Chapter3

The prison bars felt cold. I sat on the chair in the visiting room. My fingertips clutched the rough fabric of my pants. I smelled that familiar cedarwood scent, mixed with Tiana Sterling's cloyingly sweet perfume, approaching step by step. "Sloane, we came to see you." Tiana Sterling's voice arrived first, deliberately soft. "Kellan said you've suffered here, so he specially brought some snacks you used to like." A warm hand reached out, trying to touch my arm. I shrank back sharply. The chair legs scraped loudly against the floor. "Don't touch me." My voice was hoarse but held an undeniable resistance. Kellan Vance's breath hitched. He sat down opposite me, his voice like ice. "Sloane, I brought Tiana to let you see her eyes." I couldn't see, but I felt Tiana Sterling lean forward. Her voice held a hidden pride. "Sloane, my eyes are so good now. The doctor said your corneas were a perfect match. I can see much more clearly than before." "Kellan even preserved your complete eyeballs in a glass jar. He put it on my bedroom dresser. He said it's my 22nd birthday gift. Don't you think he's so thoughtful?" "Shut up!" I slammed my hand on the table, but my fingertips missed and hit the tabletop hard. The pain shot through my numb fingers. The agonizing pain of my eyes being gouged out, the warm feeling of losing my child—it all rushed back, threatening to consume me. Kellan Vance reached out to steady me, but I shook him off. I accurately found his wrist and dug my nails in deep. "Kellan Vance, you gave her my eyes, you killed my child, and now you dare bring her here to flaunt it in my face? Do you think just because I'm blind, I can't take revenge?" He wrenched his wrist free, his voice cold and venomous. "Sloane, I'm warning you, don't lay a hand on Tiana. Your life in this prison, whether it's good or bad, depends entirely on my mood." "Mood?" I started laughing, laughing until tears streamed down, soaking my collar. "Your mood is to watch me suffer while she enjoys life with my eyes?" "Kellan Vance, don't forget! Every bit of light she sees now, I paid for with my darkness! What's on her dresser isn't a birthday gift; it's my life!" Tiana Sterling suddenly started crying. She tugged at Kellan Vance's arm, whining pitifully. "Kellan, I didn't mean it... I just wanted Sloane to know I cherish her eyes... Sloane, please don't hate me, okay? I didn't want to take what was yours... but I wanted so badly to see... and Kellan felt sorry for me..." I cut her off, my voice full of sarcasm. "Then who felt sorry for the unborn child in my womb? When you gave me anesthesia and made me lose my child, why didn't you say you felt sorry for me then?" Kellan Vance's body stiffened. He pulled Tiana Sterling behind him protectively, his tone warning. "Sloane, don't bring up the past anymore. I've made arrangements for you. As long as you behave, when your sentence is over, I'll take you out and find you a nice place to retire." "Retire?" I repeated the word as if hearing the biggest joke. "Kellan Vance, you destroyed my family, left me blind, and now you talk about retirement? I'm telling you, I don't want your charity. I just want you and Tiana Sterling to pay back everything you owe me!" I groped my way to my feet and took two steps towards Kellan Vance. Even blind, my presence was undiminished. "You think locking me in prison can hold me? I'll wait here. I'll wait for the day I get out. Then, I'll make you understand that a blind Sloane Prescott can still turn your 'happiness' upside down!" Tiana Sterling shrank back fearfully into Kellan Vance's embrace. Kellan Vance's face darkened completely. He shouted to the guard, "Take her back!" Two guards came over and grabbed my arms. I struggled, screaming at Kellan Vance, "Kellan Vance! Tiana Sterling! Just you wait! I won't let you get away with this!" As I was dragged out of the visiting room, I heard Tiana Sterling ask tearfully, "Kellan, will she really take revenge? I'm so scared..." Kellan Vance's voice came through, comforting but with a trace of barely perceptible ruthlessness. "Don't be afraid. I'm here. She won't get out. Even if she does, I'll make sure she never gets a chance to hurt you." Before the iron door closed completely, the last thing I smelled was the nauseating mix of cedarwood and cloying perfume. In this sunless prison, I would carve every bit of pain into my heart, waiting for the day I could return it to them tenfold.