As soon as Richard left, Reshma quietly made her way upstairs. Her face was filled with anxiety and restlessness. Mentally preparing herself for Elizabeth's horrifying condition, she let out a heavy breath before stepping inside.
But what she saw was even more devastating than she had imagined.
Reshma sighed deeply and carefully helped the injured Elizabeth freshen up. The freezing cold water made Elizabeth's frail body tremble violently.
Reshma brought another comforter and wrapped it tightly around her. Elizabeth's body felt as cold as the ice of the Himalayas. There was no expression left on her face. For a few moments, Reshma silently stared at her pale, bloodless face. Her deep pink lips had turned colorless, and dark circles had completely taken over the skin beneath her eyes over the past few days.
For some reason, Elizabeth's empty gaze pierced Reshma's heart.
Suddenly, Reshma pulled her up into a sitting position. Elizabeth didn't resist at all. She only looked at Reshma with an innocent, childlike expression.
Reshma's voice trembled with hesitation, but she still gathered the courage to say,
"You should run away from this hell, Madam."
Elizabeth gave a faint smile in return and asked softly,
"Is there any way out?"
Immediately, Reshma stood up and rushed toward the terrace. Through the glass wall, she looked outside and saw the blurry outline of a dense forest stretching endlessly into the distance. Below, armed guards dressed in black patrolled the area.
Everything was under Richard's control—Reshma knew that very well.
Even so, her heart twisted painfully. She couldn't bear watching a girl suffer this much.
She returned and sat beside Elizabeth again. Holding Elizabeth's cheeks gently in both hands, she said in a tearful voice,
"If you stay here, you'll die."
In this cruel life full of struggles, that tiny bit of sympathy and soft affection—free from selfishness, brutality, and violence—felt heavenly. It held nothing but warmth, care, and selfless love.
And under the shelter of that love, Elizabeth could no longer hold herself together.
All the pain she had locked deep inside finally burst out like a broken river upon Reshma's chest.
At first, Reshma was startled, but she quickly composed herself. With gentle affection, she stroked Elizabeth's head softly.
But Elizabeth couldn't calm down.
She broke into heart-wrenching sobs, crying uncontrollably. Those tears weren't just tears—they were years of pain, suffering, and wounds overflowing like a flood.
In Reshma's embrace, Elizabeth seemed to find a lost sanctuary. A paradise where all sorrows melted away, leaving behind only warmth and unconditional care.
"Done crying?"
What an unbelievably gentle voice.
Feeling a strange warmth spread through her chest, Elizabeth slowly lifted her head from Reshma's embrace and looked at her face. A kind smile rested on Reshma's lips.
Elizabeth's throat tightened again as she whispered weakly,
"Do you know… I've been starving for a loving touch like this for years? After so many years… I finally felt the warmth of a mother's embrace."
Elizabeth's tearful voice pierced straight into Reshma's heart.
Wiping the tears from Elizabeth's flushed face with soft hands, Reshma asked gently,
"You don't have a mother?"
"I don't know."
Reshma frowned in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
A shadow of sadness clouded Elizabeth's face. The childlike innocence that had briefly appeared disappeared instantly. Her crying gradually subsided as she turned her gaze away.
Seeing the darkness in Elizabeth's expression, Reshma hurriedly changed the subject and asked in a soft voice,
"Does it hurt?"
Elizabeth smiled through her tears.
"Even though my body looks soft like cotton, I'm very strong inside. I can endure pain. You'll see—I won't even get a fever."
Reshma was genuinely surprised. She had been certain that after so many wounds and such brutal torture, Elizabeth would definitely develop a fever.
But Elizabeth's body temperature was completely normal.
Seeing Reshma lost in thought, Elizabeth suddenly chuckled softly.
That smile dazzled Reshma.
It was the first time she had seen Elizabeth smile.
Could someone's smile really be this beautiful?
Mesmerized, Reshma kept staring at her. Without realizing it, a smile appeared on her own lips as well.
"Some people are completely different inside from what they appear to be outside. Human nature is a mysterious puzzle."
But Reshma barely heard those words.
All she could see was Elizabeth's soft, breathtaking smile.
For the first time, Reshma could somewhat understand why Richard had kidnapped her. And why he kept Elizabeth forcefully by his side while forbidding everyone else from even approaching her.
