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"Shut the fuck up, you crazy fucking bitch," he snarls, pressing his head against mine until we're cheek to cheek and I'm pinned against the wall. "That's my daughter and she's more important and precious than you ever could imagine. And I won't let some waste of life scumbag change that, you hear me?"

"I know all about your plans to marry her to Boris," I yell back, pushing against the wall to try and dislodge him. When that doesn't work, I throw my head back into his face and my skull collides with his cheekbone.

"She's a child! And you want to marry her to that monster!"

"Daddy, what is she talking about?"

Illyana's question seems to unlock something within Leo. He yells in rage and grabs me by the waist, hauling me away from the wall and throwing me over the bed to the other side of the room.

"Daddy, stop!" Illyana screams. "Stop! You're hurting her!"

I land in a heap, wincing as the bruises from the crash all flare up with an overwhelming throb that takes over my chest. I gasp for air as hands grab me and Leo's men drag me to my feet.

"Get her the fuck out of here," Leo snarls.

"You have to believe me, Illyana!" I yell as I'm dragged, kicking and twisting, out of the room. "Ask him about Boris! Ask him! I love you!"

It's the last thing I get to say to her before I'm dragged into the hall. The last thing I hear is her doing just that, demanding to know if she's getting married in between waspish, weak coughs.

Did I do too much?

Have I ruined things?

It doesn't matter now. She knows. Maybe she will believe me. Maybe she won't.

The guards stop dragging me once I'm away from her room and Mario stands in front of me with Mandy hurrying up the hall toward us. He regards me with a look of disgust, then he backhands me across the face, once, twice, three times until my head and jaw throb together and blood drools from my lower lip.

"You twisted, foolish cunt," he spits at me through gritted teeth. "You could have walked away from this with your life. You could have gone on to live your mundane, chef future without a second thought. What makes you think there is anything in you capable of mothering a child, hmm? You have no claim on her."

"I'm the only one with a claim," I gasp, leaning forward as the guards support me by holding my arms. "You stole her from me. I never gave up my claim."

"Didn't you?" Mario feigns confusion. "These past ten years, where were you?"

"At least I would have been there if I'd known." My tongue dances around my mouth and gathers up the blood, then I spit it right in his face. "You abandoned your grandson because you're foolish. This brings you to New York, but not your family?"

I grin, embracing that this is likely my last chance to say or do anything.

"Kill me, for all I care. I did the right thing. She won't stop asking questions now."

"She will." Mario accepts a pristine white handkerchief from Mandy and dabs at my blood and spit on his face. "The deranged ravings of a crazy woman are easily explained away, Sabina. We did it once before when she was born. We can do it again."

"Bring her to me," Mandy says coldly, and she reaches into her pocket as the men around me slide their hands and arms around my body, trapping my arms against my sides.

One sinks his hand into my hair and jerks my head to the side, exposing my neck while Mandy pulls a needle from her pocket.

"You won't get away with this," I yelp, fighting with all the strength I have left. "You can't treat people like this and get away with it! You can't!"

"My poor dear." Mario sighs with a sickly sweet smile that vanishes into his mustache. "You forget that here, we make the rules."

His face is the last thing I see when Mandy plunges the needle into my neck. Within seconds, my limbs grow relaxed and limp and darkness descends as one last thought echoes desperately through my mind.

Find me, Cassian.

Please.

32

CASSIAN