Raven Blackwood, the mob boss’s daughter, took me in for five years. If I wanted the stars, she’d give them; if I desired the moon, she’d pluck it from the sky. She was grooming me as her successor. But on the day of her engagement party, she caught me sniffing her lingerie and exploded in a fury, personally shipping me off to Devil's Island. "So young, yet so twisted! You even dare to lust after me, your guardian!" "Go rot in that hellhole. When you've purged those filthy thoughts, then you can come back!" The next day, she broke my drawing hand and sent me to Devil's Island. Devil's Island was where members who committed serious crimes were exiled. Nine out of ten never came back. I wailed, begging for her forgiveness. Tears welled in her eyes, but she left without a backward glance. The day after, someone showed up with the boss's signet ring, telling the warden not to worry about my status – just keep me alive. First day, I was thrown into a rat cage, battling starved rats all night. Second day, I was forced to clean the hallways with my tongue. My mouth was a mass of blisters; even breathing was agony. I developed a stutter. … 1 A year later, Raven Blackwood finally remembered me. She was draped in black, sunglasses hiding her eyes, still every bit the unapproachable mob princess. But behind her stood someone new—her fiancé, Marcus Thorne. "You must be Alex, right? I'm Marcus Thorne, Raven's fiancé. You left in such a hurry last year, you missed our engagement." He finished speaking and raised a hand to pat my head. I flinched instinctively. Then, trembling, I nudged my head closer, rubbing against his palm. Raven felt something was off but couldn't pinpoint what. "Have you learned your lesson?" My throat tightened, my whole body shaking as memories flooded back. This past year of beatings, bloodlettings, and humiliation felt like a thousand needles, making each breath a searing pain. I shrank back, head bowed, my voice barely a whisper: "I've learned. I really have." Raven's breath hitched; a strange bitterness welled up inside her. Last year, she’d wished I were this docile. Now that I truly was, it felt like a slap in the face. "Good that you've learned. From now on, get rid of those improper thoughts." She nodded curtly, bitterness in her expression, and boarded the helicopter first. I followed, legs pressed tightly together, afraid to take wide steps. The moment the chopper lifted off, I gripped the door, face pale, burying my head in my knees. Memories of being thrown off cliffs into the sea, the impact jarring my organs, surged through me. My blood ran cold, and I shook like a leaf. Raven noticed something was wrong and was about to speak when Marcus cut in: "Alex, I heard you used to love sky-high sports. Is it because you haven't tried in a year that you're so worked up?" Marcus feigned concern, draping an arm around my shoulders to calm me. But the hand on my shoulder pressed down hard, and a newly healed wound felt like it was tearing open again. I clutched my jacket tighter, terrified the smell of blood would leak out and I’d be thrown into the dog kennels for their amusement again. I nodded numbly. "Yes, just too excited." 2 Raven’s tightly furrowed brow finally relaxed, a hint of satisfaction on her face. Back home, I habitually called out, "Mimi." But the cat that used to leap into my arms was nowhere to be seen. Marcus looked apologetic. "Sorry, Alex. After Raven and I got engaged and moved in together, I developed a cat allergy, so we had Mimi rehomed." "How about I get you another one?" Raven anxiously watched my expression. Given my old temper, if Marcus had gotten rid of the cat my late father gave me, I would have raised hell. But I just shook my head in fear, eyes wide with panic. "No need. You're the head of the house. You decide about pets." Raven let out a long sigh of relief and handed me a can of Coke. "Good boy. Wasn't this your favorite drink? Drink up today." I stood frozen, remembering being force-fed Coke until I choked, and hesitated to take it. "Hmm? Don't like it?" I flinched, snatched the Coke, and gulped it down, ignoring the bursting blisters in my throat, the searing pain. Marcus wrapped an arm around Raven's slim waist. "Raven, why be so harsh? Alex is still just a nineteen-year-old kid." Raven glanced at me, a dark current in her eyes. "You always spoil him." She chuckled, leaning into Marcus's embrace, but her eyes kept flicking towards me. I kept my head down, not daring to look, just staring at the tips of my shoes. Raven hadn't expected me to change so drastically. Seeing her intimate with someone else, I no longer threw tantrums or tried to drive them away like before. A faint sense of melancholy touched her heart, but she quickly hid it. "Your old room is still there. Go on up." The thought that just last year, I was thrown into that hellhole merely for indulging in the scent of her clothes made me shiver. I stammered, "N-no... no need. I'm used to guest rooms now." With that, I picked up my luggage and retreated to the guest room furthest from Raven's. Only when the door closed did I dare to relax completely. Trembling, I took out a tin box from my suitcase. It was full of nickels, dimes, and quarters – all the money I’d earned on Devil's Island. I counted it. Seven hundred dollars. Before Mom left, she told me if I was ever unhappy, I should go find her. I was going to use this money to buy a bus ticket and leave this place for good. