Chapter 6 - The Doctor's Verdict
The doctor was a quiet, terrified man who moved with extreme caution. Luca stood in the corner of the room the entire time, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes tracking the doctor’s every single movement like a hawk.
When the examination was over, the doctor packed his black leather bag with shaking hands. “She has two fractured ribs, severe deep-tissue bruising, and signs of long-term malnourishment. She needs rest, a strict diet, and pain management.”
“See to it that she gets everything she needs,” Luca commanded, his voice brokering no argument. “Dismissed.”
When the heavy door clicked shut, Luca walked over to the bed. He sat on the edge, the mattress dipping under his weight. In the daylight, he looked exhausted, a dark shadow of stubble coating his sharp jaw.
“Tell me about Julian,” Luca said quietly.
I looked down at my hands, picking at my cuticles. “Julian is a coward. When my father got angry, Julian would offer me up to spare himself. When the union strikes happened last year, Victor blamed Julian. Julian told him it was my fault for misplacing the shipping ledgers.”
Luca’s knuckles turned white where he gripped the bedpost. “So Julian watched him beat you.”
“Sometimes he helped,” I admitted, my voice a hollow whisper. “He liked the power. It made him feel like he was finally the boss.”
Luca stood up abruptly, pacing to the window. The storm outside matched the tempest raging in his eyes. “They offered you to me as a peace treaty. They thought I would lock you in a dungeon and torture you, and they were perfectly fine with that as long as they kept their northern shipping routes.”
“Yes.”
Luca turned back to me, a terrifying, beautiful smirk crossing his face. “Well, then. Since they delivered damaged goods, the peace treaty is officially void.”
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I looked up, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to do what I do best, Seraphina,” he said, his voice deadly smooth. “I’m going to burn their entire world to ash. And I’m going to make sure you are the one holding the match.”
