Chapter 6 When Elara woke up again , the first thing she saw was the stark white ceiling of a hospital room . 2011 C " You're finally awake ! " a nurse said , breathing a sigh of relief . " You're seriously injured . We need to contact your family right away . " She paused , unable to stop herself from sighing . " Look at Miss Croft in the next room . She fell in the water too , but her injuries are much lighter . Still , Mr. Blackwood hasn't left her side for a second , treats her like she's made of glass . Where's your family ? It's been two days and no one's shown up … " Elara managed a weak , humorless smile but said nothing . Just then , the door to her room was thrown open with violent force . Damien stood in the doorway , his face a thunderous mask , his eyes like daggers stabbing into her . The nurse froze , confused as to why Mr. Blackwood was here , but seeing his The moment the door closed , Damien swept the medicine tray from the bedside scattering across the floor . " Did you push Isabelle into the sea ? " His voice was colder than ice . Elara froze . , she quickly excused herself . sending glass vials shattering and pills She couldn't understand why Isabelle would frame her again . A wave of profound exhaustion washed over her . " I didn't . " " Still lying ? " Damien grabbed her wrist , his grip so tight she thought her bones would break . " Isabelle told me everything ! you supposed to be so understanding ? Why have you suddenly become like this ? " Hallengren't He let out a cold , harsh laugh , as if a sudden realization had dawned on him . " Or was it all an act ? Was your tolerance just to get my attention ? " Elara's face went white with pain , but she simply stared back at him , too weary to even bother explaining . Her silence seemed to enrage him further . He violently threw her hand aside . " Fine . If you won't admit it , you can face the consequences yourself . " a game He turned to leave , his voice laced with venom . " From now on , no doctors or nurses will attend to you . You can suffer this pain alone . " The following days were a living hell for Elara . No doctors made rounds . No nurses came to change her dressings . She had to drag her battered body to the supply cabinet , her hands trembling as she applied her own medicine . O Several times , she fell , bruising her knees on the hard floor , but she always gritted her teeth and pulled herself back up . Damien probably thought that she , the " great Miss Vance , " wouldn't be able to endure such torment . But he didn't know . She wasn't Seraphina , the pampered socialite raised in a gilded cage . She was Elara , the girl who had clawed her way through a childhood of neglect , abandoned by her parents , forced to endure every sickness on her own . What was this pain compared to that ? A few days later , just as Elara finished her discharge paperwork and was packing her few belongings , the door to her room was kicked open again . 20.17 Chapter 6 Damien stormed in , his face a dark mask , and seized her wrist . " You're coming with me . " " For what ? " Elara frowned . 2011 " Isabelle's been kidnapped by Julian Thorne , " Damien said , his voice tight with tension . " He specifically requested you as the exch- ange . He'll release you in three days . " Elara's heart went cold . Julian Thorne . The infamous deviant of their social circle . Every time he saw her , his slimy , predatory gaze made her skin crawl . " I'm not going , " she refused flatly . Damien's eyes turned glacial . " You don't have a choice . " He stared at her , his tone suddenly softening . " Julian has a thing for this is over , I'll agree to any condition you name . " you ; he Won't actually hurt you . Just be cooperative , and after Elara looked up at him and suddenly smiled . " Alright . Then I want a wedding . " Damien froze . " What ? " " We only signed the We papers . This was part of her plan . never had a ceremony , " Elara said softly . " I want you to pr " When Seraphina returned , she needed a grand , public wedding to witness the official transfer of title of Blackwood . " Damien was silent for a long time before finally nodding . " Fine . I promise . " When Elara was delivered to Julian Thorne's mansion , he was lounging on a sofa , a sly grin on his face . " Mrs. Blackwood . So good to see you again . " His fingertips brushed against her cheek . Elara fought back the urge to recoil . The first two days of her torment were relatively " mild . " Julian just had his men draw her blood , tube after tube . The sting of the needle was a pain she had grown numb to , but watching her own life force being collected in glass vials made her heart tremble uncontrollably . On the third day, drifting in and out of consciousness , she overheard the guards whispering outside her door . " Is the boss crazy ? Is he really going to drain her blood to make a specimen ? " " Shh , keep your voice down … He said she's too beautiful , that turning her into a specimen is the only way to preserve her forever … " Elara's blood ran cold . This was what Damien had promised would be " fine " ? She was about to lose her life ! An icy chill shot up from the soles of her feet . She bit her lip so hard she tasted blood , trying to quell the violent tremors that wrac ked her body . Waiting for a lapse in the guards ' attention , she fumbled for the crystal figurine on the bedside table and threw it with all her might at the window . CRASH ! Glass shattered everywhere . She used a sharp shard to saw through her ropes . As she leaped from the second - story window , a sickening snap echoed from her right ankle . 20.1T Chapter 6 The pain was so intense her vision went black , but she didn't dare stop . 2011 Dragging her broken ankle , she stumbled out of the Thorne estate and ran all the way back to the Blackwood mansion . When she pushed open the living room doors , she saw Damien on one knee , tenderly applying medicine to Isabelle Croft's ankle . " Damien … " Isabelle's eyes were red - rimmed . " Miss Vance has been gone for so long . Aren't you worried about her at all ? " Damien's movements paused . His voice was impossibly gentle . " The sprained your ankle ? Are you trying to make me die of only one I'm worried about is you . Why didn't you tell me you Elara stood in the doorway , soaked to the bone , her own ankle swollen to single glance . twice its normal haryet she didn't receive so much as a She walked past them , her face a blank mask . " Elara ? " Damien finally noticed her , jumping to his feet . " You … " 20.11