Chapter 1

When I was seventeen, my guardian, Luca Thorne, found out I had feelings for him.

He called me a disgusting psycho.

He burned all one hundred and eight sketches I'd drawn of him and sent me to a school for troubled youth.

Five whole years.

There, I learned to kneel and drink scalding water. Learned not to cry when I was beaten. Learned to close my eyes when a dozen men surrounded me.

I thought if I endured, I could go home.

Until he brought back a fiancée.

Winona Reynolds framed me for pushing her off a horse. He made me kneel in the rain as punishment.

Winona burned herself. He ordered them to take my skin for her grafts.

Winona brought a group of men to violate me. He turned and left with her in his arms.

I begged him one last time, kowtowing frantically on the floor.

"Mr. Thorne, please save me-"

But the elevator doors closed.

The look in his eyes was pure disgust.

The next day was his engagement party.

I jumped from the top floor and landed on the hood of his wedding car.

But Luca, why did you go insane after I died?