He Ordered My Torture, Then Said I Love You Chapter 02

He Ordered My Torture, Then Said I Love You Chapter 02

The car pulled up to the house. Arthur bolted out before the engine even cut.

I stayed locked in, my broken fingers screaming with every heartbeat. Time blurred.

Then someone yanked the door open. I thought he’d finally calmed Jade down.

Maybe now he’d help me. Before I could get a word out, he yanked me out by the arm.

“Move.”

I stumbled along while he dragged me inside.

He shoved me down at Jade’s feet, where she was sitting and sobbing. The second she saw me, Jade’s sobs escalated into shrieks.

“You’ve hated me ever since I won that competition. But leaking those photos? That’s a new low, Claire.”

“I was eighteen. You stood there and let them destroy me.”

“If Arthur hadn’t stepped in, those photos would be everywhere by now.”

Pain shot through my hand every time I breathed.

I watched her little show through a fog. “I don’t know what photos you’re talking about. You cheated five years ago and made enemies with the wrong people.”

“I saved you. You’d be dead if it weren’t for me.”

“How can you live with yourself?”

The slap cracked across my face before I could even see it coming.

My head whipped sideways. A high-pitched ringing filled my ears.

Arthur’s hand dropped to his side. He looked like he wanted to hit me again.

“Still lying, Claire? Even now?”

“You were jealous of her talent. You led those men backstage on purpose.”

“And now you’ve dug it all back up for what, revenge? What the hell is wrong with you?”

I pressed my hand to my numb cheek and laughed. I couldn’t help it.

“Is that really what you think of me, Arthur? You’re so sure I did it? Call the police.”

“Let them figure out who’s really lying here.”

Arthur’s fingers closed around my chin.

“And let everyone see what happened to Jade? That’s what you want, isn’t it?”

Right on cue, Jade’s wailing picked up. She grabbed a knife from the table and pressed it to her wrist.

“I can’t do this anymore! If Claire wants me dead so badly, then fine!”

“Arthur, promise me you’ll take care of Claire when I’m gone…”

The color drained from Arthur’s face.

He knocked the knife away and pulled Jade against his chest. “Goddammit, Claire! Enough!”

When the doctor arrived, Arthur made him treat Jade’s scratch first. Nobody looked at my hand.

The pain drove me to my knees, making me slide down the wall until I hit the floor. I could taste blood in my mouth.

“Please… my hand… I need a doctor…”

Arthur looked at me, then at the doctor.

“Don’t touch her.”

“She brought this on herself.”

“You can treat her when Jade says she’s had enough.”

The doctor stared at my hand.

He didn’t move. “Mr. Sterling, without treatment, this could turn septic. She could lose the hand.”

“I said no!” Arthur’s voice filled the room.

“It won’t kill her. Let her suffer.”

I let my eyes fall shut. By nightfall, I was burning with fever.

The infection had set in. Voices drifted through the fever fog.

The staff were talking. “Did you see? Someone leaked photos of Claire online.”

“The comments are brutal. They’re calling her everything under the sun.”

“You’d think Mr. Sterling would step in.”

“Are you kidding? He’s the one who let it happen.”

“Remember what happened when someone tried this with Ms. Young? Those photos vanished in minutes.”

“He’s making an example out of her. For Ms. Young.”

“Well, she shouldn’t have crossed Ms. Young.”

Their words pushed me deeper into the fever.

The world went soft at the edges. Through the haze, I heard the door.

“Save… me.”

Arthur looked down at me like I was dirt on his shoe.

“I can have the doctor treat you.”

“But Jade wants an apology. There’s a chapel out of town. You’ll kneel there for seven days.”

“Do what she wants, and I’ll get your hand fixed. The photos come down too.”

I forced the word through clenched teeth. “Fine.”