Chapter 58
Elijah Vaughn
“I might be crazy for feeling something for my abuser, but he never hit me, never got violent during my first time. I’m not excusing what he did, but… he believed me when no one else did. My voice trembled slightly.
I don’t judge you. I like the man who abused me too.”
His words shocked me–I stared at him, surprised.
“When I got here, my life was a living hell.”
His voice dropped, weighted with something heavy and unseen.
“Constant fear. Every second, just waiting for the worst. Until Tony, the Reaper’s right–hand man, decided he wanted me.”
I swallowed hard, already anticipating where this was going.
‘He wasn’t gentle. He hit me. Forced me. But over time, something changed. He fell in love with me. Spent years trying to make up for what he did–trying to prove he regretted it.”
I swallowed again, absorbing his words.
It was sad, but… it made sense.
“I’m not saying it was easy.”
He leaned his elbows on the table, spinning the plastic cup between his fingers.
“At first, I hated him. Couldn’t even look at him without wanting to throw up. I kept asking myself how someone could do what he did and still consider himself human.”
He glanced at his food, but his mind seemed far away.
“But time passed. The hatred was still there, but it started to lose its strength. Not because he didn’t deserve it–but because I couldn’t afford to be consumed by it. And one day, I realized that hating him wouldn’t undo what happened. That clinging to the past wouldn’t bring back the person I was before I stepped into this place.”
He let out a sigh, as if the weight of it all still clung to his shoulders.
I forgave him. That doesn’t mean I forgot. Doesn’t mean I justify it. I just learned that in here, you do what you have to do to survive. And sometimes, that means accepting that things aren’t always black and white, Not everything is ‘right or wrong,‘ ‘good or bad.”
remained silent, reflecting on every word.
‘But… what if he’s just pretending? What if waiting all this time was just part of the game?”
He gave a humorless laugh, raising the cup to his lips before answering.
“If it was a game, then I lost. But if I spend the rest of my life wondering whether his love is real or not, I’ll never have peace.”
He looked at me, his eyes filled with a bitter melancholy.
didn’t choose this, Elijah. I didn’t choose to be abused. I didn’t choose to grow attached to the man who hurt me. But it happened. What am I supposed to do? Hate myself forever? Destroy myself trying to deny something that’s already part of me?”
The knot in my throat tightened.
Chapter 58
I breathed in deeply, unsure of what to say.
He shook his head, like he wasn’t expecting an answer.
And… sorry.”
‘For what?‘
‘For bringing up all the people who were with the Reaper before.”
1 clenched my fists on the table.
That thought had been crawling in my mind like a persistent shadow, clinging to every corner.
He sighed and leaned on the table, giving me a knowing look.
A lot of people are going to try to mess with your head, Elijah. They’ll talk about what the Reaper did with them–how things used to be. But you need to understand that it’s over.”
He paused, leaning in slightly.
“I used to feel that way about Tony too. At first, hearing the whispers, the teasing, the crap people said about how hot he was or what he did to others–it pissed me off so bad. But eventually, I learned to just brush it off and say, ‘Well, he’s mine now–and I’m the only one riding that thick cock.”
He let out a loud laugh that caught me off guard.
I blinked a few times, shocked at how casually he said it. But in the end… I laughed too.
And for the first time, that uncomfortable feeling started to fade a little.
I felt better.
Understood.
A part of me had been afraid he’d criticize me, tell me I was wrong for feeling something for Dante.
But instead, he helped me realize that in this hell, no one walks out untouched.
Everyone survives in their own way.
And I was starting to find mine.
I let out a quiet sigh and returned to my food, more at ease. The food tasted better now, my stomach no longer in knots.
He focused on his meal too, and for a moment, the atmosphere between us felt lighter.
But it didn’t last long.
‘Hey, newbie.”
The deep, commanding voice caught me off guard.,
My body stiffened immediately, and Fox tensed too.
We turned to the side and saw the guard who strutted around like he owned this place the same bastard who had once challenged Dante and still walked around as if he were untouchable.
His eyes landed on me with that irritating arrogance.
Chapter 58
Today, you’ll be responsible for cleaning the storage room in the north wing! he announced, his tone firm, the there was no room for debate.
1 frowned, confused.
Fox looked confused too.
‘But the newbie works with me in the kitchen,” he argued, glaring at the guard.
The guard turned to Fox, his expression icy and full of superiority.
“Mind your business, Fox. I give the orders here, and he’s working in the storage room.”
A heavy silence fell between us.
My instincts screamed that something was off.
“Finish your food and get moving,” he ordered, turning and walking away before we could say anything else.
I watched the guard disappear, a knot tightening in my stomach. A strange unease crept over my skin, sending a chill up my spine.
Something about that order didn’t sit right–it felt like there was another motive behind it.
Fox glanced sideways at me, resting his elbows on the table.
“That damn guard’s getting way too bold.”
I bit the inside of my cheek, restless.
‘Just tell your man. He’ll handle it fast,” he added with a shrug.
The word “your man” made me freeze for a second, heat rising to my cheeks.
But I didn’t dwell on it.
Something inside me knew that this guard wasn’t just sending me to clean any ordinary storage room.
That bad feeling refused to go away.
And what if I was right?
What if this was a trap?
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
