He Cut My Tendons to Make Room for Her, Then Promised to Keep Me as a Pet Chapter 02

He Cut My Tendons to Make Room for Her, Then Promised to Keep Me as a Pet Chapter 02

That afternoon, the hospital room door was pushed open without warning.

Commander Elena Volkov of the Elite Performance Corps walked in, her expression uncharacteristically severe.

Seeing her, the mentor who had always treated me like her own, I instinctively tried to sit up despite the pain.

“Don’t,” she said flatly. “Lily Beaumont, I’m here to inform you that you’ve been dismissed from the Elite Performance Corps.”

Her usual warmth was gone. All that remained in her eyes was disappointment.

“I never imagined you’d stoop to theft,” she continued, her voice tight. “You knew those props were scheduled for the upcoming showcase. Why would you take them? That performance means everything to the Corps. You of all people understood that. I’ve trained you for years, Lily. And this is how you repay me?”

It wasn’t just her words that shattered me. It was the look on her face.

From the day I joined the Corps, Director Volkov had guided me like a mother. She had built me up step by step, made me the face of the entire unit. More than once, I had heard her proudly tell others I was her finest student.

Now she only shook her head.

She set down the container of protein powder she had brought, then turned and walked out.

Through blurred vision, I watched her retreating figure. Her back seemed more hunched than I remembered, streaks of gray visible in her hair. The sight made something inside my chest twist until it felt like it might tear apart.

And then the person responsible for all of this walked in, perfectly on cue, as if nothing had happened.

Elias.

When he saw me collapsed on the bed, shaking with silent sobs, his face filled with concern. He hurried over and pulled me into his arms.

“Easy, Lily… it’s okay,” he murmured softly.

Then he turned sharply toward the subordinate standing guard at the door, his voice exploding with anger.

“What the hell is going on? There’s no way Lily would steal anything from the Corps. I want answers. Find out who’s behind this. Now.”

Curled in his embrace, I let out a silent, mocking smile.

Who was behind it?

Wasn’t it you?

The man I once loved so deeply now made my skin crawl.

Ignoring the curious glances from others in the room, Elias pressed a kiss to the top of my head.

“Lily, don’t be afraid. I believe you. I’ll protect you. Always.”

The report had been submitted by him in the first place. Of course no investigation would ever uncover the “real culprit.”

My reputation in the Elite Performance Corps was already beyond saving. To them, I was nothing more than a disgrace.

Even if my injuries healed, there would be no place left for me there.

Elias had gotten exactly what he wanted.

My earlier breakdown had reopened my wounds. The doctor frowned as he carefully redressed them.

“The patient has a fractured lower leg,” he said, his tone grim. “Bone fragments are still embedded in the muscle. There are multiple lacerations across her body, varying in severity. And her face…” He paused. “You’ve all seen the condition it’s in.”

Elias went pale.

His lips trembled, but he couldn’t bring himself to look directly at my injuries.

“How… how could it be this bad?”

Watching his reddened eyes, I was dragged back to that day.

The day I knelt in front of them, begging for mercy.

Begging them to let me go.

What I got in return were blade after blade cutting into my flesh.

For their own twisted entertainment, the two of them even turned it into a game. They split into sides, competing to see who could break my leg first without using any tools.

They kicked. They twisted. They wrenched.

I would never forget the sound, or the sickening, unbearable pain of my bone snapping.

Elias had always been a man who kept his emotions under control.

But now, for the first time, he held me as tears slipped down his face.

“I’ll get you the best treatment,” he said hoarsely. “If the doctors here can’t fix this, we’ll transfer you to St. Novell. I’ll make sure you recover. I’ll make sure you get back into the Elite Performance Corps.”

At this point, how could I possibly believe a single word he said?

While he stepped out to handle the payment, I asked a nurse to bring me a phone.

My fingers trembled as I dialed.

“Dad…” My voice broke. “I want to come home.”