​Rebecca’s POV

​I looked up and saw the head maid walking quickly down the hallway toward me. Kaden must have mind-linked her the moment I left. She stopped right in front of me, her eyes sweeping down to my bare, blood-stained legs. She instantly glared at me, her face twisting into a look of pure disgust.

​"Follow me," she said, her voice sharp and completely cold.

​I didn’t say a word. I just nodded quickly, holding the towel up with one hand while using the other to quickly wipe at my leg, trying to hide the mess as I hurried to keep up with her fast pace.

​She led me down a different wing of the palace, away from Kaden’s grand master bedroom. Finally, she stopped in front of a heavy wooden door, turned the handle, and stepped inside. I quickly stepped in right behind her and looked around.

​My eyes widened slightly. I expected to be thrown into another dark servant room or a small closet, but this place was beautiful. It was a proper guest room, complete with a large, clean bed, warm blankets, and a big window that let the morning light stream in.

​The head maid turned around to face me, her cold glare still firmly in place. She raised a stiff arm and pointed toward the large bed. Resting on the neat covers was a simple pack of pads and a few plain clothes.

​"Clean up and dress up," she said, her voice dripping with attitude. "I will be back."

​Without waiting for me to reply, she turned on her heel and walked away, snapping the door shut behind her.

​I stood alone in the quiet room, swallowing the bitter pain and shame gathering in my throat. Moving carefully so I wouldn’t make a bigger mess, I located the small attached bathroom. I washed myself quickly, letting the warm water soothe my aching body before returning to the bedroom.

​I picked up the simple underwear, patted myself dry, and unwrapped the pad. When I pulled on the plain clothes she had left behind, I realized they were way too big for me. The fabric hung loosely off my small frame. Without being told, I knew exactly who these belonged to. This was the head maid’s own clothing. She didn’t wear a standard uniform like the other maids in the palace, and her clothes were far larger than anything I had ever worn.

​Just as I finished smoothing down the oversized gown, the heavy wooden door clicked and swung open.

​My chest tightened. I expected the head maid to walk back in, but my breath caught in my throat when I saw who it actually was.

​It was Alpha Kaden’s twin brother.

​Even though they shared the same face, I could easily tell them apart. They had different shades of hair, different eye colors, and most of all, the way they looked at me was entirely different.

​Kaden looked at me with a dark intensity—like he wanted to kill me, but at the exact same time, completely possess me. But his twin? This man looked at me like I was a puzzle he was desperately trying to solve. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

​My eyes widened in surprise. He stepped completely into the guest room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

​"How are you?" he asked smoothly, keeping his voice low.

​I swallowed hard, my heart hammering against my ribs. I had never actually had a proper conversation with him before, and being alone with him in this room made me incredibly nervous.

​"I’m Alpha Kane," he introduced himself.

​Before I could answer, he took a step closer, his expression turning serious. "Listen, I don’t have much time. I need to check if this key can unlock the choker on your neck."

​I furrowed my brow, my hand instinctively flying up to touch the heavy, suffocating band around my throat. "What...?"

​"Don’t ask questions," he interrupted quickly, holding up a tiny, strangely shaped key. "Just let me try."

​Before I could even understand what was happening or process his words, he moved behind me. His sudden closeness made my skin prickle with anxiety. I felt his fingers brush against the back of my neck as he began twisting and turning the key, trying to fit it into the tiny hole of the lock.

​My eyes widened as I stared blindly at the wall ahead of me, my mind spinning. What was he doing? Why was he trying to help me?

​He tried and tried, the metal clicking softly in the quiet room, but nothing happened. The lock didn’t budge. It didn’t open at all.

​He let out a frustrated grunt and stepped back. I quickly turned around to face him, my heart racing. "What is happening? Why are you doing this?"

​"I need to confirm something," he said, staring at my neck with a tight frown. "And I can only do that if this choker is off your neck."

​I swallowed hard, a sudden memory piercing through my brain. I remembered Helen. I remembered her telling me that I had to make Alpha Kaden take off the choker. Did his twin know about that too?

​"Don’t worry," Kaden’s brother said, snapping me out of my thoughts as he hid the tiny key back in his pocket. "I will look for another way. But whatever you do, do not let my brother know about this."

​I nodded quickly, my mind still completely confused, but willing to do anything to keep the peace.

​He paused, his eyes softening slightly as he looked down at my oversized, borrowed clothes. "Are you okay, Rebecca?" he asked quietly.

​I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat feeling like a stone. I didn’t even know how to answer that anymore.

​"This will pass soon," he added, his voice gentle, as if he truly believed his own words.

​I let out a soft scoff, looking away from him. "Sir... this is my life now," I whispered, the bitter truth tasting like ash on my tongue. There was no ’passing soon’ for a girl locked in a cage like this.

Girls like me didn’t get happy endings.

​Just then, the door handle turned with a sharp, heavy click.

​The door began to swing open, and my heart instantly dropped straight into my stomach.