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. "Alex, are you asleep?" Hearing that familiar female voice, I sat up almost reflexively. In that moment, I forgot I was home; I thought I was still on Devil's Island. There was a rule: whenever I heard Raven's voice on a recording, I had to... be ready. Otherwise, I’d be beaten so badly I couldn’t get out of bed for three days. They said it was to cure me of my 'obsession' with Raven. But today, maybe it was the change of environment, or maybe I’d truly lost my love for her. As the door opened, I immediately threw myself at her feet, crying out, "Don't hit me! Don't hit me, I'll be quick!" 3 I frantically started... touching myself. But then, the lights flicked on. I saw Raven standing before me, holding an expensive Italian tailored suit, her eyes filled with disbelief. "Alex, what are you doing?" Her voice grated on my nerves. My mind exploded, tears streaming down my face. I groveled on the floor, banging my head repeatedly. "Please, don't hit me. You can do whatever you want." When nothing happened for a long moment, I fearfully squirmed, trying to show I was compliant, not resisting. Suddenly, a sharp kick landed on my lower back. I curled up in pain. They’d taken a kidney from that spot just a month ago; it was too fragile for any rough treatment. "Alex Sterling! Do you even look like an heir anymore?" I jerked my head up, meeting her gaze, a moment of clarity piercing through the fog. "No, no, I... I was..." I tried to explain, fumbling, not knowing where to start. She threw the suit at my feet, cutting me off. "Still dare to make excuses! Are you going to say someone forced you? With your status, who would dare touch you! A grown man, learning such disgusting things!" Her expression shifted from anger to disgust. "Alex, let me tell you, cut out these cheap tricks. I will never like you." "Let alone that you're just a kid who hasn't even fully matured, even if you were a real man, I wouldn't be interested in the slightest!" With that, she slapped me hard across the face, several times. The first slap. "Why did you become such a... freak, neither man nor woman!" The second slap. "Why can't you learn? Why must you harbor these filthy thoughts!" The third slap. "Why are you such a lost cause? How will you ever take over?" Seeing my face redden, she finally couldn't bear it and turned away. She placed my father's photograph in front of me, along with a phone playing a video she’d just recorded. "Your father died for this Family. And you?" "You kneel here and reflect. See if you can face your father!" Then, she turned and strode out. I knelt there, fingers gripping my father's photo so tightly they turned white. The video played my begging voice over and over. Those sounds wrapped around me like a nightmare, inescapable. My eyes bloodshot, I sank into painful memories of the past. A year. I had learned to be obedient. Learned not to complain. Even learned not to love her anymore. But why wouldn't she let me go? I truly didn't dare anymore. Didn't dare to love her, didn't even dare to get close to her. Wasn't her punishment enough? If not, I’d do it myself! As if possessed, I started slapping myself frantically, muttering as I did. "I don't dare anymore, Alex doesn't dare to love Raven Blackwood anymore..." Over and over, I repeated the phrase numbly, until I finally passed out. 4 When I woke up the next day, the room was empty. From downstairs, I could hear Raven and Marcus's cheerful laughter. I mechanically sat at the dining table, eating breakfast. "Your face... does it hurt?" Raven stared anxiously at my injuries, noticing faint traces of blood seeping from beneath the swollen skin. I shook my head, my voice hoarse and weak. "It's fine. It doesn't hurt." "How could it not hurt?" She rushed over anxiously to examine my wounds. Then, as if realizing something, she shoved me to the ground. "You're playing mind games again, aren't you? Just three slaps, how could it be this bad?" I no longer felt the pain, just mechanically got to my feet. "I'm done eating. You two enjoy." "Alex, wait a minute!" Marcus grabbed my arm, holding out a new suit. He playfully tapped Raven’s nose. "Alright now, he's the kid you practically raised. Can you really stay