Thorned Rose

Struggle and Decision

Evan Hunter forcibly entered the bedroom, tightly embracing Ruby Ann, pushing her onto the bed and pinning her down. In that moment, his senses became unusually sharp. Everything around him seemed to slow down, even the faintest sounds were amplified. Her whimpering, her heartbeat, the creaking of the bed, even the sound of air being squeezed out from under the sheets, everything was crystal clear. He could even feel every spring in the mattress vibrating beneath him. But all of this didn't matter; his blood rushed through his mind like a flood, impossible to calm down. He kissed her again, this time hearing the sound of her heart breaking.

Later, he leaned against the headboard to calm his breathing, lit a cigarette, and called Jasper to bring a set of clothes. Then he turned to Ruby Ann and said, "I've transferred two thousand as pocket money for you. Is that enough?" Ruby Ann lay on her side, facing away from him, struggling to open her eyes. "He used to give me ten thousand a month." "I'm more generous than him, and you've grown up, with more places to spend money." Evan Hunter said. After a while, when he didn't hear a response, he asked again, "Why don't you thank me?" She remained silent. "Turn around." He ordered. Ruby Ann slowly turned over, sweat beading on her forehead, eyes red, tear streaks on her face, and faint cuts on her lips, as if petals had been nicked by fingernails. "I never thanked him before." She stubbornly said, intentionally bringing up Zane Hudson. But Evan Hunter didn't care, joyfully admiring his handiwork.

He smelled a metallic scent and involuntarily leaned in, his eyes following her lips, scheming something. "I admit, I may be a bit petty, understand? I've given, so I expect something in return." Ruby Ann didn't want him to come closer, reluctantly saying, "Thank you." This "thank you" was not genuine from Ruby Ann. Three years ago, she was deceived by her stepfather Adam to Frost Wolf Ridge, nearly killed by him, and saved by Zane Hudson. However, for some unknown reason, Evan Hunter intervened, sending Adam to prison and leaving her brother Carl in the hands of Adam's current wife Alice. The relationships were complex, the blood ties not particularly close, but her half-brother Carl was Ruby Ann's only family in the world. After Adam went to prison, Alice used Carl as leverage, constantly asking Ruby Ann for money, like an insatiable pit that could never be filled. Apart from giving money, she had no other choice, and for three years, she hadn't saved a penny, all thanks to him, yet he still had the audacity to ask her to be grateful.

However, Ruby Ann was optimistic. She thought, if Evan Hunter could give her an extra ten thousand a month in the future, she could start building a small savings and make some long-term plans. If he allowed her to work while attending university, providing a stable income, she might even be able to fight for custody of her brother. Whenever the opportunity arose for her to leave Evan Hunter, or if he grew tired of her and wanted her to leave, she would be able to live well. The doorbell rang, Jasper had arrived. Evan Hunter wrapped a towel around his waist, went out to get the clothes, and came back to ask her, "Shall we take a bath together?" Ruby Ann curled up in the blanket, only showing her fluffy head, muttering, "No need, you go first." "Do you think I want you to help me bathe?" Evan Hunter sat on the edge of the bed, lifted her face, "No, I want you to help me." Ruby Ann pushed away his touch with disgust, pulling her head back into the blanket. "I won't serve anyone." Evan Hunter hugged her through the blanket, feeling her softness. He patted her bottom through the blanket, "It's not a bad thing to learn to serve others when needed." Ruby Ann ignored him, clutching the blanket tightly around herself, shutting herself off. Evan Hunter didn't say anything more, finished washing, changed clothes, and left silently. Ruby Ann forced herself to sit up only after hearing the door close, then struggled to stand up and dragged her tired body to the bathroom. Suddenly feeling nauseous, she bent over the sink and vomited. Evan Hunter, waiting for the elevator outside, heard these sounds clearly, his previous irritation rising again. Could she really disgust him like this? Oh well, this kind of thing would happen many more times in the future, he just had to get used to it.

The next day, Ruby Ann got up early, changed the blood-stained sheets and covers, taking advantage of the good weather. She took a shower, dressed neatly, and went to Alice's house to visit young Carl. The sunlight on her body made her feel like she had been reborn. She still had to thank Evan Hunter for giving her such a dramatic coming-of-age ceremony. Adam and Alice's mansion was built on the mountainside, and the night Ruby Ann first arrived at Frost Wolf Ridge, she was brought here by their driver, and also left through this path. Every month she came, she would recall the events of that night three years ago. It was a dim night with faint stars and moonlight. Arriving at the mansion, she was immediately taken to a room by the maid to bathe. They openly discussed in front of her: "How come kids develop so early these days?" "She's not that young anymore." "I mean she's developed too well... not like a child anymore." "Yeah, like a Barbie doll, look at that figure, those legs, that fair skin, hehe..." "Oh, you don't understand what I mean!" Ruby Ann felt a chill as they touched her all over. After bathing, she put on a shoulder-baring dress, styled her hair in a princess braid, wore a small diamond tiara, and applied a strawberry-scented lip gloss. The maid pushed her to the stairs. "Here is the welcome dance party prepared for you by the master and mistress, go downstairs." She followed the music down the stairs and saw a group of guests. Everyone was dressed in elaborate costumes, wearing masks—some with white rabbit-like teeth exposed, some with fluffy lion manes, and various other characters. Under the masks were pairs of dark eyes. When someone noticed her, it spread like a plague, and all eyes turned to her. The band stopped playing, and the dance floor fell into a brief silence, the atmosphere becoming eerie and tense. Ruby Ann froze in the middle of the stairs, feeling increasingly suffocated, wanting to run upstairs. But in high heels and hindered by the dress, she stumbled and fell on the stairs. Amid the commotion, a gentleman in a suit helped her up. Just as she was about to thank him, a handkerchief covered her face. When she woke up again, she found herself lying in bed, fully dressed, in a dim and blurry room, the soft blanket pressing down on her, like sinking into a swamp where she couldn't move. Ruby Ann realized she had been drugged. She regretted not going to the orphanage after her grandmother's death, but instead believing her cousin and coming alone to Frost Wolf Ridge to find her stepfather. Now not only had she lost her inheritance, but she was also entangled in it. Lost in thought, the door opened, a faint light entered the room, and someone walked in. The man was tall, his face obscured by backlight, but his prominent two horns were impossible to ignore. Was he... a demon?