Chapter 87 - Cold Chains
Chapter 87 - Cold Chains
(Eden’s POV)
The first thing I felt was the cold.
It was the kind of cold that didn’t just kiss the skin — it sank deeper, curling into bone and marrow, turning my fingertips numb before my mind could catch up. My eyes fluttered open, vision swimming before it settled on a low ceiling and a single flickering bulb.
The air smelled faintly of bleach, like a hospital without the safety.
I tried to move and found my wrists pulled taut above my head, thick leather cuffs biting into my skin. My ankles were bound too, spread just enough to make me feel exposed, the wool blanket covering me doing little to ease the chill.
I looked down. My clothes were gone. In their place was an oversized gray sweatshirt and sweatpants, both worn soft with age but too clean — like they’d been freshly laundered for me. My stomach knotted at the thought of how they’d been put on me.
The room was bare except for the bed and a metal chair in the corner. The walls were concrete, no paint, no decoration, no hint of where I was. The only window sat high above the bed, covered with bars, its glass fogged by the cold air outside.
I tested the cuffs, jerking my wrists. They didn’t budge. The sound of the metal fastenings echoed in the empty space.
The door creaked.
Daniel stepped inside like he owned the air I breathed. His coat was gone now, replaced by a dark henley and jeans, but the same self-satisfied smirk curved his mouth. In his hands, he carried a tray — a sandwich, a bottle of water, and an apple.
“You’re awake,” he said, setting the tray on the chair. “Good. I was getting impatient.”
I stared at him in silence.
He moved closer, stopping at the foot of the bed. “They dressed you. Don’t worry — I supervised. I didn’t want them touching you more than necessary.” His gaze swept over me, and my skin crawled despite the layers I wore. “It’s better this way. Clean. Untouched.”
I pulled against the cuffs. “Untie me, Daniel.”
He shook his head slowly, almost pityingly. “You’ve been… misled. Given yourself to people who don’t deserve you. But I forgive you for that. I know you were confused. Weak.”
My pulse hammered in my ears. “You’re insane.”
“No,” he said softly, leaning closer until I could see the shadow of stubble along his jaw. “I’m the only one who’s ever loved you enough to save you from yourself. Those brothers — they’ve dirtied you. But I can fix that. Once you’re cleansed of them, we can start over. Be happy again. And when you’re mine the way you were meant to be, I’ll leave them alone.”
A bitter laugh slipped from me before I could stop it. “You think this is love?”
He straightened, his eyes hardening. “Love is protecting what’s yours. Even from itself.”
I didn’t answer. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
Daniel sighed, as if I’d disappointed him, then set the apple from the tray on the bed near my hip. “Eat. Keep your strength up. We have time. I’m patient when I need to be.”
He brushed a lock of hair from my forehead — a touch that made my skin recoil — then leaned down just enough for his breath to ghost over my ear.
“You’ll thank me when you’re pure again.”
The door shut behind him with a finality that made the silence feel heavier.
I stared at the apple, then at the cuffs, and swore to myself I would never thank him for anything.