Chapter 17: The Edge of Darkness

There was a limit to how much someone could take.

I'd reached mine.

The bruises didn't fade anymore. They just layered on top of each other, one mark blending into the next until my body felt like a canvas of their cruelty. I couldn't fight back—I'd stopped trying.

The defiance they once hated in me was gone, and all that was left was silence. But even silence wasn't enough for them. Nothing ever was.

The Quiet Decision

The night was still, the kind of oppressive quiet that made every creak of the mansion's walls feel like a scream. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the bottle of pills in my hand.

I'd found it in the bathroom, tucked away in the back of a cabinet. I didn't even know whose they were—probably Nico's. But I didn't care.

My hands shook as I unscrewed the cap, the small, white pills spilling into my palm like tiny promises of peace.

This wasn't giving up, I told myself. This was escape. Freedom. The only way to take back control.

I didn't cry. My tears had dried up days ago, leaving only a hollow ache in their place.

I tipped the first pill into my mouth, swallowing it dry. Then another. And another.

The room blurred around me, the edges of my vision darkening as I leaned back against the headboard. For the first time in weeks, I felt... calm.

The Discovery

I didn't hear the door open. Didn't see Nico step into the room, his emerald-green eyes narrowing as he took in the scene.

But I felt his hands on me, pulling the bottle from my grip, the pills scattering onto the floor.

"What the hell are you doing?" Nico's voice was sharp, cutting through the fog in my mind.

I tried to speak, but my tongue felt heavy, my thoughts slipping away like sand through my fingers.

"Nico?" Leo's voice came from the hallway, and moments later, he appeared in the doorway, his icy-blue gaze freezing when he saw me.

"What's going on?" Leo demanded, his voice cold.

"She tried to kill herself," Nico said bluntly, his tone void of emotion.

The room spun as Leo crossed the space in two strides, his hand gripping my chin and forcing me to look at him. His gaze burned into mine, a mixture of fury and something I couldn't place.

"Why?" Leo demanded, his voice sharp. "Why would you do this?"

I couldn't answer. My chest felt tight, my body heavy as the pills began to take their toll.

"Adrian," Nico called, his voice calm but commanding.

Adrian appeared moments later, his storm-gray eyes widening slightly as he took in the scene. Then his expression hardened, his usual smirk replaced by something colder.

"You've got to be kidding me," Adrian muttered, stepping closer. "She couldn't handle it, so she tried to tap out?"

"Get water," Nico ordered, his gaze fixed on me. "And make her drink it."

Adrian grabbed a glass from the table and filled it quickly, his movements sharper than usual. He shoved it into Nico's hand, and without hesitation, Nico pressed it to my lips.

"Drink," Nico said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

I tried to turn my head away, but Nico's grip on my chin was unrelenting. He tilted the glass, forcing the water down my throat, making me gag as it mixed with the pills.

"Stop fighting," Leo said sharply, his icy-blue gaze boring into mine. "This isn't over. Do you hear me?"

The Fallout

When they were finally satisfied that the pills were out of my system, the room fell into a tense silence.

I lay on the bed, my body trembling, my mind too foggy to process what had just happened.

"You're pathetic," Adrian said finally, his voice cold. "You think this is going to solve anything?"

"Leave her," Leo said, his tone sharp. "She'll face the consequences tomorrow."

Adrian smirked faintly, but there was no humor in it. "Fine. But she better hope she has a damn good explanation."

The door slammed shut behind them, leaving only Nico.

He stood at the edge of the bed, his emerald-green gaze locked onto me. "You're not getting out of this that easily, Sophia," he said softly, his voice laced with menace. "You belong to us now. And we're not letting you go."

He turned and left, the door clicking shut behind him.

For a long time, I lay there in silence, the weight of their words pressing down on me like a cage.

This wasn't escape. This was just another prison.