Chapter 3

A raw, guttural cry tore from my throat, a sound I hadn't known I was capable of making. It was a mixture of pain and pure, unadulterated rage. The cane, my last semblance of independence, lay in two broken pieces on the floor, mirroring the shattered fragments of my trust.

Jade, however, seemed to revel in my agony. She turned to Maria, who stood frozen in the doorway, clutching the glass of water. "Maria! Get her out of here! I don't want to hear another sound from her. Put her in the small storage room downstairs. That's where broken things belong, isn't it?"

Maria' s eyes darted between me and Jade, terror etched on her face. Her hands trembled, sloshing water onto the floor. "But, Miss Jade, that room... it's cold. And dark."

Jade's face hardened, her voice dropping to a menacing whisper. "Do you want to join her, Maria? Or perhaps lose your job? Your children won't eat if you're out on the street, will they?"

The threat hung heavy in the air. Maria, her shoulders slumped in defeat, nodded numbly. Two burly security guards, summoned by Jade' s silent signal, entered the room. They lifted me, not gently, from my wheelchair, ignoring my protests, and carried me down the winding stairs, past familiar portraits and gleaming chandeliers, to the forgotten depths of the basement.

The storage room was a cramped, airless box, filled with dusty antique furniture and forgotten boxes. The only light came from a single, grimy bulb hanging precariously from the ceiling. It was cold, damp, and smelled of mildew and decay. They placed me on a worn, moth-eaten armchair, my broken wheelchair left abandoned in the hallway. The door clanged shut, plunging me into darkness.

Hours crawled by. The cold seeped into my bones, making my already numb legs ache with a new, sharper pain. My stomach growled with hunger, my throat parched. I called out, my voice hoarse, but only the echoing silence answered. No food, no water, just the oppressive darkness and the chilling realization that my life had descended into a nightmare. They wanted to punish me. To break me entirely.

Finally, the door creaked open, admitting a sliver of light. Jade stood there, a tall, imposing shadow, her face carefully devoid of emotion, yet her eyes held a triumphant gleam. She held a tray of food, but it was merely a prop for her performance.

"Still here, Alayna?" she purred, her voice dripping with mock concern. "I thought a little time alone might make you see sense. Carter is a very important man, and he needs a wife who understands her place. Someone who doesn't cause trouble. Someone who is... grateful. He thinks of everything, you know. He's so loyal."

I met her gaze, my eyes burning with a silent, unwavering defiance. I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of seeing me break. My pain was a private thing, a furnace that fueled my resolve.

A flicker of annoyance crossed her face. My silent resistance clearly unnerved her. "Don't look at me like that, Alayna," she snapped, a hint of desperation in her tone. "You're nothing. You have nothing." She paused, then a cruel smile returned. "Carter wants you back upstairs. He's feeling merciful. Don't make him regret it."

The guards returned, lifting me once more. As we ascended the stairs, the familiar sounds of the house, once comforting, now felt alien, a mockery of the life I' d once known. Just as we reached the landing, the front door opened, and Carter walked in. He looked tired, but his face lit up when he saw me.

"Alayna! There you are!" he exclaimed, rushing towards me, a forced tenderness in his voice. He held out a small, velvet box. "I brought you something. Just a little trinket to show you how much I care. You've been so quiet lately, my love." He opened the box, revealing a sparkling diamond pendant, a large, ostentatious piece that looked utterly out of place. It was gaudy, a stark contrast to the delicate pieces he used to buy me. A peace offering, a pacifier. A bribe.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Jade's body stiffen. Her lips thinned, and her gaze, usually so calculated, faltered for a moment, a flash of pure, venomous jealousy in her eyes. The mask of indifference she'd worn for me cracked, revealing the raw, possessive woman beneath.

"Why, Carter," I said, my voice cutting through his saccharine facade. "How thoughtful. But I hardly think this can make up for the way Jade treated me downstairs. Or for the broken cane." My gaze flickered to Jade, a silent accusation.

