Anna’s POV
Pain. That’s all I could feel–sharp, pulsing agony with heartbeat. My wrists burned beneath the bandages, and I couldn’t move without feeling like I was being torn apart all over again. The memories kept flashing behind my eyelids–being stripped naked, the cold metal chains biting into my flesh as they suspended me from the ceiling, my body exposed and vulnerable.
I could still hear their voices, clinical and detached as they decided which part of me to hurt next. The humiliation burned worse than the physical pain, knowing those men had seen me like that, he pless and begging. I’d never felt so violated, so utterly degraded in my entire life.
“Get your hands off me!” I screamed as the
nurse tried
change my dressings. “Just leave me alone!”
“Miss Watson, please,” the nurse begged, her voice
ckly sweet and patronizing. “These wounds will get infected if-
“Like you care!” I thrashed against her grip, ignoring how it made my vision blur with pain. “All of you can go to hell!”
The doctor stepped closer, syringe in hand. “You must calm yourself-
“Calm? CALM?” I laughed hysterically. “After what they did to me? Get out! GET OUT!”
The door slammed open with enough force to make everyone freeze. Joe stood there, his face a thundercloud.
“Enough,” he said, his voice dangerously quiet. “That’s enough, Anna,
I instantly fell silent. Joe rarely used that tone with me, and when he did, it meant real trouble.
“Joe,” I whispered, suddenly feeling like a little girl again.
He turned to the medical staff. “Could you give us a few minutes?”
They couldn’t leave fast enough. As the door closed, Joe stared at me like I was a stranger.
“Feeling better?” he asked coldly.
“How could I possibly feel better?” Tears sprang to my eyes–real ones this time. “Look what they did to me, Joe! Why aren’t you more upset? Why aren’t you ready to destroy whoever did this to me?”
Joe sat on the edge of my bed, studying my bandaged wrists. “Do you know who Brandon Stark is?”
The name hit me like ice water. “What? What does he have to do with anything?”
“According to Sean, everything.” Joe’s eyes bored into mine. “He claims Brandon Stark personally ordered what happened to you.”
“That’s insane,” I said, genuinely confused. “I didn’t even spoke to Brandon Stark. I mean, I might’ve seen him at some event or whatever, but we don’t exactly run in the same circles.”
“That’s what I thought.” Joe frowned. “Which leaves me wondering what you did that would make someone like Brandon Stark take a personal interest in hurting my sister.”
“Nothing!” I insisted, panic rising in my throat as I remembered the cold eyes watching from behind the glass. “Joe, I swear!”
Anna. His voice dropped to a whisper. “I can’t help you if you lie to me. What happened at the reunion?”
1/3
Chapter 125
I hesitated, weighing my options. Joe was my only ally, and he’d walk if he caught me in a lie.
“Fine,” I sighed. “There was this girl there, Summer Taylor.”
“Victoria’s sister?” Joe frowned.
“Yeah. She’s always been a problem–stealing boyfriends, causing drama. I just wanted to teach her a lesson.”
“What kind of lesson?” Joe’s voice was dangerously soft.
I looked away. “I might have… had someone lock her in the bathroom.”
“And?”
“I didn’t know they were going to put a snake in there…”
“A SNAKE?” Joe exploded. “Are you out of your mind? People die from snakebites, Anna!”
“How was I supposed to know they’d bring something venomous?” I protested.
Joe rubbed his temples. “So you locked Victoria’s sister in a bathroom with a snake because… what? You don’t like her?”
“It’s more than that,” I insisted. “She’s always been a manipulative bitch. In college, she stole my boyfriend, and now she’s trying to mess with Victoria’s engagement too!”
“That still doesn’t explain why Brandon Stark would care.” Joe paced the small room.
I bit my lip, thinking hard. “I don’t understand. Why would Brandon Stark care about what happens to Victoria’s pathetic little sister? Unless they are close?”
Joe headed for the door. “I don’t know, but I intend to find out. Rest. I’ll be back.”
“You promise?” I hated how weak I sounded.
“Yes. But Anna?” His eyes hardened. “If I find out you’re hiding anything else…”
The door closed behind him, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the relentless pain. I stared at the ceiling, trying to make sense of it all. The flashbacks hit me again–them cutting away my designer dress with dull blades that sliced into my skin, t endless questions, watching my naked body… I’d screamed until my throat was raw, begged until I had no dignity left. The shame of it crushed down on me like a physical weight.
My fingers fumbled for my phone. If anyone could help me, it was Victoria.
After three rings, Victoria finally answered. “Anna? Oh my god, are you okay?”
‘I’m… I’m out of that place,” I said, relief washing over me at hearing her voice. “Joe got me out.”
“Thank goodness!” Victoria exclaimed, though something in her tone felt off. “I was so worried when they took you away!”
“Victoria, about last night-
“I’m so sorry I couldn’t help you!” she interrupted. “Those security guys were intense! I tried, but they wouldn’t listen to anyone.”
I swallowed my irritation. I needed her too much to call her out on the obvious lie.
2/3
Chapter 125
“It’s fine. Victoria, 1 need your help now. Your fiancé’s uncle is Brandon Stark, right? Could you ask Alexander to talk to him? To
make him leave me alone?”
There was a long pause. “Brandon Stark? Why would he be involved?
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But Joe says he’s behind this. Please, Victoria. I know Alexander and Brandon aren’t close, but maybe just this once-”
“Anna, honey,” Victoria cut me off, her voice suddenly cool, “you know I’d help if I could, but Brandon barely acknowledges Alexander exists. And he’s not exactly the type of guy you just ask for favors.”
“But Victoria-”
“Plus, why would Brandon Stark care about what happened to you? It doesn’t make sense.”
“Maybe because of Summer?” I ventured. “Is there something going on between them?”
“What?” Victoria actually laughed. “Where did you get that idea? Look, I’ve got fittings all afternoon. Wedding stuff, you know? I’ll call you later, okay?”
“Victoria, please—”
“Feel better!” And she hung up.
I stared at the phone in disbelief. After everything I’d done for her? After putting myself on the line to help her deal with Summer? This was how she repaid me?
“Victoria!” I hissed, squeezing the phone so hard my knuckles turned white.
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