When I was seventeen, my guardian, Luca Thorne, found out I had feelings for him. He called me a disgusting psycho. He burned all one hundred and eight sketches I’d drawn of him and sent me to a school for troubled youth. Five whole years. There, I learned to kneel and drink scalding water. Learned not to cry when I was beaten. Learned to close my eyes when a dozen men surrounded me. I thought if I endured, I could go home. Until he brought back a fiancée. Winona Reynolds framed me for pushing her off a horse. He made me kneel in the rain as punishment. Winona burned herself. He ordered them to take my skin for her grafts. Winona brought a group of men to violate me. He turned and left with her in his arms. I begged him one last time, kowtowing frantically on the floor. “Mr. Thorne, please save me-” But the elevator doors closed. The look in his eyes was pure disgust. The next day was his engagement party. I jumped from the top floor and landed on the hood of his wedding car. But Luca, why did you go insane after I died?
Fiona POV When I was seventeen, they discovered my secret. I had feelings for Luca. He was my father’s best friend. And my guardian. He destroyed everything with his own hands. My drawing board. My easel. Those one hundred and eight sketches I’d secretly drawn of him, all turned to ash in the flames. “Shameless.” Behind me, the iron gate slammed shut with a heavy thud that seemed to hit my spine. A black sedan pulled up in front of me. The window rolled down, revealing Luca’s cold profile. The passenger door opened. A woman in a white dress stepped out, her hair pinned up, her smile perfectly measured. “You must be Fiona. I’m Winona Reynolds.” I nodded, my throat too dry to speak. “Get in the car. It’s windy out here.” She finished speaking, slipped her arm through Luca’s as naturally as breathing, and settled back into the passenger seat. I opened the rear door and climbed in. The car was spacious, yet oppressively suffocating. In the front, Winona spoke softly to Luca. He occasionally responded, his gaze always on the road ahead. In the rearview mirror, his eyes swept over me. “Did you learn the rules in there?” His voice came through the mirror, devoid of any warmth. My body trembled slightly as those days and nights came flooding back. “I learned them.” I answered quietly, head bowed even lower. “And those inappropriate thoughts-are they gone too?” My fingers twisted the hem of my clothes. Five years. One thousand, eight hundred and twenty-five days. Every single day I repeated the same words to myself: Fiona Winters doesn’t have feelings for Luca anymore. “They’re gone.” “Good.” His gaze moved away, and the car fell into dead silence. The Thorne estate looked the same as before-vast and unsettling. After the car stopped, I followed them into the main building. “Fiona, your room…” Winona turned around, an apologetic smile on her face. “The lighting was perfect in there. So I turned it into a greenhouse. You know how much Luca loves the orchids I grow.” At the end of the second-floor hallway, the door that once belonged to me now had a sign reading “Greenhouse.” I showed no reaction. “It’s fine.” I said. “You’re the lady of the house. If you like it, that’s what matters. I’ll take a guest room.” Winona’s smile froze for an instant before returning to normal. She turned to Luca, her tone carrying a hint of pride. “Luca, see how well-behaved Fiona is now.” Luca studied me. “Mm.” He responded coolly. “Show her to the guest room.” At dinner, the long table felt like two worlds stretched between its ends. Luca sat at the head, Winona beside him. I sat alone across from them, a large bouquet of flowers between us. He carefully cut Winona’s steak. Removed the bones from her fish. His movements were focused, tender, expressions I’d never seen on his face. “Fiona, try this soup.” Winona smiled as she pushed a bowl toward me. That sentence was like pressing a switch. My spine went rigid. I picked up the spoon and mechanically scooped the scalding liquid into my mouth. The burning broth scorched my mouth, but I didn’t stop. Spoonful after spoonful, I swallowed. This was the first rule they taught me in that place: Obey, then swallow everything. Winona watched me until the bowl was empty. “Luca, I told you, Fiona is very obedient now.” Luca’s brow furrowed very slightly, then relaxed. “Keep it that way. Get along with Winona.” His tone left no room for argument. “Yes, Mr. Thorne.” I answered with my head down. Back in the guest room, I closed the door and slowly slid down against it until I was sitting on the floor. I pulled out a cloth bundle from my inner pocket. Inside were several bills crumpled by sweat. This was what I’d saved, bit by bit, doing handwork in that place. I took out my old phone, my fingers trembling as I typed in a destination. A distant city in the south, where it was spring all year round. Date: Thirty days from now. Payment. Confirmation. [Purchase Successful] Thirty days. This was the countdown I’d set for myself. Night fell. I curled up on the bed without changing my clothes. This was a habit I’d developed in that place-always ready for sudden emergencies. The sound of the doorknob turning was soft, but enough to jolt me awake. My body went rigid, my breathing stopped. The door opened. A tall shadow entered, carrying something. The most terrifying memories surged up instantly. I could barely breathe. My mind went blank, but my body reacted before my consciousness could-an instinct carved into my bones through countless beatings and humiliations. I rolled off the bed and crawled forward on my knees, my trembling hands fumbling to unbutton his shirt. “Don’t hit me…” I cried. “I’ll serve you right away… please, don’t hit me…” The light came on. Under the harsh glare, Luca stood there holding a bowl of soup. He looked down at me. “Fiona,” His voice wavered unusually. “What are you doing?!”