During these past two days, Reshma had realized that although Richard was extremely cruel, he wasn't obsessed with women.
Perhaps even his savage, psychotic mind had become captivated by this enchanting, delicate woman.
Still dazed, Reshma hurriedly said,
"You're unbelievably beautiful, Madam. Um… what exactly is the relationship between you and Sir?"
"Relationship?"
Elizabeth let out a strange laugh.
Then, with a mocking smile and a cold voice, she replied,
"A mistress. Your Sir bought me for twenty-five lakhs."
"Twenty-five lakhs is nothing compared to your beauty. I think—"
"Reshma Ma."
Reshma froze.
She looked at the strange girl in shock.
Elizabeth stared at her with desperate eyes. Tears overflowed from her gaze and rolled down her cheeks. Those watery eyes wanted to say so much, yet the lump in her throat wouldn't allow the words to come out.
With a broken voice, she finally asked,
"Can I call you Reshma Ma?"
Reshma's eyes filled with tears as well. Her eyelids trembled continuously.
She couldn't say a single word.
Instead, she tightly pulled Elizabeth into her embrace.
Finding comfort against Reshma's chest, Elizabeth burst into tears once more.
After so many years, she had finally found warmth again.
And in that warmth, the mountain of pain and regret inside her slowly began to melt away.
Thus, for a few precious moments, the two emotionally exhausted women became bound together in the fragile yet beautiful bond of mother and daughter.
Reshma gently combed through Elizabeth's messy red hair with her fingers and tied it neatly into a bun. Then she brought a bowl of oil.
The moment Elizabeth saw it, she scrunched up her nose.
"What's that? Why?"
Reshma sat behind her with the bowl and began massaging oil carefully into her scalp.
"Sir told me to take care of your hair."
At the mention of him, Elizabeth's jaw tightened instantly.
The image of that monster flashed before her eyes—the savage face, the strong jaw, the terrifying man called Richard.
Disgust poisoned her mind instantly.
Night had completely swallowed the sky.
The rulers of darkness now dominated the heavens, and the world had drowned beneath thick shadows. Tonight, unlike other nights, there were no shining stars beside the moon. It looked as if rain was coming soon; thunder rumbled repeatedly in the distance.
Since the terrace doors were sealed with glass, very little sound or wind entered the room from outside.
And then, as if on cue, the sky finally broke into heavy rain.
Every crash of thunder made Elizabeth's body tremble violently.
Reshma had fed her dinner and medicine long ago before leaving, yet sleep still refused to come.
Elizabeth remained busy trying to solve the complicated equations of her life. But no matter how much she thought, she could never find the answers.
Like an unsolved algebra problem, every formula led only to mistakes and emptiness.
The harsh truths of life crossed out all her wrong calculations like bold red lines on paper. Again and again, they struck her mind like the loud ringing of a school bell, reminding her mercilessly—
You are wrong.
You failed to find the right answer.
Even after her tears dried, her eyes became wet once more.
The luxurious room glowed faintly beneath the slanted light reflecting from the dragon painting on the wall.
Suddenly, Richard entered the room completely drenched from the rain.
Pure drops of rainwater trickled down from his sinful body.
Elizabeth had been deeply lost in thought until the light turned on. Startled, she looked up—and instantly trembled in fear at the sight of him.
Quickly, she wrapped the comforter tightly around herself.
Richard glanced at her briefly with his unreadable eyes before walking straight toward the cabinet.
Opening the third shelf revealed an expensive collection of liquor. Rows of alcohol bottles, drugs, and injections filled the entire section.
Elizabeth's eyes widened.
In all these days, she hadn't touched a single thing in this room. Whatever Reshma gave her to wear, she silently wore it.
Seeing so many bottles made it feel less like a bedroom and more like a private bar.
Uncontrolled rage clung to Richard's face.
Fuming with anger, he grabbed a bottle of wine and skillfully uncorked it with a sharp twist between his teeth. Then, using his left hand, he poured the wine directly over the bleeding wound on the back of his other hand.
Richard clenched his jaw tightly, forcing himself to endure the pain.
Elizabeth's eyes widened in horror.
A soft gasp escaped her lips as she covered her mouth with both hands.
