"In three days, we mark Chelsea’s birthday," she said, her voice devoid of affection. "You will kneel at her empty grave and admit where you buried her body. Confess. Maybe then we can begin to mend the devastation you brought upon us." She paused, her eyes briefly shimmering with something I couldn’t decipher. "If Kian were still alive, he would’ve made sure you paid for what happened. He’d never have forgiven you—just like we won’t."
Then she left, the sound of the door closing behind her like a final verdict.
That was when the tears finally broke free. My legs buckled, and I collapsed to the floor, the cold stone against my skin offering no comfort. My sobs were quiet but violent, wracking my body with sorrow too deep for words.
I no longer had a family.
There was no love left for me in this world.
Nothing remained.
Except—my wolf.
She hadn’t surrendered. She still burned with the desire to survive. To unearth the truth.
But how much longer could I endure this?
The wounds were too deep.
And soon, my vision would be lost forever. The attack from that day—acid splashed across my face, my head cracking against stone—had left damage my wolf couldn’t repair.
And Phyllis... If he had truly cared, maybe I wouldn’t feel this shattered.
They relocated me to a small, cramped space near the servants' quarters. I nearly laughed. That’s how low I’d sunk in their eyes. They had never truly seen me as one of their own.
Still, there was a bed.
It wasn’t like the ice-cold cell where I’d once been caged, forced to lie on the floor and wait for the end. Even during the harshest winters, my parents hadn’t spared me a blanket.
The only source of warmth had come from someone anonymous. A thick winter coat. A heavy wool blanket.
"The comfort of a killer? Not deserved," the guards had sneered.
A killer.
Was I truly one?
Some nights, I almost believed it. Almost wished it were real. Because then at least the suffering might have some justification.
But the pain never stopped.
I barely slept. This new room wasn’t freedom—it was just a prettier cage.
Why stay here?
Nobody wanted me.
I stared at myself in the cracked, foggy mirror mounted on the wall. My reflection gave me a bitter grin.
Tomorrow would be Chelsea’s birthday.
I missed her so much.
Her laugh, her light, her innocence.
Who did this to you, Chelsea?
Who took you away?