"No, I didn't do it. I didn't," Lu cried out, his knees bug as he realized the true nature of her betrayal, "It was Lady e. She gave the necke. I'm i, please. Believe me. I didn't do it. I didn't steal anything."

  "Silehe guard hissed, pung him hard iomach.

  The otion had drawn a crowd, the nobles and servants whispering amongst themselves. The ba was a gra, and they had not expected to witness su iing sight.

  "Look at the gall of that servant," someone said, "Stealing from the Rocheforts. What did he take?"

  "Such a reckless boy. He must be looking for death."

  The guards dragged Lu away. His feet moved, but his mind was uo process what was happening. His features were unreizable, covered in tears, snot, and blood.

  Tossed into a cell, his body hit the cold stone ground.

  The night was cold and dark, and the wind whipped at his skin, biting into his flesh.

  "e," he gritted out, his eyes stinging with tears. He couldn't stop the memories from flooding his mind, the pain ripping through him like a knife.

  He sat in the er, curled up in a ball, his hands clutg his ko his chest. His whole body trembled, his breath ing out in ragged gasps. He could feel the cold seeping into his bones, freezing him from the i.

  "I'll punish him myself," her voice echoed through the dungeon, her footsteps ringing in his ears, "and make him pay for what he did."

  Lu's eyes snapped open, his breath ing out in a shudder. He slowly lifted his head and looked at her.

  She stood before him, her face hidden by the shadows. She was holding a whip, the handle made of polished wood and the thong braided with leather. She raised her arm, her fingers gripping the whip tightly, and swung it down.

  "No, e..." he pleaded as the guards held him down.

  The crack of the whip reverberated through the dungeon, the sound eg in his ears. His body jerked, his eyes widening in shock.

  "Argggh," he groaned, his fingers g into a fist, his nails digging into his skin.

  She brought the whip down again, the tip biting into his skin, leaving a trail of angry red welts across his back.

  The sh cut into his shoulder, leaving a deep gash. Blood trickled down his arm, pooling on the floor. "e, I beg you," he rasped, his voice barely audible, "Please...arghh!"

  The smell of blood and sweat filled the air.

  She couldn't hear his screams anymore. All she could hear was her owbeat, thumping loudly in her ears. "Throw him out," she ordered, her voice crag slightly.

  The guards heir faces grim. They dragged Lu's broken, bleeding body out of the cell, dumping him outside the gate.

  He was still alive, his breathing shallow and ragged, his face twisted in agony.

  The gate smmed shut behind him, the lock clig into pce.

  If he stayed here any longer, he would surely die.

  He forced his eyes open, the effort causing pain to shoot through his skull.

  All he could think about was the pain, and how much it hurt.

  The betrayal.

  The humiliation.

  The torture.

  The memories were too fresh, the wounds still too raw. His vision started to blur, the world around him fading to bck.

  The st thing he remembered before losing sciousness was the sound of his heart breaking, shattering into a thousand pieces.

  · · ─────── · ???· ─────── · ·

  The sound of chirping birds woke Lu from his slumber. He groaned, his muscles ag.

  He was lying in a bed, his body ed in bandages. He tried to move, but his limbs felt like lead.

  "Don't try to move," a familiar voice said, "you've lost a lot of blood."

  He looked up and saw a young man standing beside the bed, a tray in his hand. The man had curly brown hair, tanned skin, and green eyes.

  "Jax?" Lu rasped, his throat parched, "How...?"

  "I found you outside the gate, your body barely ging to life," Jax replied, his expression grim, "The store sold out earlier than usual, and there was still e order left unfulfilled. Only you had the key to the ste house, so I came to fetch you, and that's when I saw you lying there."

  Lu grimaced, remembering the pain and humiliation he had endured. "Did anyone e looking for me?" he asked quietly.

  "No, not a soul," Jax said, his eyes narrowing slightly, "Why, did you expeeoo e?"

  Lu closed his eyes, fighting back the self-mog ugh. "No, I didn't," he lied, his heart breaking all ain, "I'm gd you fouhank you Jax."

  "Me too," Jax agreed, a faint smile appearing on his lips, "Have you heard about the e? Lady e is betrothed to the Prince."

  Lu's eyes flew open, his pulse quiing, "Who?"

  "The Prihe first son of King Henry and Queen Marie," Jax repeated, "Lady e will be the future queen of the Kingdom."

  Lu's stomach lurched, bile rising in his throat. He rolled over, retg violently.

  Hate, jealousy, and sorrow swirled inside him, a maelstrom of emotions threatening to overwhelm him. He didn't wao be happy with another.

