Died A Breeder, Reborn A Stripper

Chapter thirteen

Summer

The moment I saw the men, I froze. My eyes locked with theirs, and fear wrapped itself around my heart so tightly that I could barely breathe. There was something terrifying about the way they looked. Their faces held no trace of kindness or humanity. They looked like predators that had finally cornered their prey, and I was that prey.

For a brief second, I lowered my head and shut my eyes. A bitter laugh almost escaped my lips. I wanted to curse the Moon Goddess for giving me a second chance at life when she already knew I was only going to die again, and probably in an even more horrible way. What was the point of saving me if this was how everything would end? Why give me hope only to snatch it away?

One of the brothers slowly rose to his feet. "Thank you for taking care of her," he said to Fiona before turning his attention to me.

Then he started walking in my direction. Every step he took made my heart pound even harder against my chest. I stood completely still, unable to move or even speak. My feet felt glued to the floor.

I already knew there was no escape. With Fiona and Tamara standing there, I had no chance. It didn't matter how many times I tried to explain that I couldn't remember these men or anything from my past. They wouldn't believe me. They didn't care whether I was telling the truth or not. All they wanted was to get rid of me.

He stopped right in front of me, towering over me with a frightening presence. "So, you thought you could keep hiding from us?" he asked coldly. "Pretending you have lost your memory won't save you. Nothing in this world can protect you from us."

Before I could react, his hand flew across my face.

Slap!

The force of the blow sent my head snapping to the side. Pain exploded across my cheek, and my vision blurred instantly. My body lost its balance, and I crashed hard onto the floor.

A sharp ringing filled my ears as I struggled to gather my senses.

He crouched down in front of me, staring into my terrified eyes. "You have no idea what's waiting for you," he said, his voice low and frightening. "I have twenty men waiting for you before I sell you off. After today, you will never see daylight again."

His words sent a wave of terror through my entire body, making every hair on my skin stand on end.

"Please take her away and have whatever reunion you want at your own place," Fiona said impatiently, clearly eager to get rid of me.

Just then, the front door opened. Ethan walked into the house with his usual commanding presence. The moment his eyes landed on me lying on the floor with my hand pressed against my burning cheek, he frowned.

The brother standing in front of me immediately got to his feet. He turned to Ethan and bowed respectfully. "Thank you for your help. I will take her away now," he said.

Ethan's eyes shifted from the man to me before settling back on him. "I thought you said she was your fiancée," he said calmly. "Is this how you treat your woman? Hitting her in front of strangers? Especially after I told you she was only discharged from the hospital yesterday?"

The man let out a dry, humorless laugh. "Forgive me for lying, my King," he said without hesitation. "This woman has been hiding from us for a long time. She's a prostitute, a thief, and a scammer. Someone like her doesn't deserve to stay under your roof. She'll only ruin your reputation."

"I knew she was a fraud," Fiona quickly added. "She has been pretending to have amnesia just to deceive my son. Enough of this drama already. Please take her away."

The room fell silent, Ethan didn't say another word. He simply stood there and watched. The man in front of me grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked me up so roughly that a cry escaped my lips. Pain shot through my scalp as he dragged me across the room like I was nothing more than a piece of trash.

I stumbled helplessly, unable to keep my balance as he pulled me along before finally shoving me toward the other brother, who caught hold of me without mercy. Hot tears streamed down my face.

I slowly lifted my eyes and looked at Ethan. For a brief moment, I allowed myself to hope. I hoped that, just this once, he would stop them. That he would say something. That he would stand up for me and refuse to let them take me away.

Instead, he looked away, the tiny spark of hope inside me died instantly. What had I been expecting?