—“There’s nothing you can bring me that will ever make this place feel like home,” —Kate said as she turned around and walked toward her room.

Just as she reached the door, two strong arms wrapped around her from behind. Bastien buried his face in her hair, inhaling her scent.

—“Kate… tell me what I can do to make you stop looking at me with hate.”

—“Let me go, Bastien.”

—“I can’t do that.”

—“Then I’ll hate you until the last day of my life,” —she said, breaking free and entering her room.

Bastien slammed his fist into the wall, breaking through the plaster.

—“Damn it!!!”

—“Sir! Your hand!” —Lucca appeared, alarmed. Blood dripped onto the floor, a large splinter embedded in Bastien’s palm.

—“It’s nothing… let’s go.”

—“Sir, why don’t you just tell her? She’d understand.”

—“No. She’ll never know. That’s an order.”

Bastien turned away and stormed into his room, slamming the door behind him.

Kate, still near her own door, had heard everything. She opened it slowly and looked at the cracked wall, now stained with his blood.

—“What are you hiding from me, Bastien? What could be so awful that you won’t let me know?” —she whispered, reaching out to touch the wall.

—“Miss, step back, you might get a splinter,” —Lucca warned.

—“Lucca… tell me. What is your boss hiding?”

—“I can’t tell you, miss. But please… be kinder to Mr. Bastien. He’s not doing well.”

—“Why are you so loyal to him? He’s just your boss.”

Lucca looked down and smiled faintly.

—“Come. I’ll tell you a story.”

He sat on the small couch while Kate remained seated on the bed.

—“When we were kids, we lived in an orphanage. Bastien got adopted. I didn’t. I was weak and sickly… no one wanted me. Bastien, though, was adopted by a family involved in child trafficking. They treated him horribly. But when he turned seventeen, he escaped. And the first thing he did… was come back to the orphanage to find me.”

—“Seriously?”

—“Yes. But by then I’d already run away too. I was surviving on the streets. He earned his living fighting in illegal rings. One day, I got into trouble for stealing from the wrong gang. They were going to kill me… but Bastien came. He saved me.”

—“What happened next?”

—“The gang’s boss was cruel… but also sterile. No family, no heirs. He saw Bastien’s courage and decided to adopt him. Taught him everything he knew. And I… I became his right hand again, just like at the orphanage. You see, miss… every man who works for him has been saved by him. You see a monster. We see our savior.”

—“And what does this organization actually do?”

—“I can’t tell you. But it’s criminal, miss… and nothing good comes from that. You saw it yourself—with the produce supplier. He didn’t hesitate.”

—“Then why is he like this with me? What does he want? To lock me up and act kind at the same time? Does he want me to fall in love with him?”

—“Miss, he’s keeping you here because the outside world is dangerous. You have no idea what he’s done to protect you.”

—“Sure. Kidnapping me, assaulting me… that’s protection?”

—“I can’t tell you more. But he’s not a bad man. I hope one day… you’ll see that.”

—“I’ll never see it, Lucca. A man who hurts a woman can’t be good.”

—“You don’t understand…”

Lucca stood up.

—“I’ll go get the gauze he asked me for. We’ll talk later.”

—“Did he hurt himself badly?”

—“A little. But he heals quickly.”

Lucca returned to Bastien, who sat shirtless with a glass of whiskey in one hand, the other dripping blood onto the floor.

—“Sir, I think I’ll need to stitch it.”

—“Do whatever you want,” —Bastien muttered, leaning his head back to stare at the ceiling.

Lucca extracted the splinter, disinfected the wound, and began to stitch it.

—“Sir, the young lady spoke with me. When I left her room, she was standing near the wall… almost got herself splintered.”

—“Have it repaired. I don’t want it like that tomorrow.”

—“She asked me what you’re hiding. Why not tell her?”

—“I told you no. She will never know the horrors they had planned for her if she had remained a virgin.”

—“What are you going to do?”

—“I’m going to destroy that organization. Kill every last one of them. Once I know she’s safe… I’ll let her go.”

—“But sir… it took so long to find her.”

—“It wasn’t hard. I just wasn’t ready to look her in the eyes. Prepare dinner. Have it taken to her room. I won’t force her to eat with me anymore.”

—“Understood, sir.”

Hours later, Lucca brought dinner to Kate’s room. Until now, it had always been Bastien.

—“Where’s Bastien? How’s his hand?”

—“It’ll heal.”

—“Why didn’t he come?”

—“He gave up, miss. Said he won’t make you eat with him anymore. He’ll go back to dining alone. He doesn’t want to force you to see him.”

—“Better that way.”

—“Miss… the boss is strong, ruthless, cruel… but you could destroy him with a single word. Please, don’t be so cruel. He doesn’t deserve it.”

—“I can’t be kind to someone so despicable.”

—“You don’t understand anything.”

Lucca set the food down. But just as he turned to leave, an explosion shook the mansion. He drew his weapon immediately.

Bastien rushed in, fury in his eyes.

—“They’re here for Kate! Handle it!”

Lucca nodded. Bastien grabbed Kate’s hand and pulled her with him.

They raced down the stairs. Bastien’s injured hand was still bleeding. He gripped Kate’s wrist tightly. Gunshots rang out. Bastien shielded her with his body, fired back, and ran with her toward the car. He opened the door, shoved her inside, and sped off.

—“What happened?! Why were they shooting?!”

—“I told you, Kate… something worse than me is after you. You didn’t believe me.”

—“You're just trying to scare me so I won’t run. It was probably mafiosos like you settling debts.”

Bastien drove fast, getting as far from the mansion as he could. Eventually, they reached a lookout point in the dead of night. He sighed.

—“Give me time, Kate… I swear I’ll set you free.”

—“Yeah, right. I don’t believe a word you say, Bastien.”

His phone rang. It was Lucca.

—“Hello?”

—“Sir, it’s clear. You can come back. Everything’s under control.”

Bastien drove back. At the mansion, his men were dragging out bodies. Kate watched, horrified.

He led her back to her room.

—“Rest.”