Chapter eleven

Dominic stood in the doorway, his frame rigid with fury, his eyes blazing like a storm barely contained. His chest rose and fell slowly, dangerously, like a man trying very hard not to explode.

"What the hell do you think you're doing in my room?"

His voice was cold and filled with rage.

Aveline's throat dried. Her lips parted, but nothing came out. The walls felt too close. The air too tight. Her heart thudded like a war drum.

Dominic's eyes narrowed when she didn't answer.

"I said," he growled, stepping into the room like a predator, "what. Are. You. Doing. Here?"

"Who gave you the permission to walk into my room and touch my things?" Dominic's voice thundered across the room.

Before Aveline could even form a word, his fingers tangled tightly into her hair and yanked. Hard.

She cried out, stumbling forward, her scalp burning from the sudden tug.

"I've been going too soft on you," he snarled lowly, venom seeping into every word, "Let's change that, shall we?"

He didn't wait for a response. With a firm grip on her hair, he dragged her out of the room like a dog. She scrambled, her feet barely catching the floor, nails scraping helplessly against the polished hallway as he hauled her down the corridor.

And then she saw her.

Eve.

Leaning against the wall, her arms crossed loosely over her chest. Her eyes met Aveline's, but there was nothing behind them. No sympathy. Not even pity.

Dominic didn't even glance at her. He kept walking, yanking Aveline faster, her body protesting every movement.

Then came the basement door. Cold. Heavy. Familiar.

He threw it open, and before she could beg, before she could plead or even find her voice, he flung her down the stairs.

She tumbled.

Aveline's body hit the hard floor with a sharp, painful thud. Her elbow scraped against the stone, her hip struck the edge of the step, and her breath left her lungs in a shaky gasp. She whimpered, curling into herself, her whole body throbbing.

She looked up, her vision blurred, but still, she could see him standing at the top of the stairs like a shadow of vengeance.

Dominic's voice cut through the silence, sharp, merciless.

"Did you feel some kind of pity looking through those photos?"

His tone was laced with disgust.

"Your father took my family from me," he continued, his face twisted in cold fury. "So I promised myself I'd erase his family from this world, slowly. Emotionally and Financially.

She kept her head down as he spoke.

"Your father took the lives of my parents," he hissed looking at her. "He ruined everything. My mother is gone. My father killed out of greed and power."

"Your place is beneath everyone in this house," he spat, "You are the daughter of a murderer."

"So I promise to make you suffer, when I find what I'm looking for, I will finally kill you" he said flatly.

"You don't deserve happiness," he said, voice stone cold. "You never did. You were born to pay for your father's sins. And in this house, you will."

He stepped back.

Clang.

The heavy iron door slammed shut. The lock clicked into place.

Aveline broke. A sob tore from her throat as she dragged herself into the corner, curled into a ball, and wept, loud, heart-wrenching cries that echoed off the stone walls. Her hands trembled as she held her bleeding knee, the ache in her scalp unbearable, her voice hoarse.

---

She lay still for hours.

The floor was cold, and the air was damp, tasting of mold and decay. Dust floated around her like ash. A dim, flickering bulb high above buzzed faintly, casting long, distorted shadows on the stone walls.

Her head was still throbbing in pain, she felt like dying, like disappearing from this harsh world. She then remembered what Dominic told her earlier, tears welled up again.

"My father isn't a murderer" She muttered as the tears fell down her cheeks.

Silent, shuddering sobs. Her chest tightened until it hurt to breathe. Her throat ached from dryness. Her stomach twisted with hunger and pain.

Time became a blur.

Day one.

She tried to stand. Her legs gave out. The pain in her arm throbbed. She curled against the wall, pressing her face to the cold stone like it could take away the humiliation.

She heard rats in the corners.

She tried to sleep but couldn't so she decided to just close her eyes hoping for sleep to come, only to open them to the growl of her own stomach and the pounding ache in her head.

Day two.

The light barely changed. Her lips cracked. Her voice was gone. Her tears dried into salt on her cheeks. She couldn't cry anymore. Her throat was too raw.

She hallucinated once about her parents been with her. They were laughing and happy together.

The she regained her senses.

Day three.

She couldn't move.

Not because she didn't want to, but because her body refused. Her arms felt like lead. Her skin burned from dehydration. Her eyes closed.

She thought of her parents.

Her mother's lullabies. Her father's strong hands. Their laughter, before it all fell apart.

And then...

Footsteps.

She blinked slowly. The light above flickered.

The lock clicked.

The door creaked open.

Aveline flinched at the light that poured in.

A figure appeared.

Eve.

Her outline was sharp against the brightness. Her face unreadable as ever.

"Dominic said to let you out," she said calmly.

Aveline didn't respond. She couldn't even move her lips.

With effort, she pushed herself up. Her arms trembled. Her knees buckled.

She took one step....

And everything went black.

She collapsed to the ground, her body limp, her mind slipping into unconsciousness as the door stood open behind her.

The darkness swallowed her in silence once again.