Chapter 6
When Elena woke again, she was lying on a hospital bed. There was a thick blanket draped over her. But the cold seemed to have sunk into her bones, refusing to leave.
“Are you awake?” Robin’s voice came from beside her.
Elena slowly turned her head and saw him sitting at the edge of the bed, dressed neatly in a suit–yet faint red marks peeked out from beneath his collar. Hickeys, again.
She looked away and spoke with a hoarse volce. “Why are you here?”
Robin frowned. “What did you do to upset Kane this time?”
Elena tugged at the corner of her mouth, her sille laced with irony. “I upset him?
“Let’s not even mention the past. Just these few days alone–he threw me into a cage with mutts, kicked me into the pool, and even stripped me naked…”
She lifted her eyes and looked directly at him as she asked, “Mr. Marsh, tell me who exactly is provoking who?”
Robin’s
expression turned colder. “Weren’t all of those things your fault to begin with?”
Elena let out a bitter laugh. “Then what about throwing me into the morgue? Even when I’ve done nothing wrong, he’ll still find a reason to drive me out.
“So please, could you tell him that he doesn’t need to go through all this trouble? The contract between us is about to expire. When the time comes, I’ll leave on my own.”
Robin’s face darkened immediately at her words. “Elena! Are you seriously bringing that up again? Haven’t you said enough?
“Fine. I’ll talk to Kane. I’ll tell him to stop trying to drive you away. From now on, you two just get along and you, stop going on about leaving. It’s irritating!”
Elena looked at him in silence, then suddenly smiled. “Sure. I won’t bring it up again.”
After all, everything would be over in seven days,
Seeing that she didn’t argue back, Robin’s expression finally eased. “Focus on recovering. Don’t stir up any more trouble.”
With that, he turned and walked out, his back still as cold and distant as ever. Elena stared at the closed door and slowly shut her eyes.
Just seven more days. Then, she would finally be free.
The next day, Robin forced Kane to come to Elena’s hospital room. The boy stood stiffly at her bedside, his face full of reluctance and his eyes brimming with disdain.
Robin’s tone was cold as he ordered, “Apologize. Then take good care of her.”
Kane pouted his lips but eventually picked up a bowl of oatmeal. He scooped a spoonful and held it out to Elena.
His voice was stiff as he said, “Eat up.”
Elena glanced at him, said nothing, and quietly ate it. Robin gave a satisfied nod and stepped out to take a phone call.
But Elena suddenly felt her whole body was itching not long after, as if thousands of ants were crawling across her skin. She couldn’t help but scratch, but the more she scratched, the worse it got. Soon, red welts covered her pale skin, some even bleeding from being clawed open.
Then, a burst of laughter rang out beside her. She jerked her head up and stared at Kane. “Was it you?”
Kane shoved her away and sneered. “So what if it was me? I’m not apologizing to you!”
“You deserved all those injuries. If you’d just left earlier, none of this would’ve happened
but i
tno, you just had to stay here and cling onto us!”
Fighting through the unbearable itching, Elena tried to get up and press the call button for the doctor, but the cast on her right leg made it nearly impossible to move. Just as she managed to lift herself up, she collapsed heavily to the floor, utterly humiliated.
Kane stood nearby, laughing cruelly. “Doesn’t the itching powder feel great? You look hilarious like this–like a turtle on its back!”
Elena tried again to reach for the call button on the nightstand while gritting her teeth. But Kane pushed her down once more, gloating as he said, “Don’t waste your strength. I already locked the door. No one’s coming to save you!
By the time the effects of the powder finally wore off, Elena’s body was covered in wounds. She lay on the floor, weak and battered.
Only then did Kane slowly unlock the door and run out, calling loudly, “Dad! Elena fell, and I can’t help her up!”
Robin rushed in and scooped her into his arms, frowning as he noticed the scratches all over her skin. “What happened?”
Elena’s voice was hoarse as she said, “Kane used itching powder on me.”
