Chapter 83 The Calm Before the Payback
Caroline surfaced through layers of noise and confusion.
She forced her heavy eyelids open. The blurred ceiling of Ravenwood Manor's guest room swam into focus--pristine white, impersonal.
Her body felt as if it had been dismantled and pieced back together with cheap glue. Every joint throbbed with a dull, persistent ache.
But between her legs, the pain was different--sharp, burning, relentless. Each pulse clawed upward through her core.
"Mrs. Hamilton's awake!" A voice broke through, bright with relief. Kenna.
She turned immediately to the doctor. "Doctor, Mrs. Hamilton's awake. Could you step outside for a moment, please? She needs quiet."
The doctor nodded, murmured a few instructions to the nurse, and they slipped out, closing the door with barely a sound.
The room fell silent.
Kenna hurried to the bedside, her voice gentle. "Mrs. Hamilton, how are you feeling? Is there anything I can get you?"
Caroline tried to shake her head, but even that small movement was beyond her. She could only blink, her gaze hollow as it fixed on the ceiling.
Kenna understood. She continued softly, "The doctor just finished examining you. You have... some tearing. It needs to be treated and you need to rest. The doctor left medication--I'll apply it for you. It might sting a little, but please try to bear it. If it's too much, just press the bell on the nightstand, all right?"
Caroline's eyes shifted slightly toward Kenna.
She tried to push herself up, as if she wanted to do it herself.
"Mrs. Hamilton, please don't move!" Kenna pressed her shoulders back down gently. "You'll tear the wounds open again. It'll only make things worse. I promise, I'm just here to help. Nothing more."
She pulled back a corner of the blanket.
The cool air touched Caroline's exposed skin. She flinched, barely.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Hamilton. I'll be as quick as I can."
Kenna kept her eyes averted as much as possible, her movements efficient but tender as she applied the ointment, trying to end this humiliating ordeal as quickly as she could.
Caroline bit down hard, refusing to make a sound.
When it was done, Kenna pulled the blanket back up, tucking it carefully around her.
She stood there for a moment, hesitating, then said quietly, "Mrs. Hamilton... it was Mr. Hamilton who called the doctor. He asked for the best treatment. He wants you to rest."
Caroline's lashes trembled. She didn't respond. Slowly, she closed her eyes and raised her hands to cover her ears.
Kenna sighed softly. She gathered the medical supplies without another word and left, closing the door behind her with a whisper of sound.
The room was silent again.
Caroline lay motionless. The physical pain was still there, sharp and clear, but sharper still was the cold emptiness spreading through her chest.
Kenna's careful touch had been like a needle piercing through the numbness, making her feel something she hadn't felt in a long time--pain that came from being treated like a person.
It had been so long since anyone had treated her that way.
Kenna had been so considerate, even when Caroline lay there naked and helpless, exposed like an object on display. She had tried to preserve what little dignity remained.
But that kindness, that almost luxurious normalcy, only made the pain worse.
If being treated like a person meant enduring Alexander's endless hatred and torment, if it meant living in this broken body with its unending agony, if it meant feeling the cold spread of that new, terrible seed of hate growing inside her--then she didn't want it.
She would rather have stayed in that filthy club. Rather have been auctioned off like a piece of meat with no thoughts, no dignity. Rather have been carved up for organs, ground into nothing.
At least then, the pain would have been brief. Death would have been within reach. Freedom would have been close.
Not like this--not waking up in this gilded cage, facing a man who hated her too much to let her die, facing the strange, violent hatred blooming inside her own chest, day after day, with no end in sight.
Meanwhile, in the study, the atmosphere was suffocating.
Alexander leaned back in his chair, listening in silence as the doctor delivered his report.
They had examined Caroline thoroughly while she was unconscious.
"...In summary, the old injuries to Mrs. Hamilton's wrists and leg bones were never properly treated at the time. They've caused permanent damage. While basic function has been restored to some degree, the long-term consequences are severe.
"The nerve damage cannot be fully repaired. As she ages, those areas will become hypersensitive. Pain would flare up frequently, especially in cold or damp weather, significantly impacting her quality of life. And... in her later years, there's a high risk of muscle atrophy and joint degeneration. It could lead to limited mobility. In the worst case... paralysis."
The doctor finished, sweat beading on his forehead as he glanced up nervously at Alexander.
Alexander remained still, silent.
The study fell into a suffocating quiet.
The doctor shifted uncomfortably, unsure whether to stay or go.
Finally, Liam stepped forward, breaking the tension. "Doctor, thank you. For Mrs. Hamilton's care, please use the best medications and treatment plans available. Cost is no concern."
The doctor nodded quickly. "Of course. I'll do everything I can. I'll... I'll go prepare the follow-up treatment plan now."
He practically fled the room.
Liam watched him go, closed the door quietly, then turned back to Alexander.
Alexander's expression was dark. Last night's events and the doctor's words had clearly gotten under his skin.
As his chief assistant, Liam knew when to read the room.
He should leave. Give Alexander space to think.
He lowered his voice. "Mr. Hamilton, it's nearly noon. I'll have the kitchen prepare lunch."
He turned to go.
"Wait."
Liam stopped.
"Tell the kitchen to prepare Caroline's meals separately. Make sure it's something she can actually eat right now. Light. Nutritious."
Liam froze. For a moment, he thought he'd misheard.
He looked up at Alexander, startled.
Alexander seemed to notice his stare. He looked away, reaching for the cigar on his desk, lighting it, taking a long drag before adding stiffly, "She hasn't finished paying for what she's done. Until then, she needs to stay alive. Strong enough... to endure what's coming."
Liam's lips parted, but he said nothing. He looked at Alexander with an expression too complicated to name, then lowered his head. "Yes, Mr. Hamilton. I understand."
He turned to leave, then paused, remembering something else.
"Mr. Hamilton, what about the injured servant? He's still in the hospital. His injuries are serious."
Alexander exhaled a stream of smoke, his voice cutting through it like ice.
"Keep someone on him. Don't let him die."
He paused, a cold glint flickering in his eyes.
"When Caroline's recovered, we'll settle accounts. Together."