Chapter 29: Punishment
Lilia's eyes fluttered open slowly, the sunlight filtering through the slightly parted curtains casting a golden glow on her skin. The warmth of the light painted delicate patterns on her face, but her usually lazy eyes struggled to adjust.
She blinked a few times, her lashes brushing against her cheeks as she willed her mind to wake. Her body felt unusually heavy, and for a brief moment, she wondered if she had dreamt the horrors of the previous night.
But reality quickly set in.
Her breath hitched as she shifted her hand, only to feel a sharp, stinging ache shoot through it. She winced and glanced down. A white bandage wrapped snugly around her hand served as a silent reminder of the night before. Memories came flooding back—fragmented and hazy, but vivid enough to make her heart race. Zethan. She remembered being in his arms, his strong frame a strange source of comfort, before everything faded into darkness.
Something felt off. Her unease grew as she forced herself upright in bed, but the sudden movement caused her injured hand to throb painfully. She hissed softly, clutching it instinctively. The bandage, stained faintly at the edges, was a painful testament to the pressure she had unwittingly applied.
Her mind spiraled. What had really happened after she passed out? She also recalled the grotesque face of the old man who had cornered her, his foul breath lingering in her memory like a stain. Her stomach churned. What if Zethan hadn't come? What if that man had taken her somewhere even darker, even worse?
Her body shuddered involuntarily at the thought. The image of the old man's chapped lips curling into a twisted grin made her grip the sheets tightly. A wave of disgust and fear washed over her, leaving her feeling raw and vulnerable.
For a brief moment, an overwhelming sense of gratitude toward Zethan enveloped her. He had arrived just in time, saving her from a fate she dared not imagine. Despite everything she thought she knew about him, despite her instinct to avoid him, she couldn't deny that he had been there when she needed him most.
But still... why did he save me? Her thoughts flickered back to his piercing eyes, the way he had held her so effortlessly, and the deep timbre of his voice that somehow silenced the chaos within her.
A soft knock at the door startled her out of her thoughts.
"Good morning, Miss Lilia," a gentle voice called from the other side before the door creaked open. Evie entered, bowing respectfully. Her expression was calm but observant, her professional demeanor a sharp contrast to the turmoil swirling in Lilia's mind.