Hearing the sound, Richard turned toward her. Irritation creased his forehead, but when he saw the fear in her eyes, a crooked smile slowly appeared on his lips.
The remaining wine in the bottle disappeared down his throat in one long gulp. His rough Adam's apple moved sharply with every swallow.
His wet shirt clung tightly to his body. The rain had made his pale skin glow even brighter. His skin shone the way a child's skin glistens after a warm morning bath with lotion applied afterward.
Even this savage monster looked dangerously attractive now.
And yet, inside this handsome man, there was no heart left.
Long ago, it had burned to ashes in the wildfire of cruelty and violence.
With that same crooked smile, Richard slowly walked toward Elizabeth.
Fearfully, she shrank back.
Still drenched, Richard sat down on the bed and pulled a first-aid box from the bedside drawer. Opening it, he took out bandages before calling out,
"Red."
The coldness in his voice sent a violent storm through Elizabeth's chest. Her entire body trembled uncontrollably.
For the second time, Richard spoke in that chillingly calm tone,
"Come closer, Red."
Elizabeth froze.
She knew this calm Richard was only a mask hiding the monstrous beast beneath. Disobeying him meant awakening that savage side again.
Swallowing hard, she nervously stepped closer.
By then, Richard had already removed the ring from his finger and placed it beside the bed.
As Elizabeth approached, a faint smile curved on his lips, though it never reached his eyes.
He extended the first-aid box toward her.
Elizabeth looked at him nervously.
Richard raised an eyebrow, signaling her to dress his wound.
This time, Elizabeth looked carefully at his hand. A deep slash ran diagonally across the back of it, likely from a sharp knife.
Someone's last day must have come today.
Blood still poured endlessly from the wound.
Her body shivered. Her hands trembled badly.
To Richard, however, it looked nothing more than childish weakness.
Suddenly, he grabbed Elizabeth's hand and pressed it directly against the bleeding wound.
Elizabeth flinched and jerked away instantly.
Seeing Richard's dangerous gaze, her chest tightened in fear.
Taking several deep breaths to steady herself, she slowly approached again.
With trembling hands, she cleaned the blood carefully using cotton.
The wound was terribly deep, yet Richard's expression remained completely emotionless.
Without blinking, he stared at Elizabeth—more specifically, at her shaking hands.
"If you want to stay with a gangster, you'll have to accept blood as your lifelong companion."
Elizabeth's throat tightened painfully.
Still, she forced herself to whisper,
"I don't want to stay."
A dark flicker passed through Richard's psychotic mind, yet his voice remained calm and cold.
"You have no choice, Red. You'll stay. And you'll stay with me."
His immediate response shattered something inside her.
Elizabeth bit her lip hard, desperately trying to suppress her tears.
Suddenly, Richard's eyes landed on a small wildflower placed on top of the cabinet.
His jaw hardened instantly.
With burning eyes, he turned toward Elizabeth.
"Where did that flower come from?"
"Reshma Ma brought it from outside."
Richard already knew the maid's name, yet his anger didn't lessen at all.
Grinding his teeth, he asked,
"Who gave permission to bring outside things into my room?"
"I just thought the room looked bett—"
Before she could finish, Richard suddenly attacked without warning.
Startled, Elizabeth instinctively grabbed onto his shirt collar.
With one sharp pull, Richard dragged her into his chest.
One arm wrapped tightly around her waist and back, trapping her completely against him.
Elizabeth trembled violently.
The dark scent of his perfume filled her senses heavily.
Unable to withstand the heat of his breath, she squeezed her eyes shut.
Then suddenly, Richard buried his face into her neck.
He inhaled her scent deeply, greedily.
At the touch of his wet body, every nerve beneath Elizabeth's skin awakened with shivers.
But suddenly, an idea crossed her mind.
Slowly, she moved closer to him on purpose.
Even closer.
A crooked smile appeared on Richard's lips at her unexpected behavior, though he didn't stop. Instead, he continued placing soft kisses across her delicate neck.
Elizabeth silently endured every chaotic touch.
Carefully, she tried reaching for the gun tucked into Richard's waist—
But before she could touch it, a sharp pain exploded across her face.
She cried out and fell backward onto the floor.
Fresh blood dripped from her lips.
Flames blazed within Richard's ocean-blue eyes, yet his expression remained eerily calm.
