Crowned by betrayal

I lay curled on the freezing stone floor, my trembling hands pressed desperately against my stomach as warm crimson blood seeped through my fingers, pooling beneath me. Every breath burned, every movement sent fresh waves of agony crashing through my body. Still, I forced myself forward, inch by inch, my nails scraping against the rough stone until I reached Rowan's boots. With shaking hands, I clutched at the fabric of his pant leg, tears blurring my vision as I looked up at the man I had once trusted with my heart. "Please..." My voice broke into helpless sobs. "Forgive me... I'm sorry... Whatever I've done, I'm sorry." His answer came in the form of a brutal kick. His heavy boot slammed into my ribs with crushing force. A sickening c***k echoed through the room as white-hot pain exploded through my chest. My scream tore free before I could hold it back, raw, desperate, and painfully inhuman. Above me, Rowan laughed. It began as a quiet chuckle before growing into a cold, heartless roar that bounced off the stone walls. Every note of it carved deeper into my soul. Beside him, Celeste applauded as though she were watching a grand performance, her bright laughter mixing with his in cruel harmony. Then Rowan crouched beside me. Without warning, he seized a fistful of my blood-soaked hair and yanked my head upward. Fire blazed across my scalp as tears spilled down my cheeks. My vision blurred, and blood trickled from the corner of my mouth, dripping onto his clenched hand. Even through the unbearable pain, the betrayal, and the crushing humiliation, I searched his eyes for the man I once knew. Only one broken word escaped my lips. "Why?"