Second Time's a Charm (MxM)✔

Chapter 28 - The Choice is Yours

Lena Duclair was worse for wear as she sat in the same clothes she'd worn the day she left the manor. The once vibrant colors were now stained a grimy brown and grey, from god knows what as she slouched in her confines, unmoving save for an occasional ragged breath.

Cain had done some further digging into her background once he'd learned of her scheme to join the Duclair family. As it turned out, before going bankrupt, her father had spoiled her rotten and spent every penny he could on her happiness. In many ways, it was her fault that her family had lost its fortune since, as a young girl, she refused to hold back on any of her lavish living expenses long enough for her father to recover from debt. Had he managed to at least do that, then the interest wouldn't have piled up and the collectors wouldn't have taken away all of her family assets.

These past few weeks were the first time she'd ever experienced anything other than luxury in her life.

The woman was weak from malnutrition and hadn't seen daylight in ages. She didn't even bother to lift her head as Cain approached.

Tonight, he didn't wear his mask and stood before her. When she did not attempt to look up, he decided to unshackle her without a word, allowing her to crumple to the dirty floor.

Cain reveled in the way she crawled along the ground, unsteadily raising herself off the muck as she finally turned her eyes upwards towards her captor.

At first, she didn't seem to recognize Cain, but after a moment she let out a hoarse laugh, as though in disbelief. "Wh...What is this...?" She gasped, then let out a coughing fit.

Cain waited patiently as she struggled to clear her throat. When she did, she sat upright, taking in the sight of her hated son-in-law.

"I hope you've enjoyed your stay." He started. "You're the first official guest to my grand estate, so I thought I'd give you a room fitting your disposition."

She began shaking her head, her breathing coming more urgently as she found the strength to defiantly point up at him. "You did this!" She shouted, then broke down coughing again.

"Of course I did. I'm a very capable person, despite how hard you, my father, and that bastard son of yours tried to hold me back."

"When I *cough* get out of *cough!* here!" She could barely finish the sentence as every word she spoke scratched her throat, making her coughing fit worse.

"Oh, you won't be getting out of here." Cain knelt to her level, folding his hands and making direct eye contact. "You remember when I ran away all those years ago and got kidnapped by ruffians? They took me to a cottage in the woods and put me in a place just like this. Chained me to the back wall and didn't feed me for days while they waited on you and father to pay the ransom. Do you know what they showed me? The letter you had sent, telling them I was '-not worth the money.'" He made air quotes.

The woman stopped coughing and glared at him as he continued.

"I was pretty upset. I was only twelve at the time and had still thought that somewhere deep down my parents might love me at least a little bit. But I was stupid and naive. Especially because the two of you had conspired to murder my mother."

"I don't...*cough* know what you're talking about!" 

"Oh...So I guess my spy must have misheard. I could have sworn you were going to use that same poison on me." He put a finger to his chin in fake thought.

The woman shook her head, her knotted hair making her look like some crazed lunatic rather than a chained-up noble. It was quite picturesque. "William will find me. Or Andrew. They won't rest until I'm rescued, and I'll tell them everything."