Finn looked coldly at Aoife’s efforts, mocking her, “Aoife, you’re really despicable.”
Aoife could only continue to struggle, the intense sensation breaking through her rationality. She didn’t even know what she was anymore, feeling like an animal, like a mad female dog.
Despairingly sitting on top of Finn, she heard his highly humiliating words in her ears, cutting away at her pride like a knife.
She lost her sense of being human, her vision blurred with tears, the sound of her own broken sobs echoing through the entire carriage.
Finn remained motionless, his upper body even without a wrinkle in his clothing. He didn’t speak or move, resembling a cold and oppressive sculpture.
This made Aoife even more anxious, she dared not look at Finn, nor think about anything else.
Aoife finally understood what “under one’s crotch” meant.
Her body was weak, and being pregnant made it even more difficult. The bloody taste in her throat grew stronger, and after Finn was done, Aoife collapsed completely in his arms, unable to move a finger, let alone her whole body.
After the frenzy, her consciousness returned. She still remembered Ethan, remembered his kindness towards her, so even if she died, she wanted Ethan to be okay.
Finn plainly told her that if she died, the Jiang family would only suffer more.
Aoife’s mind was muddled, only remembering these things.
Finn did not communicate with her throughout, only breathing a little heavier. This time, he didn’t push things too far, considering Aoife’s pregnancy, afraid that she might miscarry accidentally.
After holding back for over five months, the anger still raced through his body. Watching Aoife’s pale face, he stroked her hair, “Behave well from now on, I won’t mistreat you.”
After catching her breath for a few minutes, Aoife restrained the darkness in her eyes, “Jiang… Where’s Ethan? You said you’d tell me his news.”
Finn froze for a moment, and the good mood that had just lifted was extinguished by a bucket of cold water, “Aoife, you’re making yourself uncomfortable.”
Aoife couldn’t hold on any longer and fainted.
When she woke up again, she had been taken back to the country. Finn didn’t immediately take Aoife to the hospital for a check-up, instead, he took her to North Bankshire and locked her up.
The way she was locked up this time was different. Aoife had nightmares, dreaming that Finn was always grabbing her neck and not letting go, trying to strangle her to death. She struggled awake, realizing that there was something on her neck, stretching her hand to check, it was a collar, with a chain attached.
In addition to the chain around her neck, her hands and feet were also shackled. Even a slight movement made the chains clink, sounding eerie in the dim room.
The chains were thin, not heavy, but having them on all four limbs made her uncomfortable. Aoife tried to get them off, but after sweating profusely, and rubbing the skin off her hands and feet, she couldn’t get free.
There was a real heater in the room, her clothes had been changed to a loose nightgown, but even in the light nightdress, she didn’t feel cold.
Feeling her body, her face showed obvious anxiety and panic. She felt the bedsheet, then anxiously jumped down off the bed, as if she had lost something very important.
Indeed, it was a precious and important item, her ring, the ring Ethan had given her, she had carefully placed it in her shirt pocket, but now her clothes had been changed, where was the ring?
Looking towards the window, the curtains were tightly shut, blocking out any light, making it hard for her to tell if it was day or night. She dragged the chains on her body towards the window, trying to touch the curtain, but her body was held back, no matter how much she struggled, she couldn’t reach it.
Then she heard a commotion outside. Aoife instinctively hid in a corner of the room, trembling as she heard the sound of the doorknob turning, shivering uncontrollably.
The intense nervousness made her forget the pain.
The door opened, and Finn came in carrying a bowl, glancing at the bed and not seeing anyone, he finally spotted a small figure in the inconspicuous corner of the room.
“Why sleep on the floor when there’s a perfectly good bed, Aoife, are you crazy?”
“Come here, eat.” He placed the tray on the table with a crisp sound, making Aoife tremble. She looked up at Finn.
“Where are my clothes?”
Finn frowned.
Aoife continued, “Where are the clothes I changed into, I want my clothes.”
Finn’s aura instantly turned cold, and he walked towards Aoife.
Alarm bells went off in Aoife’s mind, and as soon as she saw him coming, she rushed towards the balcony window, the chain on her body clinking. Even though she knew she couldn’t escape, she still pushed forward desperately.
Like a wild bird just caged, flapping its wings against the iron bars, shedding blood and feathers.
Knowing she couldn’t escape, but still struggling pointlessly.
Her body was too weak, and multiple hospital check-ups had diagnosed malnutrition. Her weakened state was in large part due to her pregnancy, severe morning sickness making it hard for her to maintain a normal routine.
The chains on her limbs almost tripped her, the collar around her neck tied too tightly, she couldn’t escape. She looked at the curtains in front of her, just one step closer and she could see the light.
“Run, keep running forward.”
The sight of Aoife desperately struggling stung Finn’s eyes slightly. He bent down and grabbed the chain tied to the foot of the bed, a sinister smile briefly flickering across his face.
He yanked the chain in his hand, dragging Aoife forcibly. The chain he pulled was the one around her neck, the force controlled carefully.
Aoife was pulled back, her hand clutching the collar around her neck, her body falling uncontrollably to the ground, ceasing her struggles.
But Finn didn’t let her go, forcefully dragging Aoife from the ground to the edge of the bed.
In Aoife’s dark eyes, a faint glimmer appeared, and that light came from Finn’s hand. She saw the ring.
“Are you asking for the clothes you changed into, or this ring hidden in your clothes?” Finn stood in front of her, looking down at her, his eyes cold.
Aoife saw the depth of coldness in his eyes, freezing her whole body. Her fingers tightened on her palm, the tips digging into her skin with pain.
Finn’s voice became heavier, “I’m asking you a question!”
Finn’s thoughts about the information he found in the computer files made his scalp tingle.
In a small place, it was easy to find out who a person was with every day, what they did, it was all too simple.
The place was too small, anything happening was known to everyone, especially Ethan and Aoife’s affairs in the area weren’t trivial.
Finn had it investigated, and in the five months Aoife lived there, she and Ethan lived together under one roof, selling snacks, running an online store, things were prospering. People who went there to buy food were affectionately calling them the boss and the boss lady, already treating them as a married couple.
Just recently, Ethan had played a piano piece in the square, publicly proposing to Aoife in front of a crowd, showing off the same ring.
The two locked eyes. For Aoife, it was akin to torture. After a while, she nervously and haltingly spoke, “That’s my ring… can you return it to me?”
Even though it was just a short sentence, it felt like she had used all her strength, her voice sounding particularly labored.
Finn looked meaningfully at the inscription on the ring’s inner band.
“Auqenstern, do you know what that means?” Finn asked Aoife with a smirk, not waiting for her to answer, he explained to himself, “Do you really think that Ethan meant to compliment you as beautiful as a star with this phrase? He meant to say that with so many stars, it doesn’t matter if one is missing.”
Aoife’s heart denied it, it wasn’t true.
“Aoife, do you remember a phrase you once said? You said you and Ethan had no relationship, is this what you meant by having no relationship? Living together, getting engaged, married, sleeping in the same bed, eating from the same bowl, and even having to have his child? Is the seed in your belly his?”