Chapter 139: I Won’t Hurt You

Amelia’s POV

The door’s creak made me jolt, and when I saw him standing there, I felt my heart beat stopped. Felix. His huge frame filled the doorway. I was shocked,  my breath catching as my eyes locked with his. My vision blurred, anger flooding my chest as it burned away the fear. How could he be here? How could he be a part of this?

My eyes dulled, the sting of the betrayal crushing me. I wanted to stand, to scream, to fight, but my body failed me,  I weak from the beatings, my limbs trembling under the red nightgown that clung to my skin. I pushed against the bed, my arms shaking, but Felix’s voice cut through my haze. “Amelia, sit,” he said, his tone calm but firm.  His brown eyes softened.

I didn’t care. I wouldn’t listen. Not to him, not to anyone in this nightmare. I struggled harder, my bare feet slipping on the grimy floor, my body screaming in protest. My ribs hurted, my face stung where bruises bloomed, but I didn’t stop—until my strength gave out on me, and I collapsed, my knees hitting the carpet with a dull thud. A cry escaped from my throat, raw and desperate, and Felix moved, rushing toward me, as he stretched his hands to help.

“Don’t!” I snarled, my voice cracking as I lashed out, bitting his hand. The taste of salt filled my mouth, and he yelped, jerking back. I glared up at him, my chest heaving. “Felix, leave me alone! Don’t touch me, and don’t come nearer!” My shout echoed in the small room, my body trembling as I scrambled back, pressing myself against the bedframe.

Felix froze, his hand still extended, blood coming out from the bite mark. Shock flickered across his face, his jaw tightening, but he didn’t move closer. He sighed, and before I could react, he stepped forward, scooping me up with an ease that made my stomach lurch. I thrashed, my fists pounding his chest, but his arms were strong, carrying me to the bed like though I weighed nothing. “Stop it, Amelia,” he said, setting me down with a gentleness that clashed with the situation. “You’re hurt. You’ll make it worse.”

I glared at him, my eyes blazing, my breath ragged. “Don’t you dare touch me again,” I spat, my voice venomous. “Collins will destroy you for this, Felix. He’ll tear you apart, and I’ll never forgive you. Never!” I  threatened him, fueled by the image of Collins. He’d come for me, and when he did, Felix would pay.

Felix ran a hand through his hair, frustration clearly frustrated.  “Calm down, Amelia,” he said, his voice low, almost pleading. “Save your strength. You’re not thinking straight.” He paced around the room, his boots scuffing the carpet, his shoulders tense. “I’m not here to hurt you.”

“Liar!” I snapped. “You’re with them, aren’t you? Jenny, Richard—you’re all in this together, trying to break me, to hurt Collins!” My voice shook, but I didn’t care. The pieces were falling into place, and Felix’s presence was the final betrayal. He’d always looked at me too long, his flirtations gentle but persistent, and now he was here, in this room, as a part of this twisted game.

Felix stopped pacing, his eyebrow arching in genuine surprise. “Jenny?” he said, his voice tinged with disbelief. “She’s behind this?” He leaned against the wall, with his arms crossed. “Amelia, I’m not with Jenny or anyone else. I had no idea you were here until I walked through that door.”

I scoffed, my hands clutching the nightgown’s hem, the fabric slick against my sweaty palms. “Then why are you here, Felix? If you’re so innocent, why are you in this disgusting room with me?” My voice rose, fear lacing every word. His presence didn’t add up, and the red gown, the locked door, the silence—it all screamed danger. I wouldn’t use me, not after everything I’d endured.

Felix sighed again, sinking into a  chair across  the bed, his hands raised in a gesture of surrender. “I’m telling you the truth,” he said, his voice steady, his eyes meeting mine with an intensity that made me flinch. “I got a message this morning—anonymous. It said there was a gift waiting for me at this hotel, something that’d shock me, something I’d want. The sender requested for a reward if I loved the present enough.” He paused, his jaw tightening. “I thought it was a tip, maybe intel. I never imagined it was a person, let alone you.”

I stared at him, my heart pounding, suspicion warring with the faint chance he was telling the truth. “You expect me to believe that?” I said, my voice trembling. “You just happened to show up here? You’re lying, Felix. You’ve always wanted me—you’ve made that clear. This is your chance, isn’t it? To take me from Collins?”

His face hardened, a flash of anger crossing his eyes. “I won’t lie,” he said, leaning forward, his voice low. “I’ve always liked you, Amelia. If I had a shot, yeah, I’d try to win you from Collins. But not like this.” He gestured to the room, his lip curling in disgust. “I’m a soldier, not a monster. I don’t kidnap women, and I don’t play these sick games. Whoever set this up used me, and I’m as pissed about it as you are.”

I wanted to believe him, but the fear was too deep, the wounds too fresh. Jenny’s manic laughter, Richard’s creepy promises—they’d orchestrated this, and Felix could be another pawn, or worse, a part of it. I hugged my knees, the nightgown’s fabric sticking to my skin, and tried to steady my breathing. My body ached, my ribs a constant throb, but something else was wrong. A strange heat was creeping through me, my skin prickling, my throat felt dry despite the water I’d drank hours ago. I swallowed hard, a soft moan escaping as my fingers brushed my arm, the touch sending a shiver through me.

The heat intensified, my cheeks flushing, my heart racing for reasons I couldn’t name. I shifted, the gown suddenly too tight, my skin hypersensitive. “What’s… what’s happening?” I whispered, my voice shaky, my hands trembling as I touched my neck, feeling the feverish warmth. My vision blurred, a wave of dizziness hitting me, and I moaned again, louder this time, my body betraying me with a need I didn’t understand.

Felix’s eyes widened, his posture stiffening as he stood, his gaze sweeping over me. “Amelia, what’s wrong?” he asked, his voice sharp with concern. He took a step closer, then stopped, his jaw clenching as he studied me—the flush on my face, the way I was trembling, the desperate edge to my breathing. His expression shifted, realization dawning on him, and he cussed under his breath, his voice a mixture of anger and panic. “Darn it! You’ve been drugged!”

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