August's eyes fluttered open, her body weighed down by exhaustion. She blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the dim light filtering through the curtains. Her heart raced as her gaze shifted to Aiden beside her. He was still asleep, his chest rising and falling rhythmically. She reached out to touch him, hoping his warmth would ground her—but the cold, stinging sensation on her wrist reminded her of the bruises. The marks were there, purple and angry. It wasn't a dream. It had been real—every sickening, humiliating second of it.

A soft knock interrupted her spiral. The door creaked open, and a maid entered, bowing slightly. "Miss August," she said softly, "Masters have requested your presence downstairs."

August's heart lurched in her chest. Her stomach twisted in knots at the thought of seeing them again—the devils who had taken everything from her. Disgust and fear tangled inside her, but she knew that refusing them wasn't an option.Last night's incident had carved such terror on her soul that even if she didn't want to she had too.

She descended the stairs, her legs trembling with each step, feeling as though she were walking towards her own execution. As she entered the hall, the brothers turned to look at her, their eyes gleaming with amusement. She could feel the heat of their stares as though they were dissecting her piece by piece. The sheer disgust burning in her gaze only seemed to fuel their amusement.

"Did you sleep well, little dove?" Elijah's voice slithered through the air like a serpent, a smirk playing on his lips as he leaned back casually in his chair.

August said nothing, her lips pressed into a thin line. Her silence seemed to amuse him even more.

"Well, I slept like a baby," Elijah continued,looking at his fingers playfully as though savoring a sweet victory.

"Don't tease my darling, Eli," Alexander's voice came from the side, sharp and mocking. "That's a very bad thing to do." He rose from his seat, his movements slow and deliberate, like a predator stalking its prey. As he approached her, August instinctively backed away, but one cold glare from him stopped her in her tracks.

He reached out, his fingers tracing her cheek in a mocking caress. "What happened last night must have upset you, darling. So, we decided to cheer you up." His tone was sweet, sickeningly so, like poison wrapped in honey.

August's heart pounded in her chest.

What was he playing at now?

"We actually realized it was rather bad of us to keep you and Aiden here. So, we've decided to let you both go."

Her breath caught in her throat. Let us go? The disbelief clouded her thoughts. Surely, this had to be another cruel trick. She searched Alexander's face for any sign of sincerity, but all she saw was that same chilling smile, the kind that had haunted her nightmares.

"I... You're letting us go?" she asked, her voice trembling with uncertainty.

"Looks like my doll doesn't want to leave us after all," Lucian's voice cut through the air like a blade. He approached her, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Did last night make you want more of us? Do you want a repeat of that, doll?" His fingers traced her lips, sending a violent shudder down her spine.

August recoiled from his touch, nausea rising in her throat.

"Tsk, tsk, Ian. She's not ready for you... not yet," Elijah chuckled, the sound low and dark.

"Shut up, both of you," Alexander snapped, his voice cold. August's eyes shifted to him, trying to understand his game. There was something brewing behind his eyes, something dangerous.

He stepped closer to her, his eyes gleaming with that cruel amusement. "Now, darling, as I said, we're letting you go. Ian, go and call the man. What was his name again?" He turned to August, his smile sending ice through her veins. "Max?"

Her heart dropped. Max. Her breath came faster, panic setting in. She remembered the last time she had seen him, the only other person she thought she could trust.

"What have you done to him?" August's voice trembled as she stepped forward, desperation lacing her words. "What did you do to Max?"

"Calm down, dove." Elijah's voice was almost soothing, though it dripped with mockery. "Why do you always think of us as though we're monsters?" He chuckled darkly, but his words only confirmed her deepest fears. That's exactly what they were—monsters. Devils wearing human skin.

Before she could protest further, Lucian entered the room, and with him was Max.

August's breath hitched in her throat. She ran to him, her hands trembling as she tried to touch him, to make sure he was okay. "Max, are you alright? They didn't hurt you, right?" Her voice was frantic as her hands fluttered over his arms, checking for any sign of harm.

Lucian's hand shot out, grabbing her wrist with a bruising grip. "I assume you don't like your bones intact" he hissed, his voice low and menacing.

"Let her go, Ian. We haven't tell her the rules yet" Alexander's voice was soft, almost bored, as he sat back down on the couch beside Elijah. "Moreover, it's her savior."

Max's face was blank, his eyes devoid of emotion as he stood there, stiff and unresponsive. August's stomach twisted. Something was terribly wrong.

"Max, you can take August and Aiden with you." Alexander's lips curled into a smug smile as he sauntered over to the couch, sitting beside Elijah like a king on his throne.

