The next morning, I woke up with a start, my heart pounding as if I'd just been jolted awake from a terrible nightmare. But this was no dream; it was my harsh reality. Cold water splashed over me, soaking the thin sheets and sending an icy shock through my body.
My eyes snapped open, and there he stood, the man who had become the source of my recent turmoil and suffering – Lucien. The dim, early morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a pallid glow over his features. His face bore a stern expression, the lines of his jaw and the hardness of his eyes leaving no room for doubt. I was wide awake, and he was the relentless force that had torn me from my fragile slumber.
"Get up, you useless thing!" his voice was filled with anger and impatience, and I could feel the tension in t
