CHAPTER 003
2085 Words
CHAPTER 003
JARVIS' POINT OF VIEW
The words strike me with the force of a chest blow. I stop breathing while my eyes rapidly blink to understand what I just heard.
Never another child.
The sudden words create a vacuum in my chest that empties me of all breath while I struggle to find something I cannot understand. The burden of this news presses down on me until I feel completely smothered.
No more children. Not ever.
A single tear breaks free to run down my cheek before I can stop it with a sharp burning sensation. I clench my mouth shut to fight back the emotions that threaten to break free through my throat.
Three. I have already lost three. Three innocent lives were taken away before they could start their existence. And now, this one…
A comforting grip takes my hand to anchor me in the current moment. Elza holds my hand tightly while her fingers shake uncontrollably. The doctor asks, "Is there anything we can do?" Her voice is tight, desperate. "Anything at all?"
Doctor Valtere takes a deep breath while her piercing gaze shows a small sign of relaxation. "She needs rest. Complete rest. No more starvation. No more beatings. No more…" Her eyes move briefly toward the hidden bruises on my arms, which show through my thin dress." No more… rough treatment. Her body fights to survive, but it remains on the verge of collapse.
My stomach clenches. Rest?
I can't rest.
Raymond would never let me.
A bitter and hollow laugh almost escapes from my throat. As a prisoner, I cannot find peace because my current state denies me any chance for rest. He utilizes me as a punching bag. He uses me as a s****l object to vent his anger. I need to shield this child from destruction because the person who impregnated me also plans to harm it.
Doctor Valtere approaches the door while placing her hand on the knob. She promises to return in a few days to monitor the patient's health. Elza will take care of me during this period.
Elza nods her head so rapidly that she almost loses control of her movements. "I'll do everything I can."
The doctor pauses for a brief moment before she leaves through the door, which she closes behind her.
Elza immediately starts moving after the doctor leaves while her eyes perform a quick survey of the room. The bed becomes their destination as they focus on the black marks that stain the sheets below my body.
A curse slips from her lips. She speaks in a hushed voice as she says, "We need to clean this up before he sees it."
She pulls at the sheets with quick movements while maintaining caution. The chains binding my wrists and ankles prevent me from moving as they deliver electric shocks that cause severe pain throughout my body. A small sound escapes my lips before I can suppress it.
Elza carefully pulls the sheets away from me while making sure she doesn't disturb my position too much. "Just stay still. I’ll handle it."
Her hands move quickly and exactly while her face shows intense concern.
She’s afraid.
She did not do this for herself.
For me.
A profound feeling emerges from within me when I become aware of this situation.
"Elza…" My voice is hoarse and weak. "Why do you believe me?"
Her gaze locks with mine as she freezes in place. "What?"
I moisten my dry lips before continuing my speech. All members of the Pack consider me a killer, but you refuse to believe it. They think I killed Lisa. But you… you don’t. Why?"
A visible movement of her throat signals her swallowing motion. She holds the sheet in a deathlike grip. "Because you're not like that." Her voice is firm, absolute. Your heart remains kind, Jarvis, according to my observation. You have endured complete misery, yet you remain the person you always were. Your instincts show me that you believe I am innocent of Lisa's death.
Tears sting my eyes. "But why?" My voice wavers. You should trust me despite the fact that "everyone else" believes I am responsible for Lisa's death.
Elza positions herself on the edge of the bed while her hands clench the fabric.
The village orphans hold a special place in your memory. She asks softly.
I blink. "The… orphans?"
She pauses to compose herself before continuing. Several years back, the lower ranks contained abandoned children who lacked any family ties. The pack shows no genuine interest in these abandoned children. I was secretly feeding them because they faced starvation while I managed to steal food for them. Then… you found me."
A distant recollection begins to surface in my thoughts.
She tells me "You didn't report me to the authorities." "You didn’t punish me. You just… gave me food. You promised to protect me from getting into trouble by keeping our secret. To you, it was nothing. But to me? It was everything."
I fix my eyes on her as my heart beats faster. "I didn’t realize…"
A sad smile appears on Elza's face while hidden emotions seem to dance beneath the surface. I made a promise to you that day that I would always stand by your side. No matter what."
A sob blocks my throat while the tears I've been suppressing stream down my face.
I whispered those words because I felt completely isolated. "Ever since… since Lisa died." My voice cracks. "I thought no one—"
"You aren’t alone," Elza interrupts. "I believe you. And I’ll help you."
I take a deep breath while wiping my eyes. "Then… I need your help."
Her brow furrows. "What is it?"
I make myself maintain eye contact with her. "I need to escape."
Elza's eyes expand in surprise as shock waves across her features. She looks toward the door while waiting for Raymond to suddenly appear.
"Escape?" she hisses. "How? You’re chained. He watches you constantly."
"I don’t know," I admit. "But I have to. The baby inside me will die if I remain in this place. And if that happens…" Fear grips my throat as it closes up. "I won’t survive it."
Elza is silent.
Then, she nods. "I’ll find a way."
