Chapter 42
*
Prissie’s POVZ
All it took was a single glance for the smile to vanish from his face.Д
Gritting his teeth, Declan demanded, “Hey, Prissie, where’s the bracelet on your wrist?”
It was the very first gift he had ever given me.
We’d grown up together for fifteen years, and he had never once seen me take it off.\
I slowly bit a mouthful of toast, not even bothering to look up as I replied casually, “It was old. It broke.“/
The second I said that, his jaw tightened. He let out a scoff, pressing his fingers against his temples as if trying to rein in his temper.”
“And then?” he asked coldly.Z
I didn’t answer him. Instead, I said, “I’m done eating. You two can continue.“Z
Just as I stood up to leave, showing not the slightest bit of care, Declan suddenly slammed his palm against the table with a loud bang.Z
But before he could explode, Reigne pouted and beat him to it.
“Dex, I… I cut my finger with the table knife… I’m bleeding…” she said, her voice pitiful.
Upon hearing that, Declan took her hand, brought her fingertip to his mouth, and gently sucked the wound clean–without the slightest trace of disgust. Then, holding her in his arms, he rushed her to the hospital.
The moment they left, the moving company I had scheduled arrived.
I had all of my personal belongings moved into the new apartment that man had bought./
Once everything was settled, I placed the keys to the villa on the entryway table and walked out the front door without the slightest trace of sentimentality.
Two days later, I had just stepped out of my personal studio when Declan intercepted me and forcibly brought me to a seaside restaurant./
Candlelight. Ocean breeze. Fresh seafood.
Everything I used to whisper about—my little fantasies of the perfect date–he made them all come true that night.”
Then, as if trying to seal the moment, he pulled out a flawless diamond bracelet, gently lifted my hand, and tried to slip it on for me.”
But I quickly pulled my hand back and smiled politely, keeping my distance. “This bracelet is far too expensive. You should give it to Reigne instead.“/
His expression shifted slightly.
“I was gone for just two days,” he said darkly, “and now you’re giving me this moody attitude? Prissie, do you seriously think you’re the lady of the Mortimers?”
“I wouldn’t dare,” I said with a small shake of my head./
His eyes grew even colder.
“I’m warning you, Prissie–don’t push your luck. Don’t test my patience.”
I looked at him and gave a sincere smile.
“You can rest assured. From this moment on, I won’t have anything more to do with you because ”
Before I could finish my sentence, Declan’s phone rang.
It was a call from Reigne.”
Her voice on the other end was trembling, barely holding back sobs.
“Dex, I know today is your tenth anniversary with Prissie. I shouldn’t be calling… but this time, I’m really leaving. Please believe me, no one forced me… everything… everything was my choice…“”
She hung up right after, and no matter how many times Declan tried to call back, all he got was a busy tone.
Enraged, he smashed the diamond bracelet to pieces–completely ignoring the shards that flew across my face, slicing into my skin.
Then, losing all control, he grabbed me by the throat, his face dark with fury.
“What kind of underhanded trick are you playing this time, huh?” he growled.
I met his eyes without a hint of fear. “It has nothing to do with me.””
He let out a sharp laugh through gritted teeth.”
Prissie, watching you pretend to be innocent and jealous–it honestly makes me sick.”
8:36 PM
Then, with eyes full of contempt, he threw me violently to the ground and stormed out without another word. The moment he left, a message from Reigne popped up on my phone.
[So what if you’re a rich and powerful heiress? In the end, my three months still won over your ten years, Prissie.]}
I replied with a single line. [Congratulations.]}
Then I blocked her.
I had just reached the doorway, hand braced against the wall for support, when Declan’s bodyguards appeared. One of them clamped a hand over my mouth and dragged me into the bathroom.
He forced me down into the dirty toilet water, again and again–relentless, merciless torture!
I was barely clinging to life, but that still wasn’t enough. In the end, they tore the clothes off my body and threw me into a freezing storage unit set to ninety–nine degrees below
Zero!
As I hovered on the brink of death, I heard Declan’s voice echoing through the restaurant’s public announcement system./
“I told you to keep an eye on Prissie! What do you mean you don’t know where she is?!“}
