Not going to lie, I thought I was braver than this.
I thought I would be able to stand here and say the words I had been dreading from the very beginning. Thought I could force them out for Marcus's sake if I had to. But now that the moment was finally here—
I couldn't.
My lips remained sealed shut, my throat tightening painfully every time I tried to speak. My hands curled into fists at my sides, nails biting harshly into my palms as though pain alone could force the words out of me.
It wasn't only because I did not want to say them. It was because I could not bear saying them while Marcus stood chained behind me.
All bruised and bleeding. Forced to witness all this madness.
The mere thought of turning around and seeing the look on his face as I agreed to marry another man made something inside me feel physically sick.
I forced myself to take a slow breath.
And when I finally spoke, my voice came out steadier than I felt.
"If you want this conversation to go anywhere," I said carefully, "then we are not having this here."
Garrick's mother arched a brow delicately. "And why is that?"
Before I could answer, Garrick let out a low, humorless chuckle from beside her.
"What is it, Elena?" he asked smoothly. "Afraid he might hear what you're willing to offer?"
Heat rushed to my face instantly.
Behind me, I heard the sudden violent rattle of Marcus's chains.
The sound alone nearly made me turn around, but I didn't. Instead, I forced myself to remain still, nails digging sharply into my palms as I kept my eyes fixed ahead.
Silence stretched painfully through the room.
Then slowly, I slipped my hand into the pocket of my jeans.
At first, no one reacted.
Not until the small folding knife slid into view beneath the chandelier light.
And the atmosphere shifted instantly.
Garrick stiffened.
Lady Cavendish's smile vanished.
I could feel Marcus went completely still behind me.
"I would reconsider your next move carefully," I said quietly, flipping the blade open with shaking fingers.
"Elena," Garrick said sharply, taking a step forward from behind his mother.
I lifted the knife higher, pressing the tip against the side of my throat. Hard enough that I could feel the sting immediately. My blood, pouring down my neck.
"Stop," Garrick hissed.
"You want me alive, don't you?" I asked, my voice trembling despite every attempt to steady it. "You want your curse broken? Your bloodline restored? All at once?"
I swallowed harshly, the blade shifting slightly against my skin.
"Then congratulations," I whispered. "Your entire future is standing right in front of you with a knife to her throat."
"Elena!" Marcus roared behind me.
The violent rattle of chains echoed through the room as he struggled hard enough against the restraints that metal scraped harshly against stone.
But I still refused to look at him.
Because I knew that if I did...I would break.
Garrick moved suddenly, perhaps thinking that he could disarm me quickly.
I pressed the blade even harder until a sharper sting cut across my neck.
More blood welled instantly beneath my knife.
Everyone froze.
"Another step," I said shakily, "and I swear I will slit my throat before any of you can touch me. I dare you."
For a long moment, nobody moved.
The only sound filling the room was Marcus struggling violently agains the chains behind me, metal rattling harshly against stone every time he pulled against them.
"Elena!" he shouted again, panic and fury laced through his voice now. "Put the blade down!"
But I kept the knife pressed against my throat, despite my hand already shaking badly.
Blood continued to bead slowly against the edge of the blade, sliding over the skin of my hand and down the carpet.
Lady Cavendish simply stared at me in complete silence, expressionless.
Then she slowly rose from her chair.
Gone was the amused elegance from before.
Now, she simply looked tired.
"Well," she murmured softly, smoothing invisible wrinkles from her pristine sleeve, "it appears you have inherited more spirit than we anticipated."
"Mother," Garrick bit out tensely. "Let me take the knife from her."
"No," Lady Cavendish said sharply enough that even he froze. "You've done enough."
Her eyes then returned to me, a faint sigh escaping her lips.
"You win this round, Elena," she said calmly. "There is no need for dramatics."
I said nothing.
The blade still remained exactly where it was.
Lady Cavendish glanced toward the men standing nearby before speaking again. "Release Marcus from the wall for now. Bring him elsewhere. They're both starting to stain the carpet." Then her gaze settled back on me. "We shall continue this discussion privately."
My chest tightened.
"In my office," she added smoothly. "Just you and I, Elena Wright."
Behind me, Marcus immediately struggled harder.
"No," he snarled hoarsely as they began unlocking his chains. "Elena, do not go anywhere alone with her."
But Garrick's mother simply smiled faintly.
"Oh Marcus," she sighed. "If I intended to harm her, I would not have spent centuries searching for her bloodline."
"Our bloodline could certainly use your grit, Elena," she added softly, her eyes drifting briefly to her son standing between us before settling back on me. "Now, come with me."
She turned smoothly toward the doors, one of the men immediately moving to open them for her.
I lowered the knife slowly from my throat, wincing faintly at the sting left behind. But I did not put it away. My fingers remained tightly wrapped around the handle at my side, the blade still visible enough that everyone in the room understood that I was not bluffing.
Lady Cavendish noticed it, of course, as she stood by the doorway.
Yet she said nothing.
For one brief moment, she simply left the room despite nobody moving.
Then I felt it.
A hard pressure against the middle of my back.
I stiffened instantly.
Garrick leaned closer behind me, close enough that I could smell the sharp scent of his cologne beneath the tension hanging in the room.
"You heard her," he muttered quietly.
Cold dread slid through me the moment I realized what was pressing against my spine.
A fucking gun.
My throat tightening.
Still gripping the gun, I forced my feet to move.
And the moment I did, there was an explosion behind me.
"No!" Marcus shouted, his voice tearing through the room violently enough that I nearly turned around right then.
Chains rattled harshly against stone as he struggled against the men holding him down.
"Elena, don't go!"
There were shouting, grunting and more furniture scraping.
Then the sickening crack of a fist landing.
My chest seized painfully.
Another blow followed.
Someone cursing loudly.
"Hold him still!"
But Garrick's hand pressed harder against my back. The weapon remaining firm against my spine as he practically shoved me toward the doorway.
I could simply stab him with this knife, give him a mortal wound. But in doing so, I'd be ruining everything. It wasn't like I could grab Marcus and run out of here, not without proper backup. Not when this place was armed and guarded.
So I kept walking.
Because I knew, that if I turned around now, if I saw Marcus bleeding again...
I'd fuck it and ruin everything.
Even while the sounds of him fighting for me echoing through the room behind us until the doors were finally shut.