Chapter 144: Unwilling Guest

"Ms. Winters," Sebastian's duplicate repeated, his perfect smile unchanging. "Victoria insists on your presence. The ceremony wouldn't be complete without you."

I instinctively stepped back, my corrupted marks burning beneath my sleeve like someone was pressing a hot iron against my skin.

The pain shot all the way up to my shoulder, making my teeth clench so hard my jaw ached.

Four black-clad security personnel appeared behind Sebastian, weapons visible beneath their tailored jackets.

Their expressions were blank, professional—paid not to care about whatever happened to me.

"Isolde..." I began, my voice tight with panic, but she was already moving, positioning herself between me and the elevator. My heart hammered against my ribs as I realized we were trapped.

"FBI," she announced firmly, badge in one hand. "You're trespassing on private property. I suggest you leave immediately."

Sebastian's laugh was unnervingly mechanical, like someone had programmed the sound without understanding human emotion.

"I'm afraid federal jurisdiction doesn't apply here, Agent Thorne. Ms. Winters has a medical condition requiring immediate attention. We're here to provide transport to appropriate facilities."

The clinical way he described my impending death made bile rise in my throat.

My father moved to my side, his weathered face hardening with determination I'd never seen before.

His presence after years of absence felt surreal—like the universe was giving me one last glimpse of what could have been before taking everything away.

"My daughter isn't going anywhere with you," he said, his voice gravelly with emotion.

The marks on my wrist suddenly flared with blinding pain, making me gasp and double over.

It felt like my veins were being filled with liquid fire.

Through the haze of agony, I heard Helena's scanner beeping frantically, the sound drilling into my skull.

"Her neural pathways are destabilizing," Helena explained urgently, her usually composed voice cracking with concern. "The connection to Caspian is being forcibly severed."

My vision blurred, sweat beading on my forehead as I tried to focus.

The room tilted dangerously around me.

Sebastian's smile widened, revealing perfect teeth.

"Precisely. The ceremony preparations are already underway. Caspian's marks are being finalized for synchronization with Victoria. Your presence is merely... courtesy."

"You mean she needs to witness it to complete the psychological trauma," Marcus countered, subtly shifting toward his equipment case. His loyalty after everything we'd been through made my chest tighten with emotion I couldn't afford right now.

I straightened, fighting through pain so intense it made breathing difficult.

Each exhale felt like someone was squeezing my lungs.

The crimson corruption was spreading visibly now, angry red tendrils creeping up my arm toward my shoulder like a disease.

The tiny flecks of gold that remained pulsed weakly—dying stars in a bloody sky.

"If I go with you, the others walk free," I managed, each word an effort. My cast felt unbearably heavy, dragging my shoulder down.

"Sage, no!" Isolde protested, her eyes wide with fear. "There has to be another way."

Sebastian considered for a moment, his head tilting at an unnatural angle that reminded me he wasn't truly human.

"Victoria's instructions were to bring you alone. The others are... inconsequential."

"Then we have a deal." I stepped forward, ignoring Isolde's frantic gaze. My legs felt like they might give out with each step, but I forced myself to move with as much dignity as I could muster.

"You can't trust them," my father insisted, gripping my good arm. His fingers dug into my flesh, desperation making him forget his strength. "Sage, please—"

I met his eyes, seeing the fear there—the same fear I'd seen when he'd learned about my "accident."

After years of absence, he was finally acting like a father, and I was walking straight into the lion's den.

"I know," I whispered, swallowing the lump in my throat. "But if I don't go, the marks will kill me anyway. At least this way I get close to Caspian."

His face crumpled with a grief so raw it hurt to witness.

I felt him press something small and metallic into my palm—the junction box key from the blueprints.

His eyes conveyed what words couldn't:

a desperate last hope. I closed my fingers around it, hiding it in my fist.

Sebastian's men escorted me into the elevator, surrounding me like prison guards.

As the doors closed, I caught one last glimpse of Isolde's determined face, mouthing words I couldn't hear but understood perfectly: We're coming for you.

The weight of that promise followed me down.

The SUV waiting outside had blacked-out windows and the distinctive Palmer Enterprises logo emblazoned on its doors.

No attempt to hide now—Victoria wanted everyone to know she had won.

I was just another trophy to display.

Pain radiated from my marks in waves as we drove through Manhattan toward the ceremony venue.

Each pulse felt like acid eating through my veins, the golden patterns now barely visible beneath the crimson corruption.

Sweat soaked through my shirt despite the car's air conditioning.

"Remarkable," Sebastian observed, studying my arm with clinical interest. His gaze made my skin crawl. "Your resistance to the separation process exceeds all projections. Most subjects would be comatose by now."

"I'm not most subjects," I managed through gritted teeth, hatred giving me strength.

His perfect features arranged themselves into an approximation of amusement.

"Indeed. That's precisely why Victoria insisted on your presence tonight. The final severance must be... witnessed."

The ceremonial venue was Palmer Tower's grand ballroom, transformed into something between a wedding hall and a medical theater.

White roses and silver ribbons adorned every surface, while disguised medical equipment ringed a central platform.

Technicians in formal attire adjusted settings on what looked like specialized sound equipment—the frequency generators that would finalize my execution.

The stench of roses and chemical antiseptic made my empty stomach churn.

I dug my fingernails into my palm, focusing on that small pain to distract from the larger agony consuming me.

Victoria stood center stage, resplendent in a silver gown that highlighted her fake pregnancy.

Diamonds glittered at her throat, catching the light with every movement.

She turned as we entered, triumph written across her perfect features.

"Sage! How thoughtful of you to accept my invitation." Her voice carried through the space, drawing attention from the various workers. "Though I must say, you look dreadful. Those marks really aren't agreeing with you."

I straightened my spine, refusing to show weakness despite the agony coursing through my body.

My legs trembled with the effort of standing, but I'd be damned if I'd show it.

"Where is Caspian?"

"Preparing, of course." Victoria descended the steps gracefully, circling me like a predator.

Her perfume was cloying, suffocating.

"Tonight's ceremony requires precise calibration. His marks have been specially treated to ensure they synchronize perfectly with mine."

"You mean you've drugged him into compliance," I countered, scanning the room for any sign of him. Every face blurred together in my pain-fogged vision.

Victoria laughed, the sound like breaking glass. "Such melodrama! Caspian has accepted his role. After all, we're having a child together."

The lie twisted in my chest like a knife. "We both know that's not true."

Her smile faltered briefly before returning with renewed venom.

She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper meant only for me.

"Whether you believe it or not is irrelevant. In less than an hour, Caspian's connection to you will be permanently severed and transferred to me. Those marks you're so fond of? They'll be what kills you. And the best part? He'll watch it happen and feel nothing."

Sebastian guided me to a chair positioned directly across from the stage—the perfect vantage point to witness everything.

As I sat, the junction box key dug into my palm, a small reminder that I hadn't lost everything yet.

"Make yourself comfortable," Victoria called as she ascended the steps again, her silver gown trailing behind her like liquid mercury.

"The show is about to begin."