***

“Grace, are you feeling better?”

Her eyes fluttered open and she saw her husband’s face. A sigh of relief escaped her lips. She had feared that upon waking she would see Cajetan again.

She parted her lips to call his name, but her voice wouldn’t come out.

“Velenus…”

“How unfortunate that you fell ill while I was away,” he said, his face heavy with guilt as he sighed deeply.

She wanted to tell him it wasn’t his fault, but she didn’t have the strength. When Grace blinked slowly, he took the medicine that had been prepared at her bedside.

“Drink this and rest. I wasn’t even here to look after you when you were unwell. I’m a poor excuse for a husband.”

Grace had no words. None of this was her fault – it was all Cajetan’s. He had no doubt been waiting for the moment when Velenus was away.

He gently helped her up, carefully administering the bitter medicine.

“When you’re done, should I get someone to help you clean up?”

“What?”

“You’re drenched in sweat.”

“No, no, that’s not necessary.”

“Even so, you should change into fresh clothes -“

“I’ll do it myself!”

“You’re not feeling well. Let me call a maid to help you.”

“I said no!”

Her sharp outburst startled them both. Grace’s breath caught as she looked at Velenus, her chest tightening with guilt. She knew her reaction was too harsh, but she had no choice.

She couldn’t let anyone see her body, still marked with the damning evidence of what had happened. 

Pulling her sweat-soaked nightgown tighter around her, Grace avoided his gaze, her heart pounding in her chest. 

Velenus watched her in silence for a moment before offering a soft, understanding smile. He reached out and ran his hand gently down her back, his touch light and comforting. 

“There. It’s all right.”

‘It’s all right?’

The words echoed in her mind, twisting painfully. Nothing was all right. Not her body, not her mind, and certainly not her brother. Everything was in ruins. 

Why would Velenus, so ignorant of the truth, offer her such kind, comforting words? His comfort, meant to ease her worries, only deepened the pain in her heart.

How could she accept those words when her whole world felt like it was falling apart? 

Grace knew her frustration was misplaced, but she couldn’t stop the spiral of thoughts that consumed her. Anger bubbled up inside her, not at Velenus, but at herself – at her inability to speak the truth and escape the overwhelming despair that gripped her. 

“I’m sorry. I’m just…”

Velenus smiled, a gentle, understanding expression that made her hurt even more.

“It’s okay to be angry when you’re not feeling well. There’s no need to apologise,” he said quietly. “Maybe wiping your face will make you feel a little better.” 

With that, he took a handkerchief soaked in lukewarm water and began carefully wiping the sweat from her face. His tenderness was too much to bear – everything about him was so good, so perfect, except for the shadow Cajetan had cast over her peace. 

Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as Velenus continued, his touch gentle and meticulous. He moved to clean her hands and wrists with the same care, his every action deliberate and unhurried. 

When he was finished, he pressed a light kiss to her forehead and whispered for her to rest. Then, without another word, he quietly left the room, leaving her alone with the weight of her emotions. 

What could she do? The places where Cajetan had touched her still throbbed, as if his presence clung to her skin. Could she stay in bed and feign illness until the marks on her body disappeared? But what if he returned before they did? 

Her thoughts spiralled endlessly, each more suffocating than the last. Suddenly, the sound of the door opening cut through her confusion and she froze. 

Without turning, she spoke, her voice trembling slightly. “Velenus, I have something to tell you…” 

But the voice was not her husband’s. 

“Sister-in-law. I heard you were unwell, so I came to check on you.”

Her heart sank. It wasn’t Velenus – it was Cajetan.

The word sister-in-law made her whole body tense. 

“I met him outside,” Velenus explained. “I thought about sending him away, knowing that you might not feel up to visitors, but he insisted that he was just checking up on you…” 

“I insisted on coming in, sister-in-law. Are you all right?”

Cajetan’s voice was calm, but it carried an unsettling weight that sent a shiver down Grace’s spine. 

“I’m fine,” she stammered, her voice shaking as she struggled to steady herself. 

“Why are you sweating so much, sister-in-law?”

Cajetan asked as he approached, his deliberate, measured steps making her heart pound with fear. 

When he stopped at the edge of the bed and leaned down, Grace instinctively jumped back. 

“You were burning up inside yesterday. Are you still feverish?”

Grace’s eyes widened in shock. How could he say such a thing here, with his brother standing so close? 

“Or are you bedridden because it felt too good?”

“Stop… stop it.”

Grace choked out a sound and raised her arms to push him away, but Cajetan pinned her hand down easily, his grip unyielding. 

His action sent a wave of heat and fear through her, dragging her back to the haunting memories of the night before – his hands holding her wrists, the crushing weight of his body, the overwhelming force as he penetrated her so deeply that she felt it echo in her core. Even now, the dull ache in her p*ssy was a grim reminder of what had happened. Her breathing accelerated, erratic and uneven. 

“Are you aroused?”

The words were spoken with a smug certainty, as if he already knew the answer. Grace winced, her body betraying her as she struggled to suppress the emotions swirling inside her. Last night, and even now, she couldn’t escape him. 

“It’s not going to go the way you want.”

“No.”

Cajetan replied, his tone brimming with brazen confidence, without hesitation.

“It will go exactly the way I want.” 

“Cajetan.”

Perhaps sensing that the conversation was dragging on, Velenus stepped closer, his presence breaking the tension. 

“Sister-in-law looks beautiful even when she’s unwell, doesn’t she, brother?”

“You are something else.”

Velenus replied with a gentle laugh, dismissing the comment as a lighthearted joke. But to Grace, the words were anything but innocent. Her fists clenched tightly at her sides, her nails digging into the palms of her hands. 

“I remember she seemed fine at dinner. Did something happen that night?”

Cajetan asked casually, though there was an unmistakable weight behind his words. 

“What?”

Velenus blinked. His confusion was obvious. 

“She became suddenly ill this morning, so I couldn’t help but worry.”

Cajetan added, his tone laced with feigned concern that only added to Grace’s unease. 

What was he trying to say? Grace’s body trembled as a wave of fear washed over her, the walls closing in around her. Unable to hold back her fear any longer, she blurted out urgently.

“Last night…” 

The voice that had groaned through the night now cracked, dry and unsteady. 

“Did something happen during the night? Sister-in-law, perhaps you had an unexpected visitor? Just a thought.”

Cajetan whispered, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. 

Grace’s gaze burned with suppressed anger as her eyes locked with his. But Cajetan showed no sign of guilt or remorse, meeting her gaze with defiant confidence. His expression dared her to speak, silently taunting her: Go on, say it if you can. Who do you think they’re going to believe? 

“A visitor… has come.”

Grace finally said, her voice shaking as she clutched the blanket tightly in her hands. 

“A visitor?”

Velenus’ eyes widened slightly, surprise flickering across his face. 

This was her chance – perhaps the only one she would ever get. Her heart pounded as the weight of the moment settled over her. If she didn’t speak now, if she let this moment slip away, there was no guarantee that Cajetan wouldn’t violate her peace again. 

‘I have to tell him.’

Even Cajetan seemed to be provoking her, his gaze challenging her to confess. Grace bit down hard on her lip, her mind spinning with confusion.

Could she tell the truth? That she had been r*ped? That despite her horror, her body had betrayed her and she had found unwanted pleasure in her husband’s brother? The words caught in her throat, impossible to say. 

“I must have left the window open.”

No. She couldn’t. She couldn’t tell the truth. The weight of what was at stake – her dignity, her marriage, her very future – was too much to bear. 

For now, silence was her only refuge, the only shield she had against the suffocating reality of her situation.