Chapter 39
ADELINA
I couldn’t sleep. I tried, but nothing worked. My phone stayed on loud, tucked against my chest like it could fill the space where he should’ve been. If I didn’t hear it ring, I’d at least feel it.
Cezar hadn’t responded since he said he had things to take care of. I knew exactly what that meant. I knew what he was walking back into. And there was nothing—absolutely nothing—I could do to help him yet.
I just needed more time.
This week was the longest week I’d had in a while. My bed looked as if it had fought in a war—sheets twisted, pillows on the floor. Eventually, I gave up and wandered into the kitchen.
Dorin was awake. That alone told me everything—he slept like a corpse unless he was worried. We exchanged a look, pretending not to understand.
“Why are you still up?” I asked, rummaging through the fridge just to keep my hands moving.
“Probably for the same reason you are. Fucking stupid, haven’t slept well since he left. What’s up with that, Lina?” Dorin shook his head, as if trying to dispel all thoughts of Cezar.
It was hard not to like Cezar, even when he made everything chaotic. We sat at the island, picking at leftovers Dorin had made the night before.
I wanted to call Cezar so badly my fingers jerked every few seconds, but if his father caught him, I’d make things worse.
I knew he’d be gone for a while, but I wanted him back now.
Tires screeched outside, the sound vibrating the silence. Headlights swept across the windows in a blinding wash of white. My heart jumped. Who the hell was showing up at this hour?
I checked my phone again—still nothing from Cezar. Whatever was happening out there, I doubted it was him.
Dorin and I moved together toward the front of the house where our men were already on alert. One look was all it took to recognize the vehicle. Codrin. Why the hell was it him?
I ran. I didn’t care about being half-dressed or that there might be danger waiting outside. The only thing that mattered was the moment the passenger door opened—and Cezar got out with the help of his brother.
This wasn’t the first time I’d seen him like this, but this time… it was more painful.
Using my body as a crutch for him to lean on, I grabbed his other arm. He grunted and tensed at the touch, which I attributed to soreness from the gunshot wound and other injuries I presumed he had.
Dorin and a few others helped us get him inside. The moment the warmth of the house hit us, the smell hit me too.
He reeked of blood.
We brought him into the kitchen. Dorin didn’t waste a second.
He already had supplies spread out across the counter.
Codrin and I lowered Cezar into a chair and helped him out of his coat.
Under the bright lights, the full horror came into view.
The blood soaking his clothes streaked across him like a crime scene.
What the fuck happened? It had never been this bad. I helped Dorin peel Cezar’s shirt off. I inhaled suddenly and covered my mouth, trying to conceal the pain I felt for Cezar in that moment. His skin had been shredded—raw, ripped open in jagged lines.
I suppressed the urge to cry. Dorin needed assistance, not my breakdown. I asked what I could do to help, then shifted to Cezar’s side again, studying his face. He wasn’t fully here—eyes distant, drifting somewhere far away.
Then I saw his shoulder. A deep puncture wound, soaking through and leaking down his body in thick, dark lines.
Behind us, Codrin retreated until he hit the wall. He collapsed on the floor, burying his face in his hands as quiet sobs wracked his body. He’d finally seen enough to understand just how brutal home could be for Cezar.
“Hey, you’re home now,” I whispered, skimming my hand along Cezar’s cheek. “Breathe for me. We’ll make it better.”
His gaze met mine, unfocused but clinging to me. He grabbed the front of my shirt and tugged until our foreheads touched. “It feels so good to be home, Petal.”
The tears welled up, but I pushed them aside, focusing on the task at hand.
Dorin guided me through what needed to be done.
We had to stitch nearly every inch of his back—deep, angry lashes with no rhythm, no restraint.
Not even the twisted precision his father usually forced. This time, it was pure brutality.
Eventually, Codrin pulled himself together and joined us. When Dorin cleaned the layers of dried blood, his expression shattered. Beneath the fresh wounds were old ones—scars layered over scars, a lifetime of suffering across his skin.
My men carefully lifted Cezar, and we got him to the bedroom.
Getting him settled took effort—his body was stiff and trembling, every shift drawing a muted wince—but eventually we managed to prop him into the most painless position we could find.
Dorin moved efficiently, setting up an IV now that the alcohol wasn’t clouding things.
The medication eased through his system, softening the tension in his jaw.
They all left the room, leaving Cezar in peace.
“You can sleep now, Zar. No one is going to hurt you tonight.” My voice barely carried, but he heard it.
His lips curved in the smallest, exhausted smile, and I pressed a kiss to his forehead.
After tucking the blankets around him, I forced myself to leave the room.
In the kitchen, most of the damage had been cleaned up. Dorin worked in silence alongside a couple of our men, and Codrin scrubbed the counter, relentlessly, like he could erase his guilt. Blood stained his cheeks from where he wiped the tears away. Mine weren’t any cleaner.
A heavy silence settled over the three of us as we sat there, reliving the details of Cezar’s suffering.
“I’ll change the dressings when he wakes up. Let me know when he’s up and moving, Lina. I’ll talk to you later.” Dorin walked away before everything that had happened could pull him under.
Codrin remained hunched over the counter, his voice thin and fraying at the edges. “Lina… it was our father, wasn’t it?”
“I think you know the answer to that, Codrin,” I replied, a trace of anger creeping into my tone.
How could they have been so fucking blind to the horrors that took place in that house?
Cezar hadn’t told me every little detail, but what he had shared and what I had seen was enough to fuel more hatred toward Viktor.
“I-I didn’t know… how could I have not known? But you have to believe me, I didn’t fucking know,” he pleaded, choking on his guilt.
“I’m not the one who needs convincing. He’s the one who’s endured—” I cut myself off. It wasn’t my story to tell. Codrin needed answers, but he’d have to pry them from his brother, not me.
“You knew. Why did you know when I didn’t?
Why wouldn’t he tell me? I could’ve helped him.
I could’ve done something. Why didn’t he come to me…
” He trailed a hand through his hair, quivering.
“He used to walk out of those rooms with blood on his hands. I always assumed it was training. I knew Father was harsh, I knew their relationship was shit, but not this. Not this level. And he never talks about it. Ever. Even when I try to ask, he shuts down. I didn’t think he was hiding something this bad. Fuck…”
“Codrin, he’s just trying to protect what he can,” I reassured him, understanding far too well what it was like to blame yourself for everything.
He stared at me with wet, desperate eyes. “What does that even mean? How bad is it? How much more is there? Please, Lina—I need to know.”
“You’ll have to talk to your brother. I’ve probably said more than I should have. You can stay here tonight if you want,” I offered, rising to leave. As I turned, he grabbed my arm.
“Thank you… for giving a damn about him,” he whispered, voice raw. He did love Cezar. That wasn’t the issue. The issue was how blind they’d been.
I eased out of his grip with a nod, too exhausted to carry his pain and mine. Sleep was calling, and this time, I’d wake up with Cezar beside me.