August stood frozen, confusion and disbelief swirling inside her like a storm.

What was going on?

"C'mon Max take them" Elijah mocked.

"Ohh but before you take them, make me a quick coffee" Elijah commanded. August looked at him disbelief but what stunned her more was Max following his command.

As August watched Max follow Elijah's command without hesitation, something inside her snapped. The disbelief in her eyes morphed into fury, raw and untamed. How could he obey them so easily? This wasn't the Max she knew.

She couldn't take it anymore.

"What the hell have you done to him?" she shouted, her voice echoing through the room as she glared at the brothers. Her chest rose and fell with each breath, her pulse racing. "What did you do to him? Are you blackmailing him? Threatening him?"

Elijah's lazy smirk only deepened as he met her gaze, clearly amused by her outburst. "Blackmail, dove? You really think we'd waste our time on something so... pedestrian? Tsk, tsk." He smirked as Max poured him some coffee, letting the silence hang in the air for a beat too long. "Max here made his decision all on his own."

August whipped her head toward Max, her heart pounding with confusion and betrayal. "Max?" she whispered, a pleading edge to her voice. "What's going on? Why are you doing this? What did they use against you?" She searched his face for a trace of the man she used to trust, praying she'd find something, anything, that would explain this nightmare.

"Answer me!" she demanded, desperation leaking into her voice as she stepped closer. "Did they threaten you? Are they holding something over your head? Is that why you're helping them?"

Elijah's laughter rang through the room, sharp and cruel. "What did we do? Oh, sweetheart, it's always the same, isn't it?" His eyes gleamed with malice as he leaned forward. "Money."

August's stomach churned in disgust, her eyes darting between the brothers, trying to make sense of the nightmare that was unfolding before her.

"Money?" she echoed, her voice filled with venomous disbelief.

"That's right," Lucian said, his smirk never fading. "We offered this man more than he could ever dream of. A couple billion, give or take. Turned him into our loyal dog."

"Look at him, August. Isn't it beautiful? How quickly loyalty crumbles when the right price is offered?" He tilted his head, a devilish smirk playing at his lips. "Though, I have to admit, Max was easier to break than I thought."

Her heart shattered at Lucian's words. She turned to Max, walking toward him as if somehow, standing closer, she could snap him out of this twisted spell. She stared into his eyes, her voice trembling as she whispered, "Max... Tell me they're lying."

She shook her head, tears stinging her eyes. "Max, please," she begged softly, "look at me. Say something."

Max's eyes flickered, but the blankness remained. "No... they're not lying," he said, his voice cold and detached. "They let me take over Noah's wealth—"

His words were cut off by the sound of August's hand connecting with his face. The sharp crack echoed through the room, and everyone froze.

"Noah considered you his family," she spat, her voice trembling with fury. "He trusted you. I trusted you. And you betrayed us—for money?"

Her fingers clenched into fists, shaking as she grabbed his collar, her fury boiling over. But before she could say more, Lucian's hand grabbed her wrist and slammed it hard against the wall. Pain exploded through her arm, a guttural scream tearing from her throat as she fell on her knees.

"So stupid," Lucian hissed, his voice dripping with disdain. "Always so disobedient." He pressed his foot against her bruised hand, drawing another agonized scream from her lips.

He knelt down, his face inches from hers, his fingers tangling in her hair as he forced her to look at him. "Now, be a good girl and apologize."

August's chest heaved with pain and anger, her eyes burning with unshed tears. She spat in his face, her defiance burning bright even through the agony. "Fuck you, bastard."

The room went still. Lucian's expression didn't change, but the air grew thick with tension. He didn't even blink as he processed her words, but the fury behind his eyes was unmistakable.

"Brother," Lucian's voice was cold, devoid of emotion. "How about you let Max have some fun with that little shit while I handle this disobedient kitten."

Fear clawed at August's insides, her blood turning to ice. Aiden. She had put him in danger. In her anger, she had jeopardized the one person she was trying to protect.

"No!" She screamed, her voice hoarse and desperate. "Don't you dare go near him! I swear to God, I will kill you all!"

Her screams echoed through the hall, but they didn't care. Lucian slung her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing, her body limp and defeated.

"Should I stock up on the first aid kit?" Elijah asked, his voice casual as he watched Lucian disappear with August.

"Get a doctor too," Alexander replied, his tone bored as he pulled out his phone, his fingers already typing as he walked out of the hall without a second glance.

The room was silent except for the sound of August's broken breathing as she was carried away, her heart sinking deeper into the abyss.