Fiona POV His expression changed instantly. Shock, rage, and undisguised revulsion. He swung his hand and knocked the cup off the nightstand. Glass shattered everywhere. “You think you can get what you want with these disgusting tricks?” “Five years in that place, and this is all they taught you?” My body froze. The sound of shattering glass snapped me back to brief clarity. I looked at his eyes burning with fury. He’d misunderstood. He straightened the shirt I’d pulled open, the disgust in his eyes nearly overflowing. “Look carefully. I’m not one of those people from that place.” “As for you,” He paused, each word like a knife. “I have absolutely no interest.” With that, he turned and slammed the door. The loud crash dragged me back to that dark night. I curled up on the floor, my body still shaking. Sounds came from the next room. First, Winona’s tearful consolation. “Don’t be angry. She’s still young, maybe she just… likes you too much.” Then Luca’s voice, suppressing his rage. “If she’d been well-behaved, I could’ve treated her like a sister. But she had to disgust me this way.” Then came deliberately amplified sounds of intimacy. The woman’s laughter, the man’s breathing, the bed creaking… The nights in that place sounded just like this. The sounds came from all directions, inescapable. Behind those sounds were the cries of girl after girl. I covered my ears, but the sounds only grew clearer. I crawled up and knelt on the cold floor, facing that direction. Once. Twice. I slammed my forehead against the ground. The pain seemed to numb the torment inside. Blood soon blurred my vision. I chanted like someone possessed. “Fiona doesn’t have feelings for Luca anymore.” “Fiona doesn’t have feelings for Luca anymore.” I had to kill the part of myself that still held hope. At breakfast the next day, I appeared in the dining room right on time. My bangs covered the wound on my forehead. Luca frowned, about to speak, but Winona spoke first. “The weather’s nice today. Come with us to the polo club. We’re picking out the engagement venue, and you can help us decide.” I didn’t want to go out. I just wanted to hide. “I…” “Go.” Luca cut me off coldly, leaving no room for refusal. I could only nod. “…Okay.” On the club terrace, green grass stretched as far as the eye could see. Luca went to take a call, leaving just Winona and me. When the wind blew, all warmth vanished from her face. “Having feelings for your guardian, how shameless.” My body trembled. She sneered and set down her coffee cup. “You think you hid it well? Your diary, your drawings-I knew about them long ago.” She lowered her voice. “Five years ago, he could send you there. Five years later, I can too.” “Don’t let anything go wrong at my engagement party. You need to disappear.” I thought of those torments, and my teeth began to chatter. Looking at her, I used all my strength to promise. “Don’t worry…” “I’ll leave.”