Wiping the blood from his own lips with the back of his hand, he leaned over her again.
Elizabeth pressed her hand against her bleeding mouth.
Grabbing her chin harshly, Richard growled like a wild beast,
"You can try tricks all you want. But before you do, remember who you're dealing with, my fucking Dark Red."
Just like always, he threw her aside and stormed into the bathroom.
Elizabeth let out a broken sigh and closed her eyes against the emptiness inside her chest.
Like a defeated traveler, she had collapsed in the middle of the road once again.
A sharp pain throbbed in her lower abdomen. Biting her lips, she curled against the bed while clutching her stomach tightly.
After a long cold shower, Richard stepped out while drying his hair with a towel.
Wrapped tightly in the comforter, Elizabeth was staring blankly at Richard's ring lying beside the bed.
The moment she sensed his presence, she quickly hid herself beneath the comforter.
Richard smirked.
Throwing the towel onto the couch, he pulled another wine bottle from the cabinet and drawled in a husky voice,
"Do you like that, Red?"
No answer came.
Richard hadn't expected one anyway.
Taking the bottle, he walked straight toward the open terrace. Water still dripped from his wet hair. Dressed in a black night suit, he stood beneath the open sky, staring silently into the dark forest while finishing the entire bottle alone.
Then he returned to the room with heavy footsteps.
The moment he lay down, he pulled Elizabeth toward him beneath the comforter in one forceful motion.
Fear exploded inside her.
Elizabeth struggled desperately to escape him. Her heartbeat became erratic, tears pouring endlessly from her eyes.
But the moment Richard looked at her coldly, her struggling weakened.
In a trembling voice, she whispered,
"No… please… I'm on my peri—"
She couldn't even finish.
Without concern, Richard clapped his hands once.
Instantly, the room went dark.
Then he pulled her closer again and buried his face into her neck before falling asleep without another word.
Elizabeth froze in shock.
She even forgot how to breathe.
Richard's entire weight rested heavily on top of her, suffocating her completely. But she couldn't push him away.
After an exhausting mission and too much alcohol, Richard had fallen asleep almost immediately.
No matter how hard she tried, Elizabeth couldn't move him even an inch.
Finally giving up, she lay still beneath him and stared blankly at the ceiling.
Once again, she tried solving the unresolved equations of her life.
Richard was the first man who had touched her this closely… the first man who had taken everything from her.
And he was nothing but a ruthless monster.
A man with no heart left inside him.
What would the end of all this be?
Thinking endlessly about such questions, Elizabeth eventually drifted into sleep as well.
The strong antibiotics made Elizabeth sleep far longer than usual.
When she finally woke up, Richard was gone.
A relieved breath escaped her lips.
Slowly trying to sit up, she attempted to shake away her exhaustion. But the moment her feet touched the floor, unbearable pain spread throughout her body.
She trembled violently.
Her pale face turned bluish as she began taking long, shaky breaths through parted lips. Tears gathered in her eyes from the pain.
Trying to calm herself, she looked around absentmindedly—
And suddenly froze.
Her eyes widened in disbelief as they landed on the terrace.
She rubbed her eyes several times.
But no… this wasn't imagination.
It was real.
After five endless days beneath dark storm clouds, sunlight had finally returned to the sky.
Golden rays spread brilliantly across the world.
For one brief moment, Elizabeth forgot all her pain and simply stared at the light.
Without realizing it, a peaceful smile appeared on her lips.
With trembling eyes, she looked toward the terrace again.
The once dry and lifeless place had transformed into a paradise of flowers.
The entire terrace overflowed with colorful blossoms. Not a single empty space remained.
It looked as though someone had poured all their care and affection into creating this garden.
Every flower seemed to whisper one thing—
No restraint. No holding back. Only endless generosity in beauty.
Elizabeth's eyes sparkled brightly.
But the surprises weren't over yet.
The moment her gaze shifted toward the floor, her heartbeat nearly stopped.
The entire floor was covered in red roses.
The dark-themed tiles had disappeared beneath an ocean of crimson petals.
Elizabeth still couldn't believe her eyes.
On a peaceful, sunlight-soaked morning like this… such a massive surprise felt completely unreal.
Lost within the breathtaking beauty surrounding her, she simply stared in astonishment.