Chapter 273: Episode 273.

Adele woke to the cold.

She didn’t open her eyes immediately. She simply lay there, breathing slowly. Her body hurt im ways she have never experienced before.

Every part of it.

Her wrists burned beneath the chains. Her ankles felt numb. Her back ached from the hard ground beneath her.

For a few seconds, she didn’t remember where she was. Then she heard the wind. It moved through the snow outside with a low, endless sound.

Adele opened her eyes.

White. Everything around her was white. Snow covered the ground beyond the cage. It was still falling.

Heavy snow.

Thick enough that she could barely see the trees beyond it.

Adele blinked. She tried to move, but her wrists were still chained. She pulled, and nothing happened. She pulled again. The chains didn’t move.

A small sound escaped her throat.

She looked around.

She was inside a cage.

Not a proper metal cage.

It was made from thick wooden sticks tied together tightly. More sticks had been placed across the front, sealing the opening.

Adele stared at them.

Her breathing became faster. "Father?"

Her voice was weak.

She swallowed. "Is anyone there?"

Only the wind rusttled.

Adele pushed herself up. Her arms shook immediately. She nearly fell back down. She stayed still for a moment, breathing through the dizziness.

Her arms trembled. She gritted her teeth in pain. Her breathing came out in short bursts. She looked toward the sticks sealing the cage.

They were thick, and too many.

Even if she somehow managed to break one, there were several more behind it. And if she doesn’t pull then all out at once, the huge snow above her would fall on her, and supress her.

Adele slowly crawled toward them.

Her chains dragged against the ground. The sound was loud in the silence.

She reached out.

Her fingers touched one of the sticks. It was cold. She pushed, and pushed harder. Her shoulder screamed, but the stick didn’t move.

Adele closed her eyes. "Come on. Obey me, now."

She pushed again, and there was nothing.

Her arms were already shaking.

She pulled herself back. For a moment, she simply sat there, alone.

She looked around her little space. It was tight, and little. She would barely be able to sleep prooerly.

Adele lowered her head. "I caused this." Her chest tightened.

She closed her eyes. "If only I had listened to my father." She shook her head.

Breathing hard, she crawled back toward the sticks. This time, she grabbed them. Her fingers barely had any strength.

The chains around her wrists tightened, and lain shot through her arms when she pulled the sticks.

She didn’t let go. She pulled harder.

"I curse you. I curse you, Father." Her voice broke.

Adele rested her forehead against the wooden bars. Her eyes burned. A tear slipped down her cheek.

She quickly wiped it away.

"No." She looked at the chains. "I have to get out."

Her voice shook. "I have to get out."

She pulled again. Her body had nothing left. Her hands slipped, and she fell backward.

Adele lay on the frozen ground.

She stared at the huge iceberg just above her. Snowflakes landed on her face. If the iceberg drops, she would have no where to go. She would die here.

She remembered Torak.

His face, his voice, the rough edges of his palm. His touch.

Adele’s lips trembled. "You better still be alive." She closed her eyes. "You better be."

........

Blackfen Estate:

Torak was barely conscious.

He wasn’t sure how long he had been in the cell. He couldn’t tell anymore. His body had stopped keeping track of time.

He could hear voices, but they sounded far away due to ghe injuries he had sustained.

Torak tried to open his eyes, but he couldn’t. His breathing was shallow, and his entire body felt heavy.

He tried to move his hand, but he couldn’t. Blackfen made a huge damage on him with the mallet.

His fingers twitched, and that was all.

A door opened, and slow measured footsteps entered the room.

Torak knew those footsteps. He stopped trying to move. He didn’t have the strength to look at him.

Blackfen stopped a few feet away. He looked down at him. For a moment, he said nothing.

The men around the room remained silent.

Torak’s breathing was the only sound.

Blackfen studied him carefully.

The bruises, the dried blood, the torn clothes, and the silver burns. Torak looked nothing like the man who had walked into his estate days earlier.

However, Blackfen didn’t look satisfied.

He looked thoughtful. "How long has he been unconscious?"

One of the men stepped forward. "Several hours."

"Has he eaten?"

"No."

"Water?"

"Very little."

Blackfen’s eyes remained on Torak. "Clean him."

The men looked at him.

Blackfen continued calmly. "Remove the blood. Change his clothes."

One of them nodded. "Yes, Alpha."

"And feed him."

The man hesitated.

Blackfen looked at him. "Did I stutter?"

"No, Alpha."

"Then do it."

The men moved.

Torak heard footsteps approaching. He tried to lift himself, but his arms failed. One of the men crouched beside him.

Torak felt a hand touch his shoulder.

He flinched, and the man immediately pulled back.

Blackfen noticed. "He’s conscious."

The man looked up. "Alpha?"

"Give him water first."

A cup was brought forward.

Torak turned his face away.

"Torak." Blackfen’s voice was quiet.

Torak opened his eyes. It took everything he had. His vision was blurred with the blood trailing down his forehead.

Thankfully, he could see Blackfen standing above him.

"Drink."

Torak stared at him.

Blackfen waited.

Torak’s lips barely moved. "Go..." His voice was almost gone.

Blackfen leaned slightly closer. "What?" He asked, unable to hide the mockery in his voice.

Torak swallowed. "To hell."

Blackfen didn’t react. He simply stared at Torak. Then he straightened. "Give him the water."

The cup was brought to Torak’s lips.

He resisted, and tighten his teeth.

The man tried again.

Torak turned away.

Blackfen spoke. "Hold him."

Two men moved immediately.

Torak’s arms were caught.

He tried to fight them. His body barely responded, and his breathing became rough.

"Stop."

The word came from Blackfen.

The men froze.

Blackfen looked at Torak. "If you don’t drink, you’ll die."

Torak stared at him.

Blackfen’s expression remained unreadable.

"I don’t particularly care whether you die."

Torak’s eyes narrowed.

"But if you die now," Blackfen continued, "Adele will believe she lost you because of her."

Torak went still.

Blackfen watched him.

He noticed the smallest change in Torak. The only thing that still reached him.

Torak hated himself for it.

"Drink."

Torak’s lips parted.

The water touched them, and he swallowed.

The men waited.

Blackfen nodded once. "Again."

Torak swallowed another mouthful. His throat hurt. He coughed, and water spilled down his chin.

One of the men wiped it away.

Torak’s eyes remained on Blackfen.

"You..." He struggled for breath. "You won’t..."

He stopped.

Blackfen waited.

Torak forced the words out. "You won’t touch her."

Blackfen’s expression changed slightly. "I haven’t decided what happens to Adele. She’s still my daughter, no matter how foolish."

Torak’s body tensed. "You..."

His voice cracked.

Blackfen turned away. "Clean him."

The men immediately began working.

Torak closed his eyes. He didn’t have enough strength left to fight.