Fiona POV Winona didn’t believe me. Seeing my pale face and trembling body, the smile on her lips deepened. “I don’t trust verbal promises.” She said. “I need to help you along-make sure you leave more permanently.” She walked toward the nearby stables and led out two docile horses. “Let’s go riding. Consider it clearing our heads.” I couldn’t refuse. In his world, I had to obey her every request. We rode the horses slowly across the lawn. Winona controlled her horse, approaching me at a measured pace. When the two horses were side by side, she suddenly let out a short scream and her body lurched sideways, tumbling from the saddle. Everything happened too fast. I’d just tightened the reins when she was already rolling on the ground, moaning in pain. Her horse hadn’t even been startled. Luca, who’d been on the terrace taking a call, heard the sound and whipped around. He rushed over and scooped Winona into his arms. “I was so scared…” Winona weakly clutched his sleeve, tears immediately streaming down her face. “Her horse suddenly spooked and bumped into me.” As she spoke, she glanced at me. “It’s not her fault. She definitely didn’t mean to…” “Can’t you tolerate her at all?” Luca’s voice was cold as ice. It wasn’t me. She fell off by herself. But would he believe me? I looked at Winona cradled in his arms, then at his furious face. I couldn’t say a word. “You haven’t learned your lesson at all. You really disgust me.” He said coldly as he passed me. “Wait for me at home.” The black sedan sped away, leaving me alone at the empty polo grounds. I dismounted and slowly led the horse back. The pain in my chest had already gone numb. “I really… don’t have feelings for you anymore…” I said softly, my voice so quiet only I could hear it. Night fell. I didn’t return to my room. I sat alone on the living room sofa, waiting. The first lesson I learned in that place was: Don’t make excuses. Don’t beg for mercy. The only choice was to accept quietly. At midnight, Luca pushed through the door. He saw me sitting quietly and paused for a moment. “Kneel.” He commanded. I slid off the sofa and knelt on the cold floor. He took a black riding crop from the wall. “Why did you spook Winona’s horse?” I kept my head down and said nothing. The whip struck my back, searing hot. “Why do you insist on having feelings for me?” Another lash. “Why are you so shameless?” Another lash. I bit my lip, neither crying nor screaming. Not until the housekeeper Emma rushed out to stop him. “Sir! Stop! The floor is covered in blood!” Only then did he stop. He crouched down and gripped my chin. “Why aren’t you crying out in pain?” My lips were already bitten through. “Because…” My voice was hoarse. “It doesn’t hurt.” He didn’t believe me and roughly tore open the back of my clothes. His pupils contracted sharply.
Fiona POV Luca’s hand froze in midair. Five years. He’d personally sent me to that closed school, but did he know what I’d endured there? Just as he stood frozen in shock, Winona appeared in the living room doorway. She’d changed into pajamas and draped on a cardigan, walking over gracefully. Seeing the wounds on my back, she gasped and covered her mouth in surprise. “Oh my God, Fiona, what happened to your back?” She didn’t wait for Luca to answer before offering her explanation. “I’ve heard that some girls hurt themselves to gain sympathy.” She pulled on Luca’s arm, her voice gentle. “Luca, think about it. Fiona was at school the whole time. How could she have gotten such serious injuries? Unless…” She didn’t finish, but the implication was clear enough. Luca’s gaze turned cold again. “Beyond saving!” He looked at me, the last trace of warmth vanishing. “You disgust me!” He stood up. “Basement. Two days. No food.” I felt nothing inside. At school, being locked in dark rooms was routine. No food was even more common. I almost found it laughable. He thought this was punishment. To me, it was relief. At least for two days I wouldn’t have to see him and Winona. “Okay.” I answered softly, stood up from the floor, and walked toward the basement step by step. With each step, the wounds on my back tore open. I left a trail of bloody footprints behind me. Emma came to the basement secretly with a medical kit and a bowl of hot porridge. It was damp and cold down there, with only one dim light. “Why didn’t you explain?” Emma cried. “If Mr. Thorne knew how much you suffered at that school, he’d surely feel sorry for you!” Feel sorry? I thought of many years ago. Back then, Luca would have felt sorry for me. He once cancelled important plans just to take me to see a movie and make me happy. When I couldn’t sleep, he’d rush back through the night just to tell me a story. When I was sick, he’d clumsily make soup and nearly burn down the kitchen. Those days of being cherished were as clear as yesterday. But now? He’d pushed me into hell with his own hands, and when I struggled to crawl back, he snuffed out my last hope. The contrast between memory and reality cut like a knife. I closed my eyes. “I’m tired.” She sighed, set down the porridge and medicine, and quietly withdrew. The door closed. Darkness surrounded me. A tear slid down and disappeared into my hair. In my dream, Luca lifted me high in the air, laughing as he said. “Our Fiona is the most adorable little princess in the whole world.” When I woke, there was only the cold wall and endless chill. It’s all… in the past now.