  No, at that moment, he wanted her to suffer, just as he was suffering. He wanted her to feel the pain of betrayal, the agony of heartbreak. He wanted her to know what it was like to lose the one you love, the one you had sacrificed everything for.

  The thought of vengeance gave him strength, fueling the anger ament that burned in his heart.

  'I'll never let anyone use me ever again,' he swore to himself, his fists g. 'Never let my guard down around another person again.'

  His heart hardehe cracks running deeper than before. It was not enough to heal, but it was enough to dull the pain, to mask the loneliness, to numb the despair.

  And so, the seeds of hatred were pnted.

  The seeds that would eventually bloom into a deadly flower.

  · · ─────── · ???· ─────── · ·

  Five years ter...

  "What do you think about this one, Lu?" Jax held up a portrait of a young woman. She was dressed in a beautiful gown, her blonde hair falling down her ba soft waves. Her eyes were a warm shade of brown, and her smile was sweet and i.

  Lu crossed the office, throwing his gear at the hanger. He was tired, and wanted nothing more than to take a bath a a warm meal, "Any news from the capital?"

  Trends were important. Neopur things were what kept the ey flowing. The researd development team was responsible for identifying the trends and bringing them to Lu.

  He had a gift for numbers. Every detail, every data point, every transa was crystal clear in his mind. He had a keen eye for profit, a knack fistics, and a fir for business.

  He had used those skills to build the rgest distribution pany in the Kingdom, and now he was expanding into the neighb Kingdoms.

  "Not much. Just a lot of rumors," Jax said, leaning ba the couch, "e Rochefort was caught having an affair with one of the servants..."

  Lu inhaled sharply-and for the first time in years, his posure cracked. He choked, coughing violently, a hand pressing to his mouth as if to physically stop himself from reag.

  "I know, it's hard to believe, isn't it? What other reason would the royal family have to call off the e right before her ing of age?" Jax shook his head.

  Lu exhaled slowly, his eyes drifting shut for just a sed too long. His heartbeat thundered in his ears, but his face was unreadable when he opehem again.

  'Don't be delusional, Lu,' his inner voieered, cold and sharp. 'Get a grip. You're not special. You're nothing but a pawn, an insignifit piece. That's all you've ever been.'

  "What happeo the servant?" Lu asked casually, his voice smooth and indifferent, as if the answer didn't matter.

  "He's dead. The Prince was very thh. Not a trace of him left."

  Lu said nothing. His jaw tightened, a his tongue, f himself to stay still. He could feel it ─ his fantasies of revenge crumbling around him.

  'Did she do it for my sake? Did she do it to save me?'

  The Prince was the heir to the throhe king of the Kingdom. His influence was beyond anyone's imagination. If he'd had a vea against Lu, then Lu would have been as good as dead.

  He was done. So done.

  Twenty-five years old, aill couldn't get rid of his foolish dreams, his childish fantasies, his naive beliefs.

  'She's' not worth it.'

  'Don't give her ahought. Not a seore of your time, your energy or ─ your dam.'

  "Lu, are you okay?" his friend asked, frowning, "You look like you're about to pass out."

  "I'm fine," Lu said, his to and cutting as he straightened up. "It's just the pirates that are getting bolder. They raided our ships, cut down our men, and took a haul of valuable cargo. Losses were heavy, so the bonuses are going to be low this month," he said, causing the other man's expression to mirror his own.

  "No way! My bonuses are supposed to go up, not down," Jax pihrowing the portrait of the beautiful girl onto the coffee table, "Damn pirates. They have no honor. What the hell are the Royal Navy doing, huh? They should be ing the os of these scum, not letting them attack our ships!"

  A flicker of worry pricked at Lu. e had always cared about appearances. Her reputation was everything. For her o be dragged through the mud like this... it didn't add up.

  Had she miscalcuted?

  Had she finally made a mistake?

  "Hey, Lu," his friend said, breaking him out of his trahe royal family is hosting a ball in three months. It's a masquerade, and they're inviting everyone who's anyone. You wanna go?"

  "Why would the royal family ihe likes of us?" Lu asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

  "Maybe because you are rich, and rich? Riough to buy yourself a title? And you've been making a name for yourself by destroying the pirate strongholds and raiding their ships?" Jax shrugged.

  Lu uhe knot of his cravat, removing it from his neck. He loosehe top buttons of his shirt, and walked toward the bathroom, "Accept the invitation," he said over his shoulder, "It's free food and drink. We might as well make the most of it."

  "Aye, aye, boss," Jax mock-saluted him.