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《Kill Me, Love Me》 Updating 27 E.p Drama DramaFlixHub
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00:00I was once New York's most arrogant, the beloved third daughter of the Mafia Dawn.
00:04Now my wrists and ankles were locked in grand chains, pinned to a basement bed.
00:08The room was pitch black. I hadn't eaten or drunk anything in days.
00:11All I wanted was to die.
00:13A tall man came from the bedside.
00:15He poured a scorching aphrodisiac into my throat, and then forcibly pressed his body tightly against me.
00:22Had you not interfered, she'd still be mine.
00:24You're so desperate for this.
00:26I'll give you exactly what you want.
00:28After a brutal night of forced intimacy, my tears were streaming down my face.
00:31He let out a low, mocking laugh.
00:34Principessa Kara, look how far you've fallen.
00:36When I disregarded him, he had a swarm of beggars brought in.
00:39Do whatever they pleased with, Miss Kara.
00:41My breath thin and fragile, I held his gaze in stubborn defiance.
00:45Kill me if you must. Why bother with cruel humiliation?
00:48The man in front of me was Elias Walker, the underboss who had put the new dawn in power.
00:52He was also the man I had once chained to my side by the madman.
00:55He stared at me with unbridled hatred.
00:57Humiliation?
00:58What you once did to me, Miss Kara, was far worse.
01:01I perished in agony and shame.
01:03Blood from my broken body soaked the cold stone floor.
01:06After my death, he ordered my body dumped in a mass grave.
01:09When I opened my eyes again, I found Elias Walker fully stripped, locked inside an iron cage, and hung from
01:15above.
01:15To inflame his senses, the headmaid poured a honeyed aphrodisiac all over his bare body.
01:20He let out a few soft, ragged gasps.
01:22I remember I had chained him to the bed with iron shackles, dosed him with heavy drugs, and violated him
01:27utterly.
01:27Only to keep the proud Elias Walker by my side.
01:31After I spent the night tangled with him, he still tried to run away.
01:35At dawn the next day, I ordered my men to break his legs.
01:39It wasn't until his childhood sweetheart, Lila, finally returned that he was pulled out of the gutter.
01:45She took him to Don Valentino's estate, and dragged him from the brink of ruin.
01:49Later, Elias stood by Lila's side, and helped her seize power to reign as the underworld's sovereign queen.
01:54It wasn't until the dying breath that I understood.
01:56To him, my love was nothing but a burden and a chain.
01:59What new trick has Miss Kara come up with to torment me today?
02:02Familiar voice made my heart stumble.
02:04I came to my senses, and looked again at this devastatingly handsome man.
02:07And then I realized I'd been reborn.
02:09The damage was already done.
02:11I couldn't change what he thought of me.
02:12This time, I would let go of my paranoia and obsession, and choose to let them be together.
02:17Guards, release him.
02:19Now!
02:20I arranged for Elias Walker to recover in my private suite.
02:23Word spread instantly.
02:25Miss Kara had grown bored with him.
02:27The pretty Mr. Walker had fallen out of favor.
02:29I heard it, and felt uneasy.
02:31I went to check on him.
02:33The winter air was cutting, but the private suite Elias occupied had no heater running at all.
02:38Elias sat at the mahogany table, and was quietly immersed in a heavy old book.
02:42When he looked up, a strand of hair fell across his striking face.
02:45My heart slammed.
02:47Why has Miss Kara come here?
02:48I walked toward him, and then I reached out and touched the back of his hand.
02:52Exactly as I expected.
02:53Cold as ice.
02:55Why don't you have the heat on?
02:57Without the principes' favor, I am merely a discarded pawn in every soul's sight.
03:04I could not tell if it was just my mind playing tricks.
03:07Brutality lingered in Elias' smile, sending a cold shiver through me.
03:11That chilling gaze reminded me of his past self.
03:13That's Miss Kara.
03:14Bloodthirsty.
03:14Look how far you're falling.
03:15He crossed mountains of horses, paving a bloody way for Lila to reign as the Donna.
03:21Your injury cannot be exposed to cold.
03:22The Rilishno whizzed to the meath.
03:26Elias, and who touches you, answers to me.
03:28Tell me what you want.
03:30Every wish you make, I make it real.
03:32No one lays a hand on you unless I say so.
03:35Elias stared at me for a long moment.
03:38Miss Kara, I only need heat, pen, and paper.
03:41Only these?
03:42Those maids who mistreated you, what do you want done with them?
03:44Let them go without meat and heat for the next half a month.
03:47I smiled.
03:48This was the Elias I'd always known.
03:50In the last life, everyone called Elias a devil.
03:53But I understood he only lived by one rule.
03:55Good for good, evil for evil.
03:58Give back exactly what was given.
04:00Every cruel thing Elias ever did was to seize power for Lila.
04:04Not once did he act for himself.
04:06He drank the poison wine, in one long swallow.
04:09Even his final moments were filled with loving regret.
04:13Silly man.
04:14In his mind, I had always been the cruel Prince Epessa who ruined his life.
04:19Only Lila had ever been his salvation.
04:22Once they settled him into a chair, I knelt down and gently stroked his leg.
04:26Elias watched me coldly.
04:27The moment I drew back his pants, his eyes blazed with revulsion.
04:31He let out a cold laugh.
04:32Look at me now.
04:33And you still want me, Prince Epessa?
04:35I didn't humiliate him the way I used to.
