It felt as if my heart had been struck by a hammer. Tension and fear made my throat go dry.
I forced out an awkward laugh. "Elara? I don't know what you're talking about."
Lucian said nothing. He only looked at me, his gaze growing darker.
Cold sweat gathered in my palms. My mind went blank. I was not afraid of dying. I was afraid of being recognized.
After a long silence, Lucian released me and stood up. Looking down at me, he asked, "Do you want to live?"
I nodded, then shook my head. Of course I wanted to live, but not like this—not in humiliation and pain. There was nothing left in this world worth holding on to.
Over the past three years, I had thought about ending my life more than once. But I was a coward. I was afraid of pain. In the end, the least painful way seemed to be si
