A sudden gust of wind cut through my thoughts, sharp and cold, snapping me back to the present. My body swayed slightly, but I steadied myself and climbed out of the trunk. My legs felt heavy, each step an effort, but I forced them forward.

I had barely taken a few steps when his voice rang out behind me, cold and sharp as a blade.

"Did you forget something?"

I stopped.

For a moment, I said nothing. Then, quietly, almost mechanically, I replied, "…Sorry."

Every time I came back, this was what he demanded.

An apology to Celeste.

For making her nauseous.

For dying in front of her.

For existing at all.

The words came out calm, stripped of any emotion. I straightened my back, as much as my battered body allowed, and continued walking without looking back.

Perhaps it was my obedience this time that pleased him. Or perhaps he simply hadn't had enough.

"This car is dirty," Dominic said after a pause. "Clean it. We'll ride back with the steward."

I heard the car door open and close behind me. When I turned slightly, I saw him stepping out, one arm carefully shielding Celeste's belly, his brows drawn together in concern, every movement gentle, protective. Two soldiers materialized from the follow car and flanked them without a word, hands loose at their sides, eyes scanning the road.

I had been pregnant once too.

But at three months, the dog I had raised barked at Celeste, startling her.

That was enough.

Dominic had unleashed two mastiffs on me without hesitation. Their teeth tore into my flesh, ripping through skin and muscle alike. I could still remember the pain, sharp and endless, the way my body collapsed under their weight.

And the child inside me…

Didn't survive.

He had looked at me afterward, expression cold, almost bored.

"Children can come again," he had said flatly. "But if I don't teach you a lesson, you'll never learn your place."

Now, I would never bear a child again.

But at least…

I was free.

The walk back to the estate felt endless. Each step dragged, pain radiating through my entire body. The road blurred in and out of focus, but I kept moving, driven by nothing more than habit. The iron gate of the Bellandi compound rose against the dark sky long before I reached it, flanked by cameras that watched everything and forgave nothing.

By the time I reached the house, they were already there.