"Son, stop teasing Allison like that."
Helga smiled warmly as she took Allison's hand, but the instant her fingers brushed those thick calluses on the girl's palm, her brows drew together in a quick frown.
"I really do want to taste what you cook. Just this once, for my sake, all right? And enough with that silly talk about leaving the family. You are Damian's fiancée, and you will always belong with the Schmidts."
Before Allison could even open her mouth to protest, Helga had already guided her firmly into the kitchen.
Allison's fingers shook as she picked up the knife. Every breath felt too tight in her chest.
Exactly one hour later, she carried the eight dishes, two soups, and the dessert out to the table.
"Tastes decent enough," Damian muttered, the corner of his mouth twitching upward. Yet he asked for two extra foods, more than he ever ate on a normal night.
"Bella, these are all your favorites. Go on, eat plenty."
"Thanks, Damian."
Allison kept her head down the entire time, mechanically spooning food into her mouth. She never once looked at Damian, as though the whole scene had nothing to do with her.
For some reason, that stirred a sudden irritation in Damian. He slammed his fork onto the table and snapped, "Allison, why are you only eating the main dishes? Why aren't you touching the dessert?"
Allison's gaze fell on the mango mousse he had specifically ordered her to prepare because it was Bella's favorite.
He knew perfectly well she was deathly allergic to mango.
Her hands were already red and swollen from peeling them. If she actually ate it, it could kill her.
"Allison, you're being difficult again. I know you're allergic, but that's exactly why you need to eat it. Where did you pick up this spoiled attitude? I must have pampered you way too much over the years. If you refuse, I'll ship you straight back to finishing school for another round of lessons."
The words hit Allison like a whip. Her whole body jerked. Without thinking, she snatched the mousse, shoved a huge spoonful into her mouth, and kept forcing it down even as tears and snot streamed down her face.
"Enough!" Damian knocked the spoon from her hand and shot to his feet in fury.
"When I tell you to eat, you eat. Don't you know when to stop?"
Only then did relief crash over her. Allison bolted for the bathroom and dropped to her knees, vomiting violently into the toilet.
At that exact moment, someone stepped inside and laid a hand on her shoulder.
"Still breathing? Want me to drive you to the hospital?"
"Help! Please, I'm begging you, don't touch me! Don't touch me!"
The old nightmares roared back to life. Allison whipped her arm up and slapped Damian hard across the face.
"Allison, have you completely lost your mind?" Damian clutched his stinging cheek and shoved her backward. "I came in here to check on you, and this is how you repay me?"
He stood there panting, then let out a cold, mocking laugh. "You're jealous because I treat Bella so well, aren't you? That's why you're acting out. Relax. Because you saved my life back then, and because you've finally learned how to behave, you will always stay my fiancée. No one can ever replace you."
The lights suddenly clicked off.
The sudden darkness swallowed everything. Allison felt a heavy weight press on her chest as rough hands ripped her clothes open.
There was no warning, no tenderness. Damian shoved his hand straight under her skirt.
"Relax, sweetheart. This is your first time. I promise I'll make it good for you."
Allison's breathing turned sharp and ragged. The stabbing pain in her upper belly flared even hotter.
On her very first day at finishing school, they had forced her to strip naked in front of every teacher just to prove she was still a virgin.
They had never actually taken her body, but the other torments they invented had been cruel enough.
The memory slammed into her like ice water. Cold sweat rolled down her forehead in heavy drops. She could not hold on any longer. Her vision went black, and she collapsed into unconsciousness.
Aksara