mad at him?" "Tonight's the party specifically for Alex. He can't look like this. I got him a new suit. Go try it on." Raven patted his hand, moved, then turned to me with a look of exasperation. "Stop your scheming. Behave yourself." I nodded obediently and followed Marcus upstairs. He dismissed the servants and began to help me undress, looking at the crisscrossing scars on my body as if admiring a masterpiece. "Alex Sterling, it wasn't a waste for me to have people 'take special care' of you. This body full of scars is disgusting to look at." "How can you compete with me for Raven? Her husband will only be me. The position of heir can only go to our child. What are you?" Hearing this, I was somewhat surprised, but I no longer had the energy to be angry. "I won't fight you. I'll leave." Marcus scoffed, not believing me at all. "I'll only be at ease when I send you away myself." With that, he chopped the back of my neck, knocking me out. "Trouble, trouble! Mr. Thorne and young Mr. Sterling are gone!" "Looking at the room, it seems they've been kidnapped!" A servant held a letter with large, stark words. "To ransom them, come to the abandoned warehouse." Raven’s hand, holding her teacup, trembled. She was livid. "Rescue them!" When I woke up, Marcus and I were tied to pillars in an abandoned warehouse. The expensive white suit was pristine on me, but Marcus was covered in blood, barely breathing. Raven stood opposite, tensed for a confrontation. "Raven Blackwood, I didn't think you'd actually dare to come!" "Take one step back!" With that, a knife plunged into Marcus's arm. Blood spurted instantly. "No!" Raven’s eyes were bloodshot, her voice a raw scream. Her men stood behind her, but dared not make a rash move, only cautiously taking a step back. "Whatever you want, I'll agree!" "Is it money you want? I brought it!" As bundles of cash scattered across the floor, the kidnapper finally relented. His playful gaze darted between me and Marcus, an interested look on his face. "This much money is only enough to save one. Let's see who you choose." 5 Raven saw I was unharmed and visibly sighed in relief. Then she saw Marcus, covered in wounds, her eyes filled with pain. Finally, she closed her eyes and, with a pained heart, pointed. "Let Marcus go." I gave a self-deprecating smile. What was I even hoping for… Marcus was released. Raven held his weak form, tears of distress streaming down her face. "Raven, these men were hired by Alex. He wanted to test his place in your heart." With that, Marcus fainted. Raven's head snapped up, looking at my clothes, which weren't even dusty. Suddenly, she remembered the handwriting on the ransom note was mine. She had her men carry Marcus to the car, her gaze towards me chillingly cold. "Alex Sterling, since you love playing these games so much, you can face the consequences yourself!" With that, she turned and left without hesitation, not even sparing me a glance. I watched the kidnappers closing in on me, my pupils contracting, blood rushing to my head. My mind involuntarily flashed back to the most unbearable memories from Devil's Island. The dark water cell, the cold pliers, and those men who had been deprived for so long. My body trembled uncontrollably, tears streaming down my face. "Aunt Raven, please, save me! Don't leave me here! Please!" I struggled frantically, letting the wire mesh dig into my skin. Blood quickly stained the once-pure white suit. Raven’s steps faltered. She turned her head, a flicker of hesitation in her eyes. Ultimately, she strode out of the warehouse. As soon as she was out, Marcus woke up. He weakly clutched Raven’s hand. "Raven, maybe we should..." Raven sneered. "He hired those men himself. What could happen to him? When his little drama is over, he'll come back." Sure enough, no more sounds came from the warehouse, as if proving her words. But she didn't know I wasn't screaming because those thugs had cut out my tongue. My body was like a rag doll, toyed with at their whim. Not satisfied, they broke my arms and legs. My very soul trembled with pain, yet I endured this torment for two whole days and nights. After a long while, I mustered my last bit of strength and crawled to the warehouse rooftop. I looked towards the city where my mother lived, remembering what she said before she left. "If you're not doing well, come find me. I'll always be your mother." I was so close, just a little bit more, and I could have escaped this hell. But the person I loved most had utterly destroyed me. I closed my eyes, tears flowing. Mom, I can't leave… I really don't have any strength left… My body and soul are completely shattered. And yet, I wanted to live so badly. I saw that familiar Rolls-Royce approaching in the distance. Without hesitation, I pushed myself up and toppled over the edge.
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