Chapter 2

Ten bottles of wine, all filled with moongrass extract...

For powerful Alphas and Betas, it was a tonic.

But for someone like me in the late stages of Wolfsbane poisoning, it was lethal.

The doctor had warned me long ago-drinking alcohol was equivalent to suicide.

I looked up at Thorne.

His expression was cold and resolute. He wasn't joking.

"Thorne, I... I can't drink."

I begged humbly.

"I'm not feeling well. Could you... give me a different punishment?"

"Not feeling well?"

Thorne sneered.

"Elara, drop the act. When you pushed Vespera down those stairs, did you think about whether she was feeling well?"

"When you took that five hundred thousand to dump me, did you think about how I felt?"

Old grievances resurfaced. Every word stabbed at my heart.

I opened my mouth, wanting to explain.

I wanted to say that I wasn't the one who pushed Vespera back then-she'd thrown herself down the stairs to frame me.

I wanted to say that five hundred thousand was to save his life when he was in the ICU.

But what was the point of explaining?

For three years, I'd explained countless times.

All I got in return was deeper disgust and more vicious beatings.

"Won't drink, huh?"

Thorne lost patience and gestured to the security guards nearby.

"Force it down her throat!"

Two guards immediately stepped forward and grabbed my shoulders.

Cold liquid was forced down my throat, choking me until tears streamed down my face.

The burning liquid flowed down my esophagus into my stomach, instantly causing violent spasms.

The pain was excruciating.

I struggled desperately, but I was no match for their strength.

One bottle, two bottles...

By the time they'd forced down the fifth bottle, I finally couldn't hold it in anymore.

I vomited.

Mixed with the vomit was a shocking amount of bright red blood.

In the private room, some people looked at the blood on the floor with uncertain expressions.

"Oh my God, she's coughing up blood..."

"Is it real or fake? Could she be faking it?"

Thorne looked at the pool of blood, his brow furrowing slightly.

A barely perceptible ripple passed through his eyes.

But the next second, Vespera's panicked voice rang out.

"Oh my! Elara, did you prepare props ahead of time to trick Thorne into feeling sorry for you?"

"When I was working on set before, I saw you use this trick..."

With one sentence, she dispelled all of Thorne's doubts.

The wavering in his eyes vanished, replaced by even thicker mockery.

"Elara, you've really outdone yourself. To escape punishment, you'd even resort to such filthy tricks."

"Looks like these years in prison, you didn't learn anything useful-just got better at acting."

He stood up and walked toward me step by step.

He crouched down and grabbed my chin viciously.

"Since you love acting so much, I'll give you a chance to perform to your heart's content."

"Lick the floor clean."

I stared at him wide-eyed, unable to believe what I was hearing.

The twisting pain in my stomach made my whole body tremble. Cold sweat had long since soaked through my clothes.

But the pain in my heart was a hundred times worse than the physical agony.

This was the man I'd loved for ten years.

This was the man I'd ruined my hands to save, falling from the most promising Alpha Female to the lowest Omega.

"Thorne... just kill me."

I closed my eyes in despair, tears sliding down my face.

"Kill you? That would be too easy."

Thorne laughed coldly and released my face.

He pulled out a wet wipe and wiped his hands with disgust.

"How dare you bully Vespera? Tonight you'll kneel here until tomorrow morning."

"Miss even one minute, and I'll have someone turn off Orion's respirator."

With that, he scooped Vespera into his arms and walked out of the room without looking back.

That group of fair-weather friends followed him out.

Before leaving, they didn't forget to spit on me and stomp on me a few times.

The private room finally fell silent.

I curled up on the cold floor, coughing up blood in great mouthfuls.

Bright red blood stained the white fur of the bunny girl outfit.

With shaking hands, I pulled out the crumpled lab report from inside my clothes.

Looking at the words "late stage," I laughed bitterly.

Thorne, you won.

In this lifetime, I probably really can't repay what I owe you.

But clearly... you're the one who owes me a life.