagger under the edge of the silk blanket. She pressed the hilt directly against Cordelia's thigh.
She whispered: "Julian sent this. It is the only way to help you escape the monster holding you captive. Use it on Damien tonight. Right when his guard is down. When he is sleeping."
Cordelia stared down at the silver hilt peeking out from the fabric. She remembered this exact, horrifying moment from her past life.
In the past, she had taken the weapon. She had actually tried to stab Damien with it, breaking his heart completely.
Cordelia slowly raised her eyes. She met Scarlett's eager, malicious gaze head-on.
For a fleeting second, a flicker of something other than fear--something cold and sharp--passed through her eyes before vanishing.
Scarlett blinked rapidly. She looked genuinely confused and unsettled by the sudden, chilling shift in her sister's demeanor.
In the dark adjoining study, Damien stood completely frozen. He peered through the slightly open connecting door.
His sharp eyes locked onto the glint of the silver dagger partially hidden under the blanket.
A massive wave of profound betrayal and suffocating fury washed over his rigid body. His chest tightened painfully.
He watched Cordelia stare at the weapon. He misinterpreted her silence as active, serious contemplation of his murder.
Damien's large hand hovered over the brass doorknob. He was ready to burst into the room and stop her from making the biggest mistake of her life.
His breathing turned shallow and ragged. His chest ached with actual, physical pain at her perceived betrayal.
He forced his hand to drop. His masochistic side demanded to see if she would actually accept the weapon from Julian.
He tightened his grip on the edge of the doorframe instead. His knuckles popped loudly in the silent study.
Damien's eyes darkened into a pitch-black abyss. He braced his entire body for the ultimate heartbreak.