The door produces a knock at the exact moment when her words finish escaping her mouth.
We freeze.
My heart stops.
Fear appears in Elza's eyes when she turns her gaze toward me. She opens the door only a small c***k to look outside.
She goes rigid.
I recognize the voice before she utters the name.
Raymond.
A chill slithers down my spine.
Elza's grip on the doorknob becomes so strong that her knuckles turn completely white. She speaks the word "Alpha" with a tone that shows no emotion.
He doesn’t answer.
But I feel him.
His presence seeps into the room like poison, heavy and suffocating. I lower my gaze while trying to make myself appear tiny and unnoticeable. My trembling wrists remain still against the chains because I refuse to move.
Not yet.
I will take my opportunity.
The sharpness of Raymond's voice pierces through the absolute silence.
"Leave."
Elza hesitates. Just for a second. She gives a brief nod before moving away from him without saying anything else.
The door closes behind her.
We find ourselves alone together at this moment.
My breath stops momentarily while my body stiffens up, yet this time I feel something beyond pure terror within my chest.
It’s something darker.
Raymond approaches me while his intense stare examines my entire body. His lips twist into a sneer as his voice turns into a threatening whisper.
"Are you pregnant?"
The world stops.
My entire body becomes rigid. My blood turns to ice.
I don’t breathe.
I don’t move.
I just… wait.
I understand.
The discovery of his truth will lead him to murder this unborn child.
What the hell do I say?
The door creaks as the cold air from the hallway fills the room, and then his massive figure steps in.
Raymond.
His mere presence empties all air from the room, creating an unbearable atmosphere of suffocation. The candlelight dances across his angular face as he stands motionless, but I recognize his true nature. His eyes hide a dark nature that contains both cruelty and rage and a destructive desire.
Elza extends a greeting to him with a steady voice. A slight nervousness reveals itself through her controlled composure. She’s scared too.
Raymond doesn’t acknowledge her. His eyes fixate on me as he surveys my bound and exposed state, which remains exactly the same as when he abandoned me. The tightness in my stomach increases as acid rises toward my throat. I maintain a downward gaze because I refuse to look at him.
**Don’t flinch. Don’t react. Keep your fear hidden from him at all costs.
He commands me to leave with a harsh and abrupt voice.
Elza pauses for a brief instant before she dashes out the door while her steps remain quick but quiet. She walks away without turning back, and I understand her decision.
The door's click locks me inside the room.
Alone. With him.
My entire body tenses, my heartbeat pounding so loudly I swear he can hear it. His presence makes the room feel tighter, and the darkness extends beyond its normal reach to trap me inside.
This time my emotions are not controlled by fear. It's not just fear.
Hate.
The hatred inside my chest grows into a massive knot that surpasses the trembling of my body. The butterflies I felt when I saw him before have vanished into nothingness and left behind a dark, bitter feeling.
I used to love him.
I once believed he was my sanctuary and my home base.
His deliberate approach toward me evokes only a burning fury that threatens to consume me completely.
The predator-like predator moves around the bed to evaluate his target. His eyes drop to the newly made bed sheets that lie beneath me. His expression turns darker as suspicion enters his face.
"Why have the sheets changed?" His voice remains steady as he poses the question.
My fingers curl into fists.
I don’t answer.
I can’t.
I fear my words will turn into poison, which will make me scream and reveal the fire of hatred in my heart to him.
His expression darkens.
He approaches me threateningly as he says, "I asked you a question, you filthy w***e," while standing over me like a dangerous storm.
I push the burning acid down my throat before speaking. "I… I’m sorry."
It’s a lie. He uttered these meaningless words to prevent himself from losing control.
His eyes focus on me as he examines my face to find whatever he seeks. A weakness. This is a sign of defiance.
Then his gaze drops lower.
I feel sick to my stomach.
My entire body freezes.
A brief, unrecognizable emotion passes through his emotionless eyes. His head makes a small movement before he understands what I've revealed.
The sheets. The paleness of my face. My body automatically jerked away when he approached me.
He knows.
His hand rests on the bed next to my head as he leans down. His warm breath on my cheek turns into an icy sensation that travels across my skin.
"Are you pregnant?"
His words pierce the atmosphere with a sharp edge, delivering a merciless blow.
I can’t move.
I can’t breathe.
The tiny life I have shielded until now seems to be fading away from me.
I know what he’s done before. He will repeat his actions if he discovers my pregnancy.
My mouth opens, but I remain silent.
Raymond uses his strong grip to lift my face while his fingers cut into my flesh. His green eyes pierced through mine as he searched for an answer.
"Answer me, b***h. Are you carrying my child?"
I close my eyes tightly while praying for my body to vanish and for this instant to vanish into thin air. His grip becomes stronger, so I must confront him.
The atmosphere feels heavy with anxiety.
A single mistake or improper statement will make him remove my baby from me exactly as he did with my previous children.
A loud bang reverberates from outside the door before I can begin my response.
Raymond releases his hold slightly as he turns his head toward the noise.
A distraction.
A chance.
But will I survive if I take it?
- Writer