Fiona POV Two days later, I emerged from the basement. My phone screen lit up, the date on the ticket clearly visible. Twenty-one days left. Winona stood at my bedroom door holding a black evening gown. “Put this on.” She commanded. “Tonight is his birthday party. You have to attend.” I instinctively wanted to refuse. She stepped closer, her voice dropping even lower. “You’d better behave.” I silently accepted the dress and numbly walked into the bathroom. The banquet hall blazed with lights as guests mingled with raised glasses. When I appeared behind Winona, all eyes turned toward me. Whispers rose around us. “Isn’t that the girl the master adopted? How did she turn out like this?” “Compared to the radiant Miss Reynolds, it’s like night and day.” These words floated into my ears, but I had no reaction. As the guest of honor, Luca accepted congratulations alongside Winona. When it came time for gifts, Winona produced an exquisite folder. “Luca, this is the future plan I’ve prepared for you. After the engagement, let’s travel the world together, okay?” She was publicly claiming her territory. Luca took the folder, but his gaze unconsciously swept toward me in the corner. “Alright, whatever you say.” He said. The guests applauded in admiration. Winona suddenly turned to me. “Fiona, what gift did you prepare?” Under everyone’s gaze, I slowly stood up. I took out a wooden box from my small bag. Inside was a yellowed handmade sketchbook, classically bound. This was the only thing my grandmother had left me-a precious sketchbook recording scenery from various places. Years ago, I’d wheedled and begged until Luca gave it to me. Seeing the sketchbook, his pupils contracted sharply. I placed it before him and said softly. “Happy birthday.” After a pause, I raised my eyes to meet his complicated gaze directly. “I wish you happiness.” Returning what belonged to him. Also severing my last attachment. He was about to speak. Suddenly, a crisp shattering sound came from the center of the banquet hall. The decorative ice sculpture, three meters tall, was falling toward me!
Fiona POV He lunged forward and shielded me in his arms. A thunderous crash. Massive chunks of ice struck his back. Shattered ice scattered everywhere. He groaned, his body shaking, yet still held me tightly. “Luca! Are you okay?” Winona screamed as she rushed over, crying as she tried to help him up. He pushed her away and struggled to his feet. He glanced at me, then turned to Winona, his voice hoarse. “Take me to the hospital.” Winona immediately nodded and supported his arm. Almost at the door, he stopped and turned back to her. “Bring Fiona home too. She’ll be scared alone.” Winona’s expression froze for an instant. “But your injury…” “I’m fine.” He cut her off. “I raised her since she was young.” Winona bit her lip and nodded. In the car ride back to the estate, no one spoke. Heavy rain poured down, hammering the windows and blurring the world outside. Winona stared at me, her eyes ice-cold. “Stop the car.” She ordered the driver. The sedan stopped on a deserted suburban road. “Get out.” She looked at me and spoke those words. Outside was pitch black, nothing but torrential rain. “Walk back yourself.” A cold smile curved her lips. The car door opened. Cold wind and rain rushed in. She shoved me hard. The door slammed shut behind me, and the sedan sped away. I was abandoned alone in the storm. I don’t know how long I walked. The hem of my gown was long soaked in muddy water, heavy and cold. The heels of my shoes sank into the mud and broke. I could only walk barefoot, stepping on the gravel-strewn road, shuffling forward one step at a time. Rain washed away the makeup on my face and poured over the wounds on my back that had just begun to heal. It hurt. I fell into a muddy pit, soaked and freezing and wretched. I got up and kept walking. In the dim light of dawn, the estate’s silhouette finally appeared. My strength was nearly exhausted. Just as I reached the front gate, a thick burning smell hit me. One corner of the estate was ablaze, flames lighting up half the sky. Before I could react, two bodyguards rushed out from the shadows and seized my arms on both sides. “Miss Winters, you’re suspected of arson, which caused Miss Reynolds to suffer severe burns. She’s being treated in the hospital. Please come with us.” The hospital. The pungent smell of disinfectant. At the end of the corridor, Luca stood with his back to me. Hearing footsteps, he turned around. “Why did you set the fire? Why did you burn Winona?” I wanted to explain. I’d just walked back from the suburbs. There was no way I could have started a fire. “It wasn’t me…” “Enough!” He cut me off. “Are you saying Winona set herself on fire just to frame you?!” Yes. That’s exactly what she did. But he would never believe it. The operating room door suddenly opened. A doctor walked out, his expression grave. “Mr. Thorne, Miss Reynolds has extensive burns. She needs immediate skin graft surgery.” He paused. “Before Miss Reynolds lost consciousness, she said only one thing.” “She said the injuries she suffered must be repaid by her personally.” The “her” in the doctor’s words referred to me. Use my skin for Winona Reynolds’s grafts.
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