Chapter 4

The tiara was stored in a safe that only Megan's iris could unlock. After taking it out, she brushed her fingers over the glass petals, and her gaze grew distant. When Caspian had given her the tiara, she thought she had finally found a place to belong. She had held him tightly, crying tears of joy. If she hadn't lived everything all over again, she never would have seen the cold ruthlessness hidden beneath his gentle act. Her heart was gone now, and the tiara meant nothing to her anymore. Still, she had no intention of giving it to Arianna. Megan lowered her eyes, pushed her thoughts away, and walked downstairs with the tiara. Just as Arianna reached for it eagerly, Megan raised her hand and slammed the tiara onto the floor. The pearl strands snapped, and the glass petals shattered across the tiles. Arianna froze. "Do you really think a thief like you deserves my tiara?" Megan asked, her calm voice carried a sharp bite. Arianna blinked in shock, then her eyes reddened. "Megan, if you didn't want to give me the tiara, that's fine, but how could you break it? How is that fair to Caspian?" Caspian's anger rose the moment he saw the tears in Arianna's eyes. "Meg, you've gone too far. Our family has strict rules. If you break an heirloom, you get 50 lashes. Cedric is right here. How do you expect me to take your side?" Megan stayed calm. "I don't care. Go ahead." When Caspian saw the dead stillness in her eyes, irritation surged inside him. He gave a cold order for the guards to carry out the punishment. The whip cracked through the air and struck Megan hard. She jolted. A sharp cry slipped from her throat, but she bit down and forced it back. The whip's sharp cracks echoed through the villa. Only after the 50th lash did it finally stop. When Megan collapsed on the floor, her back was covered in bleeding cuts. The blood had almost soaked the carpet beneath her. Even so, she never screamed or begged. Caspian watched her shaking from the pain, and a sharp, suffocating irritation surged through him. He carried her back to the room and called his private doctor. "Meg, don't blame me. Cedric was here. I couldn't be biased." Megan wanted to ask whether he truly couldn't protect her or if he was just venting on behalf of Arianna. But in the end, she stayed silent. It didn't matter anymore. Caspian stayed by her side for the next three days. That morning, after helping her with her eye drops, he said he needed to stop by the office and told her to handle her follow-up appointment at the hospital alone. Megan got into the car with the bodyguards, but halfway through the ride, she was ambushed and dragged into a private club. Her kidnappers were three men with greasy, predatory looks. As soon as the door shut, they grinned and rushed at her, tearing at her clothes. Horrified, Megan fought with everything she had. "Stop! What are you doing? Let go of me!" They laughed, leering at her. "Relax, Ms. White. We're just putting on a show. We won't actually touch you. Just cooperate, and we'll get our money sooner." One of them stepped closer, smirking. "You hurt the woman Mr. Stone treasures and even leaked a video. You deserve to be punished." Another circled her, grinning. "You're so obsessed with filming private videos. If you're that wild, what's the harm in letting us have a little fun too?" Megan ran for the door, but they grabbed her by the hair and dragged her back. They held her down, tore her clothes, forced her into degrading poses, and took photo after photo. Megan struggled endlessly, kicking, hitting, and scratching, but nothing worked. Three hours later, the torment finally ended. The men swaggered out, leaving her on the floor. Shaking, Megan picked up a torn piece of fabric and wrapped it around herself, then broke down in sobs. The tears blurred her vision. Suddenly, the door swung open. Caspian strode inside and lifted her into his arms. A hint of mockery flashed in his eyes, though his voice sounded gentle. "Meg, don't be afraid. I'm taking you home."