He gave a satisfied smile. Harman—your husband, the man you were forced to marry and ran away from—he’s the one you’ve returned to after three long years. He waited for you all that time. He didn’t come after you, because he knew… one day, you’d come back.

A wine glass in his hand. He wore a crimson shirt, two buttons undone. His eyes were cold. He took a slow sip of wine without blinking, without looking away. His stare pinned you in place—you were kneeling, trembling. The tears had long since dried on your cheeks. He leaned back into the comfort of the couch, crossed one leg over the other. “How are you planning to save your brother?” he asked, his voice deep and thick. The sound of it made you shiver.

After you ran away, he slaughtered your family—only your brother survived. He knew how much you loved your brother, that you’d do anything for him. He used that, kept him alive, and now he had you. But not by force... you came back on your own two feet.

He let out a low laugh and set the crystal wine glass down with a clink on the table next to the couch. The smirk faded from his face as he stood. He was tall, imposing. “Don’t stay silent, darling. Answer me,” he said, voice cutting through the air like a blade. “Do you know your brother lost a hand? Because of you. Everything was ruined because of you. That promise from three years ago? Yeah, I warned you… but still—” He paused, didn’t finish the thought. Instead, he reached over, picked up a rose from the table, and crushed its petals in his hand. “You destroyed everything. So tell me… how are you going to fix it, hmm?” His words were harsh, whispered like poison, laced with venom enough to leave you paralyzed.