"Hallucinations?"
"Yes, you know... I hope what I'm about to tell you doesn't leave this office. It could seriously damage my sister's reputation, but she... she's very sick."
Eris clenched her fists, lowering her head to keep her composure. She couldn't move, couldn't speak. No one could see how badly she trembled, caught between anger and fear. She knew Aleksi was her last chance to escape, but her body still remembered all too clearly the punishments for asking for help. She could barely breathe, and everything felt hopeless like she was stuck in an endless loop.
"It's hard for her to eat. Sometimes we must lock her up to keep her from hurting herself or others. Even some of the maids have been affected by her."
Kyle continued, and with every word, Eris' hopes of escaping started to slip away, one by one.
"And does she have medical documentation to back this up?"
"Yes, of course. Our family doctor has been treating her since our parents were alive, may they rest in peace."
"But even so, you made her create perfumes?"
"No. She does it on her own. It's in our blood. We were born with the gift of essence. We can't escape our fate."
Eris opened her mouth to argue, to shout, or at least try something, but no sound came out. When she attempted to step forward, Sabrina hugged her tightly, her hands firm on Eris' shoulders.
"We're sorry if our girl offended you in any way. She still has a childlike mentality. Her moods change constantly."
Aleksi remained silent, evaluating the accusations. Every second felt like a life-or-death judgment. Finally, he spoke:
"I understand."
And in that moment, Eris felt as if the ground was giving way beneath her. It was over.
"I'll stay here for a few days while I pick the perfume. I hope that's alright."
"Of course," Kyle replied, smiling alongside Sabrina.
Eris was locked in her room after speaking with Aleksi. She wasn't invited to dinner, but that worked against Kyle because Aleksi called her right after the meal.
The maids dragged her to the bath without saying a word. Only the head maid mentioned that Aleksi had requested to see her.
Eris didn't make things difficult. They all shared a bond of pain, a quiet understanding of what it meant to be invisible. There was no room for catharsis in their eyes or their gestures. Only obligation: follow, act, do what was asked to avoid something worse.
They bathed her quickly but with care. Her body, marked by invisible scars, was so exhausted that she didn't even realize how much time had passed. She should have appreciated the rare baths she was given, but everything she touched, no matter how luxurious, only reminded her of the cruelty that awaited her.
When they were done, they dressed her in elegant clothes that felt too tight, too uncomfortable. Every piece of fabric, every jewel, every accessory reminded her that she had lost control of her body.
The makeup was another reminder of how she had been transformed, turned into a puppet, a doll with no will of her own and "sick." The disguise of a lady only made her feel further disconnected from who she truly was. She stared at her reflection in the mirror and didn't recognize herself. She wasn't the terrified girl who had come to this mansion, nor the "perfumer" who once dreamed of being more. She was simply a woman dressed as someone she would never be.
Back in the lobby, the maids led her toward her meeting with Alpha Aleksi.
Eris sighed, feeling defeated. She didn't know what role she was supposed to play now in this twisted game of power and control. Was she the crazy one, as her brother claimed? Should she appeal to Aleksi's sense of justice, and beg him to rescue her?
The maids pushed her forward. With her head lowered, Eris felt the weight of the world pressing on her shoulders. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as she walked toward Aleksi's office. There was no turning back now.
Every step made her feel smaller, more insignificant. And when she finally stepped inside, the room was dark, lit only by the desk lamp and the moonlight filtering through the window, casting long shadows on the walls.
She paused and looked around the room. She was familiar with the trick by now, so she stood in silence, waiting, searching for the monster she was supposed to face with a smile that never reached her eyes.
Soon, she felt his presence. She looked toward the library.
There he was: Aleksi. His imposing presence, the cold authority in his gaze, and the calm of someone used to power were unmistakable. There was no doubt he was everything her brother had warned her about a ruthless Alpha. But could someone like him understand her? Could he save her?
He studied her with the same intense gaze, a man accustomed to measuring others with just a look. When he spoke, it was to the point, without hesitation.
"So, you're crazy?" His voice resonated, deep and commanding. There was no kindness in his tone, only judgment.
Eris stood before him, struggling to find the words. Her mind clouded with fear, but the phrase she had prepared finally surfaced, like a last wish before death.
"It's not true... It's a trick my family set up to deceive outsiders... I've told you the truth. I can cure you. But in exchange, you need to take me with you... You've seen how they treat me here."
The silence in the room grew heavy, suffocating. Aleksi's gray eyes never left her, cold and calculating, as if peeling back the layers of her every word. He studied her for a long time, his gaze intense, deciphering every movement of her body.
"Where's your proof?"