Chapter 4

Rosalyn's POV

"Leon, what are you doing?"

The voice was low and cold, brushing past my ear like a snake's hiss.

My blood froze instantly.

It was Lysander's voice.

I stiffly turned my head and saw Lysander standing in the shadows of the hallway, his eyes fixed on me with a sinister glare.

Leon stood not far from him, still holding that blue ball, his little face full of confusion and helplessness.

"Daddy..." Leon called out timidly, "I... I was helping the bird..."

"Go to your room." Lysander didn't look at him, his gaze locked firmly on me.

Leon flinched, hugged the ball, and ran off without looking back.

Only Lysander and I remained in the hall.

The ornate door was less than five steps away, and beyond it was the air of freedom.

But those five steps had become an impossible gap to cross.

"Rosalyn, you really impress me."

Lysander strode forward, his leather shoes echoing dully on the marble floor, approaching me step by step.

"You'd even use a four-year-old child. Is that how badly you want to leave?"

"Let me go!" I spun around and frantically grabbed for the door handle.

But before my hand could touch the cold metal, a powerful grip seized my wrist.

Lysander yanked hard, and I lost my balance, crashing heavily into his solid chest.

"Let go of me! You monster! Let me go!"

I struggled desperately, my fists raining down on his shoulders, my nails scratching bloody marks across the back of his hand.

Lysander didn't even frown.

He easily twisted my arms behind my back and hoisted me over his shoulder.

"Looks like I've been too kind to you, letting you still have the energy to run."

His cold voice came from above my head.

Like a rag doll, I was carried through the long corridor and up to the third floor.

Finally, I was thrown roughly into a dim attic room.

The attic had no windows, and the air was thick with a stale, musty smell.

I was tossed onto a hard mattress, and my still-healing abdominal wound sent a tearing pain through me, making me curl up in agony.

Before I could catch my breath, Lysander's tall frame was already pressing down on me.

"Since you won't behave, we'll do this a different way."

He yanked off his tie, his eyes flashing with a chilling mix of control and violence.

"Tina's right. You just need to fulfill your role as a breeding tool."

"No... don't!" I stared at him in terror as he roughly tore at my clothes. "Lysander, you can't do this to me! I just had a miscarriage, my body can't take it!"

"That's not up to you."

He sneered, pinning both my hands above my head with one hand while ruthlessly pulling down my pants with the other.

"Get off! Don't touch me!"

I twisted my body with all my strength, my legs kicking wildly, tears pouring out like a broken dam.

But the physical difference between men and women made all my resistance seem laughable.

He was like a beast that had lost all reason.

With a punishing intent, he forced himself into my body.

No foreplay, only dryness and tearing pain.

"Ah—"

I screamed in agony, my nails digging deep into his back.

But my screams seemed to excite him, and his movements became even more frenzied and brutal.

Each thrust was accompanied by violent pulling at my abdominal wound.

The metallic taste of blood spread through my mouth.

I stared at the ceiling in despair, tears sliding silently down the corners of my eyes.

This was the man I had loved deeply for four years.

He had stripped away my dignity and trampled my soul.

Turned me into nothing but a breathing shell.

I don't know how long it lasted, but this one-sided assault finally ended.

Lysander straightened his clothes and looked down at me, collapsed on the bed like a puddle of mud.

"Stay here obediently until you're pregnant with the second child."

He coldly threw out these words, turned, and walked out of the attic.

The heavy iron door slammed shut with a bang.

The sound of the lock clicking cut off my last thread of hope.

The attic's soundproofing wasn't good. Before long, I heard the sound of high heels outside the door.

And Valentina's shrill questioning voice.

"You fucked her? You actually fucked that bitch?!"

Valentina's voice carried hysterical madness.

"Tina, calm down, this is just to get her pregnant quickly."

Lysander's voice tried to soothe her.

"Pregnant? What about IVF? Why do you have to fuck her?"

Along with a crisp slapping sound, Valentina screamed.

"Do you still have feelings for her? Do you think she's more attractive than me?!"

"Shut up! Are you crazy?" Lysander seemed to lose his patience too.

"I'm doing all this for you! Do you think I want to touch that dead fish of a woman?"

The arguing outside gradually faded away, but my heart felt like it was soaked in ice water, trembling with cold.

Valentina was a complete lunatic.

Her jealousy was like poisoned thorns that would hurt not only others but herself as well.

I only hoped her rage wouldn't affect other innocent people.

But I underestimated her malice.

Late at night, the attic was deathly silent. I lay on the cold mattress, my whole body in too much pain to sleep.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of the lock turning.

The door was roughly pushed open, and dim yellow light from the hallway spilled in.

Valentina stood in the doorway, holding a thin leather whip in her hand.

Her hair was somewhat disheveled, and her eyes flashed with a bone-chilling malice.

"Rosalyn, do you think that by seducing Lysander, you can become Mrs. Montfort again?"

She laughed coldly and, like throwing out trash, viciously threw a small body into the attic.

With a dull thud, the tiny body hit the cold floor with a painful whimper.

I sat up abruptly and, by the dim light, saw clearly who was on the floor.

It was Leon!

"Leon!" I cried out, scrambling off the bed and crawling toward him.

He wore thin pajamas, and his exposed arms and legs were covered with crisscrossing red marks.

Some places were even seeping blood.

His little face was pale as paper, a large bump had swollen on his forehead, and blood stained the corner of his mouth.

He curled up on the floor, trembling all over, his cries barely audible.

"What did you do to him?!"

I looked up sharply, glaring at Valentina with fury.

"He's your child too! How could you do this!"

"My child?" Valentina laughed contemptuously.

"He's just a bastard that crawled out of your belly! Every time I see his face, I'm reminded of your disgusting face! Since you care about him so much, you two can have a nice reunion tonight!"