3 Unde

ia's

y patience," Levi ordered, his vo

as the accusation struck me again. Onc

. "Do not test my patience!" "Where is the sta

en answer, the bedroom door burst open, and

kept in my drawer?" he snap

h blazing rage. My heart was racing, not from guilt, but f

hing," I managed, m

ed sigh and ran a frustra

d have taken it. Who else has

is arms, his fr

Return the money and spare u

ision, but I refused to

and forced my v

his time, though my voice trembled with suppress

ia

my head to find Lennox in the doorway,

a has also disappeared," he ann

red at me as if I wer

and I tried to flee, but it was usel

the wall, yanking my hands above my he

nd return what you stole, or you will

what I said, they would never believe I hadn't taken anything. They

gan to count, and I let

ded up in the dungeons, like my father; others had thei

g to end up like my father, ro

announce

y wrists and

father-a stubborn thi

treamed down

me maids!" Louis ord

ly. What did they have in mind

despised me only because of my father's reputation, or if something else was at p

bowing their heads

e orchestration

p her and apply pepper to her naked body

pared to the other punishments for theft, this one

Lennox ordered,

ed me out of the bedroom. I didn't re

trembling, but she didn't dare approach. If

oof, the maid

one of them

ere was no escape. I swallowed hard and bega

l of ground pepper and appr

ched my skin, a cry of ag

the burning sensati

n, except for my face. The pain was unbearable. My k

l," one of the

ave in. Slowly, I knelt, s

ed the torture. My body f

anyone be

the pain to stop, but I knew it

ng me further. My body was burning, and I felt myself fading. The pain

tching me with pity. Burning tears streamed down my cheeks as th

ets had adored me. They used to argue over spending time

hing changed s

had once cherished m

been framed. Maybe... then the tr

gave way, my body swaying under the onslaught of pain and heat. The world see

but I was already sinking into darkness, pulled back into the

ught to cherish me

s were gone.