Chapter 2
Celia’s heart twisted into knots.
She’d been trying to hide her diagnosis, but now the doctor had let everything slip. She clutched the bedsheet until her knuckles went white, and a spark of desperate hope flickered in her chest.
Now that they knew, what would happen?
Would they regret what they’d done? Would they finally care?
Would they hold her close like before and whisper “Everything’s gonna be okay, Celia” the way they used to?
“Ring ring-”
A phone call cut through the moment, interrupting the doctor completely.
Aurelian picked up, and Raya’s voice came through, thick with tears: “Aurelian, I hurt myself… it’s really bad…”
His face drained of color. “I’m on my way!”
Both men bolted past the doctor without a backward glance. “Get her whatever she needs,” Silas shouted over his shoulder. “Top–shelf meds, private care–just fix her up.”
They were already racing down the hall toward their precious Raya like she was the only thing in the world that mattered.
The doctor started to call after them, but they’d vanished around the corner. He rubbed his forehead and turned back to Celia with weary eyes. “Miss Fairborne… your cancer is quite advanced. We really should discuss treatment options, and soon.”
He shifted uncomfortably. “Look, I’m not sure your family caught what I was saying out there. Maybe… maybe you should fill them in? Help them understand how serious this is? They might want to, you know… be here for you.”
Celia let out a hollow laugh, tears sliding silently down her cheeks. “Don’t bother.”
“They’ve got more important things to worry about.”
He looked like he might argue, but eventually said nothing. He left without a word.
The following days were hell. Her painkillers barely touched the agony anymore, leaving her curled up in that hospital bed, drenched in cold sweat.
That’s when her phone rang.
“Come on, it’s just a scratch. How long are you planning to milk this?” Silas’s voice was ice–cold. “You’ve got debts to pay. Get your ass home.“.
Celia’s hand shook as she held the phone.
She knew exactly what they wanted–more opportunities to break her down piece by piece.
Fine by her.
She was actually curious to see how they’d react when their little torture game finally killed her.
She checked herself out, grabbed a bottle of the strongest painkillers they’d give her, and headed back to that house of horrors.
But the second she walked through the front door, the staff cornered her.
23:58
Killed Me for Your Precious Angel? Now Pray She Can Save You from Hell
4.8%
Chapter 2
“Miss Fairborne, we have orders from Mr. Graves and Mr. Silas. Hospital stays can be… unsanitary. For Miss Quinn’s protection, you’ll need to go through decontamination first.”
Before she could protest, they grabbed her arms and hurled her straight into the chemical bath.
“AHHHHH!”
The disinfectant hit her open wounds. Celia’s body went into violent spasms, blood pouring from her injuries and staining the water crimson.
The staff freaked out and ran screaming for backup.
Aurelian arrived to find Celia barely conscious, her face chalk white and covered in sweat, her lips torn and bloody from biting down on the pain.
His pupils dilated in shock, and he instinctively reached out to pull her from the water.
“Don’t.” Silas caught his wrist, voice deadly quiet. “You know what we agreed.”
Aurelian’s hand froze mid–air.
“I get it–you still have feelings for her,” Silas held his gaze steadily. “But we’re almost done here.”
“She needs to learn once and for all, or she’ll just go after Mireya again the second we bring everyone back.”
His voice softened just a fraction. “Look, she’s my sister too. This isn’t easy for me either. But we’re doing this for Mireya.”
Aurelian’s fingers trembled, but slowly, he pulled his hand back.
Celia floated in the bloody water, watching their retreating figures through blurred vision.
How ironic.
She was dying, and they were still worried about what she might do to Mireya in the future.
They left her in that toxic pool all night. At dawn, the staff finally pulled her out and dumped her in her room like garbage.
Celia curled up on her bed, shaking with pain.
When she could finally move again, she dragged herself up and started gathering her belongings.
Since she was going to die anyway, she wanted to go cleanly. She didn’t want to leave any trace of herself in this house.
That way, in her next life, she’d never have to see them again.
She pulled out photos, journals, gifts Aurelian had given her over the years…
One by one, she fed them to the flames.
The fire devoured her memories along with what little life she had left.
That’s when someone kicked open her door.
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