“Brother Atticus, get up fast. Mr. Hollis might catch you pretending to have fallen…”
I gritted my teeth and shot him a cold glare.
When Rupert saw I still dared to glare, Dione snapped at the bodyguards, ordering them to haul me to my feet.
“My breasts are engorged, and I’ve changed out of so many dirty clothes. Go wash them clean before you leave. And remember hand wash only.”
I shoved her away. “Why should I?”
“Because you just bullied Rupert!” Dione’s eyes darkened to a terrifying shade.
“You owe him an apology.”
I clenched my jaw, fighting the burning pain in my foot, my voice cold.
“In your dreams.”
Her gaze turned as cold as ice, and she barked at the bodyguards to drag me into the bathroom.
The door slammed shut and locked from the outside.
Dione’s arrogant voice floated through the door. “If you don’t wash those clothes clean, don’t even think about coming out!”
“Dione, this is illegal imprisonment!” I slammed the door hard and shouted, “Open this door!”
The pounding echoed fiercely against the door, but outside, silence reigned like a grave.
My hand burned fiercely, and the wound on my foot began bleeding again.
The room stank sharply of sour milk and vomit.
I gasped, collapsing slowly to my knees.
Through the door, Rupert’s false concern cut through the quiet.
“Dione, if you treat Brother Atticus like this, won’t he be furious when he gets out?”
Dione scoffed lightly. “So what if he’s angry? I’ll just soothe him.”
“Besides, this is all his fault. If he doesn’t tame that spoiled young master temper of his, won’t I suffer marrying into the Hollis family?”
“The Silva family’s been military for generations. If Silva Corporation had an heir, my mother would never have let me marry into some moneyed family. All he knows is counting cash; he doesn’t know how to enjoy life.”
Rupert feigned worry. “Dione, if you talk about Brother Atticus like that, won’t he reject the marriage alliance?”
Silence settled heavily outside the door.
After a long pause, Dione’s cold voice slipped out with a hint of arrogance.
“He won’t.”
“He’s just a rich young master who only knows how to chase money. When he meets a woman like me, of course he has to cherish me.”
“Besides, he loves me to death. If I told him to die, he’d probably do it.”
I pressed hard against the bleeding gash on my leg, disbelief flooding me as I heard those words from Dione herself.
Our Hollis family had stood strong in business for generations, always a target for underworld threats.
Six years ago, while my father and I traveled abroad, he was taken hostage by ruthless gangsters.
One of them pressed a gun against his temple.
My eyes burned red; I thought I was about to lose him
Then, a sharp whistle sliced through the air.
The criminal dropped dead instantly.
Dione, dressed in full military gear and holding a gun, descended from above and rescued us with swift precision.
It was inside the off-road vehicle that I first saw her face, delicate features, and breathtaking beauty.
I fell for her at first sight.
For that, I had chased her relentlessly for a whole year before she finally agreed to date me.
We stayed together for five years, and I always listened to her every word.
And this was the reward for my sincerity, cold, heartless judgment.
What a cruel joke.
The bathroom door creaked open.
Dione saw me crouched on the floor, pale-faced, and impatiently pulled me to my feet.
“It’s just washing some clothes. Why are you acting so pitiful, who are you trying to fool?”
A bitter taste rose in my throat.
I swallowed it hard, fighting back the urge to vomit, and searched for the keepsake my mother had left me.
The pocket watch lay shattered beyond repair.
Broken into tiny fragments.
I bent down and picked up each piece one by one.
Dione’s voice came coldly from behind me.
“When my postpartum period ends, we’ll get married. After the wedding, Rupert will live with us.”
