Chapter 7

Elena let out a painful whimper as the gag fell from her mouth, and she cried out pitifully, "Camden, save me! Save our baby!" In an instant, the words died in Camden's throat. He closed his eyes, and after a long pause, he rasped, "I choose Elena." All at once, the strength drained from Alice's body. Hubert laughed wildly. "Good! How decisive of you, Mr. Bennett!" He grabbed Alice by the hair himself and threw her into the frigid sea. Four times, five times, six times… By the tenth time, Camden could no longer bear to watch. "Are you trying to torture her to death?" he asked with burning red eyes. "Wasn't this your own choice?" Hubert taunted as he watched Camden's darkened expression with amusement. "The second punishment is 99 lashings. Mr. Bennett, choose who you will save this time." Heaving violently, Camden clenched his fists so tightly that blood dripped from his palms. Alice was still coughing desperately, her whole body wracked with pain as seawater seared through her lungs, and every cell screamed in agony. She lay thrown on the ground, her breathing faint and ragged. It was clear she couldn't hold on much longer. Yet, in the next moment, Camden's response plunged her straight into despair. "I choose Elena." Beside them, Elena wept with relief. She bit down on her lips and cast a timid glance toward Alice. "Alice, I'm so sorry you had to suffer this." Alice seemed deaf to everything around her. She only stared in disbelief toward Camden, her heart aching until it went numb. The moment the whip cracked down on her body, she let out a muffled groan as cold sweat broke out across her skin. Excruciating pain forced her slender fingers to claw desperately at the rough ground, leaving ten gruesome blood trails on the gravel. One lash, two, three… By the 55th lash, Alice's back was drenched in blood, and she nearly passed out from the pain. Camden watched helplessly, feeling as though his heart was being torn apart. "Stop! I said stop!" he roared in despair and broke free from his restraints to throw himself over Alice. Suddenly, Elena let out a sharp cry and clutched her stomach. "Help me! I-I think I'm having a miscarriage," she cried, her face deathly pale. Camden froze mid-motion and instinctively grabbed her hands tightly. "What's wrong?" And in that moment of hesitation, another lash fell brutally on Alice. With a choked gasp, Alice spat out a mouthful of blood. Camden's pupils contracted sharply. "Alice!" Hubert threw his head back and laughed at the absurdity of it all. "Mr. Bennett, as it happens, I have a medical team standing by. But you can still only choose to save one person. Will it be Elena again this time?" The whip fell again and again on Alice's body. Her ears rang with a sharp buzz, drowning out Camden's response. Struggling to keep her eyes open, she could only make out Camden and Hubert exchanging words. Then, Hubert nodded in agreement. Moments later, Camden swept Elena into his arms and hurriedly turned away. Holding her close, he strode in the opposite direction without sparing Alice even a single glance. Alice burst out in laughter, one that was tinged with despair and brokenness, feeling as if the blood in her veins had turned to ice. The pain of receiving 99 lashes paled in comparison to the heart-wrenching agony tearing her apart inside. On the horizon, the setting sun bled across the sky. A seagull landed upon her, its snow-white feathers instantly stained crimson. It turned out Camden's so-called "match made in heaven", their bond forged through life and death, was nothing more than this. As Alice struggled with her last breath, the world before her eyes gradually blurred. If there were a next life, she would never love Camden again.