Patricia

I barely had time to gather my thoughts before something icy struck my face.

The sharp splash of cold water forced a gasp out of my lips as my head jerked forward, strands of my damp hair clinging to my cheeks. I coughed, blinking rapidly, trying to clear the blur from my vision as droplets slid down my skin.

For a moment, everything felt disoriented, then my sight steadied and I saw them.

Four figures stood in front of me, unmoving, each one carrying an expression that sent a chill deeper than the water ever could. Their faces were hard, their eyes burning with restrained fury as they stared directly at me.

Adrien. Davian. Damien. Aidan.

The quadruplets.

Their presence alone was suffocating but instead of fear, I let out a scoff, my lips curling in faint mockery as I lifted my chin slightly despite the ropes binding me tightly to the chair.

"So dramatic," I muttered under my breath.

None of them reacted to the sarcasm, their silence only made the tension worse.

"Why did you kidnap Maria?" Damien asked first, his voice low but dangerously sharp. "And why were you torturing her?"

The question hung heavily in the air, demanding an answer.

I tilted my head slightly, my expression unreadable for a brief second before my lips parted.

"I didn’t do it on my own," I said calmly.

That caught their attention.

Davian stepped forward immediately, his brows narrowing. "What do you mean you didn’t do it alone?"

"I was following orders," I added, my tone almost careless, as if the situation didn’t concern me in the slightest.

A dangerous silence followed.

"Whose orders?" Aidan demanded, his voice rising with impatience.

But I said nothing, I was loving the look on their faces. My lips pressed together, my gaze shifting away as if I had suddenly decided the floor was far more interesting.

That silence was the answer they didn’t want.

Adrein’s jaw tightened. "Answer the question."

But still I said nothing.

Couldn’t they just make it a little bit fun, it’s too boring.

"You think this is a game?" Damien snapped, stepping closer.

But I only smirked faintly, shaking my head. "You wouldn’t like to know," I said quietly.

The words were enough to ignite something in him, and gosh, call me a psychopath but I am really loving their reactions.

Before anyone could stop Damien, he stepped forward, his patience completely shattered, and his hand came down hard across her face.

The sound echoed, my head snapping to the side as the impact split my lip instantly. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth as it trickled down my chin.

"Talk," he growled.

But I laughed, a low, broken laugh that sent unease crawling beneath their skin.

"You shouldn’t ask," I said, my voice hoarse but steady. "You’d be very shocked to know who the mastermind behind all this is."

That only made things worse.

"Who is it?" Davian demanded, his voice tight.

"Say the name," Aidan added.

But I only shook my head slowly, my smile widening despite the blood on my lips.

The door suddenly burst open, the sound echoed sharply, cutting through the tension as all heads turned at once.

Darren.

He stepped in with fury written all over his face, his chest rising and falling heavily as his eyes locked onto me.

Without hesitation, he strode forward.

"Patricia!" he roared, his voice shaking with anger as he reached me.

Before anyone could react, his hand shot out, grabbing a fistful of my hair.

I cried out instantly as he yanked my head back harshly, forcing me to look up at him.

"I warned you," he hissed, his voice laced with pure rage. "I warned you not to lay a hand on Maria!"

"Darren—stop—you’re hurting me!" I cried, my voice breaking as I struggled against the pull.

But he didn’t stop.

If anything, his grip tightened.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he continued, shaking her slightly. "Haven’t you done enough to her? Or do you just enjoy causing pain?"

I winced, tears finally spilling from my eyes, but not from regret but from the pain.

"Darren—please—" I gasped.

But he ignored me completely.

The quadruplets exchanged glances before stepping forward, trying to pull him back.

"Darren, that’s enough..." Adrein started.

But Darren shoved them off.

"No!" he snapped.

Then, suddenly, his hand struck me. A loud slap that silenced the room for a split second.

My head fell to the side again, my breath hitching as blood dripped from the corner of my mouth.

Darren stepped back slightly, his chest heaving as his gaze flickered around the room, until it landed on something.

Burning coals.

Without hesitation, he moved toward them.

"What are you doing?" Davian asked sharply.

But Darren didn’t answer.

Instead, he reached for a metal rod resting within the glowing embers, the heat radiating intensely as he pulled it out. The tip glowed red, almost blinding.

Dangerous.

Deadly.

And before anyone could stop him, he turned towards me and pressed it against my shoulder.

The sound of searing flesh filled the room.

My scream tore through the air, raw and agonizing as my body jerked violently against the restraints.

"AHHHH!"

The smell alone was enough to make anyone flinch.

"This is a warning," Darren said coldly, his voice devoid of any emotion as he pulled the iron away. "Don’t you ever—ever—go near Maria again."

My body trembled, my breaths coming out in ragged gasps as tears streamed uncontrollably down my face.

When I finally managed to speak, my voice was broken.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I cried weakly. "I am your Luna... how can you do this to me?"

Darren scoffed.

A cold, bitter sound.

"My Luna?" he repeated, his eyes darkening. "After everything you’ve done? After you deceived me?"

He stepped closer, his gaze piercing.

"To hell with that," he said harshly. "You are not my Luna."

I froze.

"My mate is Maria," he added firmly. "Only she deserves to be my Luna, and that remains unchanged."

The words hit like a final blow as silence fell but it didn’t last long, because in the next second....the quadruplets stepped forward, their expressions shifting into something far more dangerous.

Their voices rang out in unison.

"What did you just say?"