"I’m not drinking. I haven’t done anything wrong. I don’t owe anyone an apology."
Alaric’s expression darkened at once.
"Seraphine, I’ve already given you enough respect tonight. Don’t test me."
"Brother, don’t be so harsh."
Calla stepped in with a gentle smile, offering me a glass of water instead.
"Dear, don’t take it to heart. Drink some water and calm down. Alaric didn’t mean to upset you."
I took the glass from her hand. The water looked clear, harmless.
"Can I go upstairs and rest after this?" I asked softly.
She nodded sweetly.
I downed the water in one gulp. The warmth slid down my throat—but almost immediately, something felt wrong.
Heat spread through my body. A fire under my skin. My limbs turned heavy. My nerves sparked and trembled like worms crawling inside me.
"What... did you give me?" I choked out.
My knees buckled. The world tilted. And then I collapsed—right into someone's arms.
Through blurred vision, I saw Cassian’s face leering over mine, his hands already touching places they shouldn’t.
"Calla, you really outdid yourself this time. Sleeping pills made her limp like a corpse. But this..." He licked his lips, eyes gleaming.
"This is so much more fun."
Calla stood beside him, watching me with smug satisfaction.
"It’s a new drug—foreign. It’s called Obedience Serum. She’ll forget everything by morning. No matter what happens, she won’t remember a thing."
"Play however you like."
"Let me go!"
I screamed with the last scrap of strength I had, but my body wouldn’t respond. My limbs wouldn’t move. I could only stare helplessly at Alaric, silently pleading for a trace of mercy.
He looked at me—expressionless, unmoved—and turned to Cassian.
"Just be careful. She’s still pregnant, and the baby’s part of our million-dollar bet."
My heart shattered.
“You’ll regret this.”
My voice was faint, the last flicker of will in my fading consciousness.
Calla leaned into Alaric’s arms and let out a shrill, mocking laugh.
“Regret? Sister-in-law, this potion has another effect—you’ll forget everything by morning. When you wake up, you’ll still be smiling sweetly, calling me ‘Calla.’ Like nothing ever happened.”
As her words echoed, Cassian stepped forward, a lewd grin plastered on his face.
“Good dog, kneel.”
And before I could resist, my knees buckled. My body dropped to the floor against my will, as if I no longer had control over it.