And then, the chilling command left his lips.
"Since Liam wants a woman to entertain him, I’ll give him Irene."
Liam's eyes widened as if even he couldn’t fathom the cruel turn of events.
Even though the engagement banquet had never taken place, I had spent ten years by Mathias’s side, believing in us. And yet, he was willing to cast me aside so easily?
Nestled in Mathias’s embrace, Nathalia flashed me a look of triumph, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
She knew all too well the kind of man Liam was behind closed doors. His reputation for destroying young women had spread like wildfire through their circles, whispered from one ruin to the next.
A sharp pain slashed through my mind, a bolt of understanding hitting me hard. Now, I understood what Nathalia had meant when she vowed to utterly destroy me.
But at that moment, there was no time for self-pity or to dwell on the devastation.
Struggling to push myself off the floor, the searing agony from my lower back burned with such intensity that my body refused to straighten.
I could only crawl toward Mathias, dragging myself on the floor like a dog, utterly broken.
"Mathias, I swear, I’ll never stand in your way again."
"I’ll leave, far away. You’ll never have to see me again."
"Please, don’t do this to me."
But the more I begged, the more the rage in his eyes flared, as though he wanted to tear me apart with his bare hands.
"Good, very good! Irene, you truly are something else!"
With a snarl, he turned back to Liam, his voice dripping with venom.
"I already agreed to give her to you. What’s the problem? Isn’t Liam going to enjoy himself?"
Liam’s grin stretched wide as he stepped forward, eager to claim what he’d been promised. He reached out, hands eager to pull me toward the bed.
I fought with everything I had, but in that moment, the crushing weight of despair set in. The only person who could help me was Mathias, but he simply cradled Nathalia in his arms, turning away from me without a second glance.
"Mathias, I hate you!"
"I will never forgive you!"
Mathias’ footsteps faltered for a split second before he disappeared from my sight, his silence more damning than any words.
The instant Liam’s hand touched me, I shoved him away with all the strength I could muster.
A memory flashed, when Mathias first made it onto the rich list, I’d been kidnapped, a ransom demanded. Though I’d been rescued, Mathias was shaken to his core.