Carter's expression changed instantly. The feigned tenderness vanished, replaced by a mixture of annoyance and thinly veiled anger. "What are you talking about, Alayna? Jade would never hurt you. She cares about you." He turned to Jade, a questioning look on his face.

Jade, ever the manipulator, quickly stepped forward. Her eyes welled up, and her lower lip trembled. "Oh, Carter, she's just upset. I... I only tried to help her, to make sure she was comfortable. But she was so angry, so confrontational. I think she misunderstood." She placed a trembling hand on his arm, her eyes wide and innocent. "I would never intentionally hurt her. You know that."

My stomach clenched. His easy gullibility, his blind faith in her, was sickening. He wanted to believe her. It was easier than facing the truth of his own monstrous actions.

"See, Alayna?" Carter said, his voice softer now, directed at Jade, full of reassurance. "She's just trying to help. You're always so quick to accuse." He turned back to me, his tone hardening. "Perhaps you're just being dramatic. Again."

Jade shot me a triumphant glance, a subtle twist of her lips that spoke volumes. She had won this round, and she knew it.

"Carter, she broke my cane," I stated, my voice flat, refusing to let him dismiss it. "The one you bought me."

He sighed, a sound of profound impatience. "Alayna, it's just a cane. I'll buy you another one. A better one. Why are you so fixated on such trivialities? Jade has done nothing but try to help you. And you keep making these accusations." His gaze was filled with exasperation, as if I were a petulant child.

"Is that what you call it, Carter? Trivialities?" I asked, a bitter laugh escaping me. "My mobility, my dignity, your wife's well-being... all trivial?"

He ran a hand through his hair, clearly exasperated. "Alayna, you need to understand. Jade has been through a lot. Her family... her father... they've faced immense hardship. I owe them." He paused, his gaze distant, lost in some self-serving narrative. "When I was a kid, my family was struggling. Her father, Fidencio, he once did me a great kindness. A huge favor, when no one else would. I've always felt indebted to him. To them. Supporting Jade, ensuring her father's safety, it's my duty. My honor."

My jaw dropped. The audacity. The sheer, unadulterated hypocrisy. He was twisting his heinous cover-up into an act of noble charity, using a fabricated childhood debt as a shield for his betrayal. He wanted me to understand his reasons for destroying my life, for protecting the very man who had crippled me.

"You expect me to understand that you've been drugging me, sabotaging my recovery, and hiding a criminal because of some fabricated childhood debt to his daughter?" I asked, my voice rising, losing its carefully constructed calm. My body trembled with the effort of holding back a scream.

"It's not fabricated, Alayna!" he snapped, his voice sharp and cold. "And I'm not 'drugging' you. It's medication to help you relax, to manage your pain. You've always been so fragile, so high-strung. This just helps you cope." He extended the diamond pendant again. "Now, stop this nonsense. Take the gift. And stop making a scene."

I stared at the glittering diamonds, then at his cold, unfeeling eyes. My heart shattered into a million irreparable pieces. It wasn't just a betrayal; it was an active, prolonged torture. He didn't see me as a wife, or even a human being. I was an obstacle, a problem to be managed, a burden to be endured, and ultimately, a thing to be replaced.

A hysterical laugh bubbled up from my chest, raw and broken, quickly followed by sobs that wracked my entire body. It was a sound of profound grief, not for him, but for the beautiful, trusting woman I had once been, for the love I had so foolishly believed in. It was the sound of my soul bleeding out.

As he turned away in disgust, I caught a glimpse of myself reflected in the polished marble floor: a woman, broken and weeping, trapped in a body that wouldn't obey her, her life stolen by the very man who swore to cherish her. And in that moment, something shifted. The tears dried. The sobs ceased. A cold, steel-like resolve filled the void where my heart had been.

He had promised me recovery. He had promised me a future. He had promised me love. All lies. And I, Alayna Bell, heiress to the Bell empire, had paid the ultimate price for his deception. But he had forgotten one crucial detail. The Bell family does not forget. We do not forgive. And we always, always collect our debts. He had made me suffer for seven years. It was time for him to pay.

Carter Kelley, you have no idea what you've unleashed.