Ellis narrowed his eyes, advancing towards me, his voice low and frigid. “If you won’t give blood willingly, we’ll resort to force.”
“If you had any moral compass, you’d voluntarily donate your blood to Linnea,” Gideon’s face hardened. “Otherwise, starting today, you will no longer be considered our sister!”
In that moment, my eardrums exploded with a ringing,
I looked at the two who had sheltered and cherished me for the past three years—my family—and felt my chest hollow. So, in their eyes, my life held little value.
They knew how much I valued their affection and wielded the threat of severing ties to manipulate me!
“I said it—I’m not in the wrong! I won’t give her a single drop of my blood!” My voice quivered yet cut through the air with clarity.
They would never know I had resolved to leave—their threats no longer held sway over me. Gideon’s eyes turned suddenly cold. “Hold her down. Make her kneel!”
The housemaid shrank back in fear, immobilized.
Ellis stepped forward without hesitation, yanking me off the bed until my knees crashed painfully against the frigid floor, the pain blinding me.
“Kneel here and ponder carefully! You may only rise once you agree to donate blood and acknowledge your wrongdoing!”
I bit my lip hard, my back straightened defiantly. “I won’t admit to something I did not do!”
The patience in Gideon’s gaze had completely vanished. With an icy tone, he commanded, “Pin her down and take her to the hospital!”
Ellis grabbed my arm roughly, and as I struggled, my wound flared, sending agonizing pain through me as cold sweat trailed down my spine. They pinned me down tightly, and light dimmed around me.
A wave of searing pain shot through my chest, sapping all my strength. The voices around me became distant, muffled as though submerged in water.
I lost consciousness again.
…
When I regained awareness, the sharp scent of disinfectant assaulted my nostrils.
The cold hospital bed sent shivers through me, while the burning pain in my back felt like countless needles pricking at my skin.
Through the partially open ward door, I caught the doctor’s deep, regretful voice. “Her back is covered in injuries. In her condition, drawing more blood could be life-threatening.”
“Do it!” Gideon’s voice was cold and unflinching, devoid of any hesitation. “She harmed Linnea—she must pay!”