MADELINE’S POVMadeline couldn't sleep for reasons best known to her.It was already late at night, midnight per se, yet she was boiling with rage as she replayed in her mind the arrival of Lord Darius and Brielle.They'd arrived the day before, and Madeline, who had been standing outside doing nothing, had seen the vehicle entourage come into the compound.Suddenly the cars stopped, and Lord Darius stepped out of his already open jeep with Brielle in his arms.Running like a maniac, he’d belted out orders, giving directives to guards and requesting the presence of a doctor to check on Brielle.He’d ignored the greetings of the maids passing by, as well as her own, and she’d been more than irritated, but there was nothing she could do about it.Not only did he not respond to her greeting, but he did not even look her in the eyes or stop to acknowledge her at all.Instead, he’d hurried inside the castle with an unconscious Brielle in tow, and Madeline’s already fragile heart shattered

DARIUS POVBrielle's jaw dropped open as Darius disclosed that obligatory piece of information. He had expected this kind of reaction, and he wasn’t surprised that she was staring at him in surprise."Wait, what did you just say?" She blurted out, her hands rapidly wiping at her face, intent on getting rid of the tear streaks adorning her cheeks.If he was angry at the late mistress before, seeing Brielle in tears because of her enraged him even more.It didn't help that she was no longer alive, and again just like every other time, he began to wonder why he had killed her so abruptly.His rage had driven him, and he had taken the irreversible decision, cracking her neck in half without thinking. He’d have kept her alive for a long while so that he could torture her. Every day, he’d make her regret crossing him and disobeying his rules.He'd deliver the much-needed anguish she deserved, and jaw clenching slightly, Darius regretted his abrupt solo decision to kill her that day.Thoug

MADELINE’S POVHow could he? How dare he? Madeline sulked, repeatedly asking herself the same questions.Lord Darius had flared out at her because she had inquired about the well-being of his submissives and how he was denying them their rights.The way he had yelled, glaring at her with dark hooded eyes, communicated the depth of his anger, and the thought of him hating her that way chilled her."But how could he?" She asked herself again, this time speaking the words aloud.She was more than perplexed.He still had no feelings for her despite everything she'd done, including helping him get back that bitch and even cleaning him up on days when he was a shambles.All the things she’d done, and yet he still treated her like trash. What the heck!Madeline's chest clenched as she realized that this was not the first time he was treating her harshly.She remembered how, on their way back from the slave handler's house, he had been aloof, thinking about whatever and worried too. She had a

BRIELLE’S POVBrielle reached for the large book at her nightstand, which she had been reading for a few days to keep herself occupied in this deserted mansion.Smiling as she flipped over to where she had left off, Brielle plopped up on the bed, eager to get lost in the fictional romantic narrative.She had just taken her bath and dressed in one of the garments Lord Darius had explicitly chosen for her, and she had planned to keep herself occupied until he returned from wherever he had gone earlier today.She did this daily—Eat, bathe, sleep, and read books. The schedule was the same every time.She was considerably feeling much better now, but Lord Darius still treated her as if she were some frail being, and he kept her at arm's length, refusing to have intercourse with her even when she had shyly requested it some days back.Recalling that fateful day, a blush crept up her cheeks, but she wasn’t ashamed. If anything, she was glad she’d spoken up. At least he’d know that she still

MADELINE’S POVMadeline could hear their voices, hushed as they came from the garden where they were ostensibly dining.Tightening her hands, she kept telling herself that everything the maids had told her back at the mansion was a joke, but as she approached the garden, she could see, without a doubt, that the maid's gossips were true.Madeline didn't want to envision the scene in her brain, and even though one of the servants had given her a quick graphic description of what was allegedly going on over here, she didn't want to believe it.No matter how much Lord Darius pretended to appreciate Brielle, especially because she was his mate and had recently been through a terrible circumstance, he would never sink so low as to arrange a romantic dinner date for the both of them.'It's a stunning location. For this date, Lord Darius purchased silver-encrusted candles and freshly plucked roses.' One of the maids had whispered back at the corridor while Madeline listened earlier on.'The m