Lilith’s POV
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The cell was cold, dark, and damp. Lilith had lost track of how long she’d been down here. A day? Two? More?
Her body ached. The bruises on her face throbbed, and the cut above her eye had scabbed over but was now surrounded by an itchy heat that indicated potential infection. She sat on the concrete floor with her back against the wall, her wrists raw from the silver handcuffs that kept her from shifting.
They’d given her food once, but it was just a piece of stale bread and a cup of water. Not enough to sustain her, but enough to keep her alive. That was the point, she supposed. Keep her alive just long enough to use her as leverage.
Better Lilith than her daughter, at least.
Just then, footsteps echoed down the hallway outside her cell. Lilith tensed. The door swung open, and Richard stepped inside.
He looked the same as he always had: smug, self–satisfied, and cruel. Lilith wished she had realized he was a narcissist before she ever married him, but she’d been young and stupid then. At least E hade out of it— the one bright spot in Lilith’s life for so many years.
“Hello, Lilith,” he said.
She didn’t respond–just stared at him with as much hatred as she could muster from behind her bruised, puffy eyelids.
Richard smiled. “Still ying the silent game?”
Lilith’s jaw clenched, but she said nothing.
Richard crouched down in front of her. “That’s fine. I don’t need you to talk. I was justying awake, thinking about something. Couldn’t sleep.”
“I’m sure there are many reasons why you can’t sleep at night,” Lilith muttered.
“Ah. So she does speak.” Richard sneered. “Do you remember how quickly I moved on when you died?”
Of course Lilith remembered. Margaret had been at her funeral, wearing ck and standing beside Richard like she already owned him. The wedding had been less than six monthster, and that wretched son of theirs born not long after that.
“I never loved you, you know,” Richard said casually. “Not really. In fact, I was cheating on you from the moment E was born. Did you know that?”
Something cold settled in Lilith’s chest. She’d suspected, of course. Thete nights, the excuses, the way he’d pulled away from her after E’s birth. But hearing him say it out loud was different.
“Margaret was so much more entertaining than you,” Richard continued. “More fun. More willing. And she didn’tin about every little thing like you did.”
Lilith thought back to her pregnancy. How sick she’d been, throwing up constantly, barely able to keep food
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down. Thebor had been excruciating,sting over twenty hours. And after E was born, she’d been weak. Her body took longer to recover than most.
Richard had never been there. He’d visited the hospital once, looked at the baby, and left. After that, he was barely around. He said he was working. Really, he was just warming another woman’s bed.
“You were always so needy,” Richard said. “Always wanting attention, affection. It was exhausting.”
Lilith forced herself to meet his eyes. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Wouldn’t let him
know how much his words cut.
“Are you done?” she asked tly.
Richardughed. “Almost. There’s one more thing I wanted to tell you.” He leaned in closer. “Soon, E will experience the same pain you did. Alexander will be seduced, just like I was. He’ll break her heart, and she’ll watch her entire life fall apart before her eyes. Just like you did.”
“You’re lying.”
“I wish I were, but I’m not.” Richard stood up. “Alexander’s already left on a press tour with his pretty new I manager. Jane. She was always so loyal to Sophia’s family, and now me. They’re spending the next few days together, alone, traveling from pack to pack. You really think nothing will happen?”
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<strong>Sara Lili</strong> is a daring romance writer who turns icyndscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of d’s breathtaking cold.