Chapter 3 Shattered Memories

I couldn't stay there; someone would come upstairs soon, and if they saw me in that state, it could get worse. My hand throbbed, the cut had reopened, and the blood flowed warm from the wound.

I returned to my room, locking the door and sliding the latch I had installed after a night when Liam came home drunk and tried to break it down.

I went to my closet, grabbing the small first-aid kit I had put together after Diane "accidentally" pushed me down the last few stairs. I was still missing a few things, but I managed to apply a temporary bandage until I could get to a hospital or a pharmacy.

Sitting on the bed, I took a deep breath, wiping away my tears. What did I expect? Diane only saw me as a way to make money without having to get up from her tacky sofa. Ever since my father introduced her as his fiancée, I had felt something off about her, but I still tried to build some kind of relationship.

Of course, she would never take my mother's place, but nothing prevented us from getting along, especially since she was, at the time, my father's fiancée.

I pulled out a photo I kept hidden of my mother. It had to stay inside a book on my nightstand to ensure Diane would never find it.

I touched the smiling face in the photo, her large belly covered by a light yellow dress that seemed like an extension of her long, wavy golden hair. Her deep, dark blue eyes radiated so much joy and kindness. I missed them, missed her loving touch.

"It would have been so different with you here, Mom," I whispered, feeling a lump forming in my throat.

The memories of the three of us, before my mother got sick, playing in the park. My father pushing the swing while my mother shouted for him to be careful. The loud laughter filling the house as I ran, dodging a bath while my mother chased me with a towel in hand.

A low sob escaped me, and I bit my lip, trying to hold it back.

"I miss you both so much, Dad... Mom."

My chest tightened. The pain was always there, on the surface, scratching at my skin, ready to break free. I hugged myself, wrapping my arms around my body as if to hold together what was left of me.

The sound of distant sirens echoed in Peckham, a constant reminder of the dangers lurking outside.

A black car pulled up on the street, its headlights dimming slowly, and my heart raced. I quickly stepped away from the window, closing the curtains, as if that thin fabric barrier could shield me from the misfortunes prowling the night.

The sound of footsteps in the hallway, approaching my bedroom door, put me on edge. I leaned against the weathered wood. The strong smell of cigarette smoke, the haze seeping through the cracks, the sound of heels sinking into the carpet like a sinister melody of foreboding.

"Lilian, dear. You have visitors," Diane's sickeningly sweet voice made me tremble. I glanced at the clock, seeing it was past 1 a.m. I swallowed hard, pressing my hands against the door with more force.

"I'm not expecting any visitors," I replied, keeping my voice steady.

Diane's words echoed in my mind. She had sold me, and everything pointed to this visitor being the buyer. I returned to the window, my heart pounding. I looked down, wondering if I could jump from the second floor without suffering serious injuries.

"Damn it..." I muttered through my teeth.

There wasn't time to rig a rope to escape, and I wouldn't be able to flee if I broke my leg in the fall. Diane banged harder on my door, startling me.

"Get out here now, you filthy little slut!"

The door shook violently, the latch bravely holding it in place while the hinges creaked. I had nowhere to hide and nowhere to run.

I looked back at the window, my heart racing, my breath caught in my throat as I considered what I might be capable of to escape that hell.

Suddenly, the hinges gave way with a loud crash. Liam shoved the wood aside, his cold brown eyes and crooked smile making me step back.

He raised a finger, wagging it in negation. "Don't even think about it. Even broken, you're still worth something."

I threw myself to the floor, falling to my knees before them. "Please don't do this to me."

Diane entered the room, smiling from ear to ear. But her expression changed when she noticed the photo of my mother on the bed. Her face turned red, her chest heaving with irregular breaths as she advanced toward me, grabbing my hair and yanking it hard.

I screamed, clutching her wrist, trying to free myself as she dragged me out of the room.

"How dare you?! I raised you, you ungrateful wretch!" Diane shouted as she pulled me. I struggled, tried to grip the door frame, but Liam kicked my hand with force.

"You can't do this to me!" I tried to hold onto the hallway sideboard, which crashed to the floor, knocking over everything on it. "Let me go!"

No matter how much I fought or begged, Diane kept pulling me. My head ached. Her fingers dug into my scalp, nearly ripping out my hair.

The stairs slammed against my back with violence, my fingers slipping on the railing bars as tears streamed down my face. I couldn't take it anymore.

When we reached the first floor, someone knocked on the door. A grotesque smile spread across Diane's face.

"As I said, you have visitors, and you'd better cooperate without causing trouble."

The moment she released me, I tried to run to the kitchen, but Liam delivered a hard punch to my stomach, making me vomit and collapse to my knees, clutching my abdomen.

"Are you so stupid you can't follow a simple order?" he said, his words dripping with contempt. "Be useful for once in your miserable life."

The front door creaked open.

I raised my eyes, my body trembling with spasms and pain. I stayed there, on my knees, watching a tall, powerfully built man in the doorway. In the darkness that shrouded him, I couldn't make out the details of his face, but I felt an overwhelming pressure as I realized he was looking at me.

My voice died, and I held my breath, consumed by fear. The man stepped forward, his gaze never leaving me.

"As agreed. She resisted a bit, so we had to discipline her, but overall, she's fi-" Before Diane could finish speaking, the man slapped her hard, sending her crashing to the floor.

Liam rushed to help his mother, who held her mouth, blood trickling through her fingers.

"A clear order was given that she wasn't to be touched," the man's cold, menacing voice made it seem as though even the walls trembled in fear of him.

Diane and Liam turned pale and silent. The man grabbed my arm, pulling me to my feet. I held his hand, clinging to the last thread of hope I had in my words.

"Please..." I swallowed hard, trying to steady the tremor in my voice. "Please, I have nothing to do with this."

"It's not my concern. Now move, the Boss is waiting." The man pulled a black zip tie from his pocket, binding my wrists with it.

At the mention of "Boss," my entire body seemed to weaken. My legs gave out, and I stumbled, being dragged by the man toward the black car I had seen from my window.

There was no escaping when the mafia boss called for you. Diane hadn't just sold me; she had sold me to the most dangerous man in all of London. The red-eyed crow.