Chapter 127 Chapter 127: The Breaking Point
\[Lilia\]
I froze, my body trembling with a hot flash of anger. Blood oozed from the side of Sabina’s head, and a sudden wave of fear crept through me like a bucket of ice, extinguishing my rage into a sickening sizzle. I watched her slump to the floor, my breath hitching in my throat.
“Oh, God!” Aya shrieked behind me. She dashed forward and knelt beside Sabina, her face pale with terror.
I couldn't move. My body refused to obey my mind.
Have I killed her? Am I a murderer?
I had been so consumed by fury that I hadn't paused to think. I could have slapped her back, yanked her hair, or scratched her face—but I had slammed her into a cupboard. I couldn't even swallow the dread rising in my throat.
“Miss Sabina, can you hear me?” Aya held her by the shoulders, inspecting the wound.
I couldn't breathe. My heart pounded so fast that a feather could have knocked me off my feet. Relief finally washed over me when Sabina stirred. Aya helped her up, though the woman seemed concussed. She staggered, touching the side of her head. When she saw her blood-coated fingers, her eyes widened in horror.
I opened my mouth to apologize—perhaps I had gone too far—but the stinging on my cheek reminded me of who had started this mayhem.
“Blood,” Sabina gasped, panic written across her features. She turned her attention to Aya, but her lips immediately curled in disgust. She shoved her aside. “Get away from me, you filthy puttana!”
The pity I felt for the witch vanished instantly. Seeing her treat the person who helped her with such cruelty made me want to smack her head again until she passed out for real. I am not a killer, and I won't taint my hands with her blood, but the urge was there.
“She was just trying to help you!” I snarled. I pulled Aya behind me, shielding her in case the witch lunged at us again.
Sabina snapped her fuming gaze to mine. Her nostrils flared as she screamed, pointing a shaking finger at me. “You murderous bitch! Were you trying to kill me!?”
“If you continue to act like a rabid animal, then maybe I should have!” I retorted, meeting her venom with my own. This woman didn't have a kind bone in her body. Her stare sharpened, her entire frame shaking with rage.
“You—!”
“What happened here?”
Kael’s booming voice reverberated through the kitchen, stopping us both cold. He and Val strode in, and my heart skipped a beat. Memories of last night—the party, the kiss with Val, and then Kael—flooded my mind, making my hands sweat and my stomach churn with queasiness.
“Shit, you’re bleeding!”
Kael dashed toward Sabina, taking her bloodied hand. Anger struck me again, a sharp pang of detestation at the sight of him caring for her. However, Sabina thwarted him, pulling away before he could touch her.
“Don’t you dare touch me!” she growled, baring her teeth at him before glaring at me. “Your pet happened! She should be punished for this! Lash the life out of her!”
I let out an involuntary scoff. Here we go again—accusing me of starting a fire she lit. I gaped at the witch, seeing the faint, triumphant smirk she tried to hide. I glanced at Kael, expecting defense, but his mouth was pursed in disapproval.
“I was minding my own business when she came up and slapped me,” I defended myself, tossing my hands up in frustration. “Why is this all on me?”
“You deserved it for fucking my fiancé!” Sabina countered. She shifted her rage to Kael. “And you... you sick bastard! You don't think I know? I fucking saw you two at the pool last night!”
The air left the room. My face set ablaze with embarrassment. From the corner of my eye, I saw Val clench his jaw, a look flickering in his gaze that I couldn't decipher. Of course, I knew what he was thinking. Whore. We had kissed, and minutes later, I was with Kael.
“I’m calling off the engagement,” Sabina declared, her voice thick with indignation. She lifted her chin in icy resentment. “I’m calling my dad. I’m getting out of here, and I’m going to make sure you pay for what you’ve done.”
She spun around and stomped out of the kitchen, her heels pounding an obnoxious, unmelodious rhythm on the marble. Kael muttered a string of curses and went to stop her. I watched with a twisting chest.
“Sabina, wait! Let’s talk!”
“It’s over, Kael! Whatever deal you have with my father is off! Go to hell! Both of you!”
Her voice faded, followed by the jarring sound of metal striking the floor. Kael bent down and picked up the engagement ring. Seeing their betrothal end alleviated the pain in my chest for a fleeting second, but it was too soon to celebrate.
Kael curled his enormous hand over the tiny ring, his expression shifting into unadulterated rage. He crossed the gap between us in a few long strides and grasped my shoulder, shaking me viciously.
“Look what you’ve done!”
I was flabbergasted. I stared at him, my mouth hanging open as I struggled to breathe. “Why is it my fault?” I gasped, prying myself free from his clutches.
“Why can’t you just stay away from her? I told you to respect her!”
Was he serious? Was he actually blaming me for this?
“She came up to me and slapped me in the face! Can’t you see?” I pointed to the blossoming red mark on my cheek, desperate to prove it was self-defense. But Kael wasn't listening.
“Still! You shouldn’t have slammed her head on the fucking cupboard!”
I stared at him like he was a stranger. My boiling point reached its peak. I thought he swore last night that no one would touch me, yet here he was, defending the bitch who mistreated me. How could he point the blame at me when he was the one who caused all of this?
“You know what? You’re an ass,” I spat, throwing him the most hostile look I could muster. I felt a wave of shame for being with him last night. He was proving to be nothing more than the beast I feared.
I took a shaky breath and turned to leave, unable to stomach the sight of him. But he grabbed my arm, stopping me. He tilted his head, looking down at me through the frame of my lashes. “I shouldn’t have let you train. She’s right. I spoil you too much.”
That was it. I yanked my arm from his grip and, in a blink, I curled my hand into a fist and swung.
I didn’t hold back. I aimed directly for his face. Kael didn't move to avoid the blow; he just stood there and took it. Pain flared through my knuckles—my first time punching someone with a bare hand—but it was worth it. A thin trail of blood began to drip from the corner of his mouth.
A one-sided smirk pulled at my lips as I looked him in the eye.
“Yeah, you shouldn’t have. You’ve just placed a weapon in my hand.”
With that, I stormed out of the kitchen, leaving them all standing in the silence of my wake.