04:38Instead, I applied the ointment to the scarred skin on his leg, slow and careful.
04:42Rubbing gently.
04:43He wore a faint look of shock.
04:44What is the meaning of this, Princess?
04:46I stand up, pointing straight at his leg.
04:48Your leg injury can be cured.
04:50Use topical healing ointment daily.
04:51Get targeted therapy and therapeutic massage, plus medicinal baths.
04:55Make a full recovery in three months.
04:57A flash of joy flickered in his eyes, only to dim instantly.
05:00Whether my leg heals or not, I am already a ruined man.
05:03What difference does it make?
05:05I lowered my head and kept my voice soft.
05:07You have extraordinary talent.
05:09You will be a pillar of this family one day.
05:11Don't sell yourself short.
05:12Elias scoffed, shooting me a sidelong glance.
05:15To him, it was utterly absurd that I, who had heard him, was now offering him comfort.
05:19I offered no rebuttal, only holding his gaze as I spoke softly.
05:23Lie down on the bed.
05:24Elias curled his lips into a mocking smile.
05:27Expression cold, he wheeled to the bed, braced himself, and inched onto the mattress.
05:31Slow, stiff, agonizing.
05:33He lay motionless, frigid, and drained.
05:35Do as you please, princess.
05:37Just be quick.
05:38I am worn out.
05:40I caught my breath, then settled on the edge of the bed.
05:42Elias truly bore a face devastating enough to entrance all.
05:46Even reduced to such a wretched state, he still exuded an otherworldly cold pride.
05:50I slowly ran my fingers over his skin.
05:52Then my hands moved to unfasten his trousers next.
05:55Elias shut his eyes.
05:56It will sting.
05:58Hold on.
05:59Right after, I pressed a fine medical needle into the key trigger points on his leg.
06:03Elias' eyes snapped open.
06:04His face broke, just for a second.
06:06He stared at my hands.
06:07What are you doing?
06:08Clearly, I'm giving you localized needling therapy.
06:11I'll release your damaged phagia with targeted pressure, paired with soft tissue massage.
06:14An hour of treatment each day will be enough.
06:16I said softly, this injury is my fault.
06:18From today on, I'll tend to your rehab and massage your muscles daily, until you fully recover.
06:24Elias clenched his fist, his body turning taut and stiff.
06:26Is this some new ploy of yours?
06:28He seized my arm abruptly, holding me trapped beneath his piercing gaze.
06:31In his past life, I broke his legs, but he'd never been this shaken.
06:35Elias Walker had never feared torture, yet he feared kindness.
06:38Gentleness clouds the mind and slow tenderness kills.
06:41I gave him no explanation, merely focusing on his leg injury.
06:44I was Don Vito Sovino's daughter, raised in blood, betrayal, and cruelty.
06:48Yet I learned to become a doctor, so no matter who abandons me, I can save myself.
06:52In his past life, illness and broken legs destroyed Elias' spirit.
06:55He pushed Lila away, and she chose another man.
06:58Crushed by despair, he fell into darkness, growing into a ruthless and terrifying underboss.
07:02But the first time I ever saw him, he was strikingly handsome, cold pride written between
07:07his brows.
07:08Mastered the family's strategy.
07:09Been a poor genius with a mind that came once in a century.
07:12Yet later, I watched him caress his incurable legs, beneath the dusk.
07:16Elias smiled, soundlessly.
07:18After that, he became the cleaner.
07:20Men called a monster.
07:45I lay in bed, turning the problem over and over.
07:51Was my technique insufficient?
07:53Or was there something wrong deeper in his heart?
07:55Then I heard someone quietly push open the door to my suite.
07:58Footsteps, slow.
07:59I kept my eyes shut and pretended to sleep.
08:02But I could feel a presence standing at my bedside.
08:04And a faint medicinal scent reached me.
08:06This was Elias.
08:07Why would he intrude in my chambers deep into the night?
08:10His leg injury had long healed.
08:12So why faint a limp?
08:13Elias sat on the edge of my bed.
08:15His gaze lingering on me for ages.
08:17My heart seized.
08:17Should I pretend to wake?
08:19With one faint, effortless tug, Elias undid the ribbon of my undergarment.
08:24His body pressed against my bare flesh.
08:27His warmth sinking deep within me, igniting all my senses.
08:30Amid the darkness, I finally dared to open my eyes.
08:33Elias, what are you doing?
08:35Miss Kara, tonight, I want you.
08:39Stay away.
08:40I have no desire for this.
08:45But he seized my hand in a firm grip, leaning in to kiss me.
08:49I instinctively tried to pull away, only for him to pin me firmly in place.
08:53Don't move.
08:54I frowned, staring at him in confusion.
08:56This wasn't the Elias Walker I knew.
08:58He was supposed to refuse my touch.
09:00Every time after indulging, he would bathe and burn insects, erasing every trace of my scent.
09:05To him, the love we shared was nothing but shame.
09:08He breathed gently against my ear.
09:10His kiss leaving me utterly breathless and consumed.
09:14But just as I was on the verge of sinking into his temptation, my peripheral gaze caught his cold, distant
09:20eyes.
09:20He'd use his body to lure me tonight just to test me.
09:23Because in this world of dirty deals and naked power, he refused to believe I acted without ulterior motive.
09:29I felt a dull ache.
09:30In his eyes, perhaps only soft and innocent Lila, sheltered from this dark world, could make him drop his guard.
09:37And I?
09:38I was forever the vicious, calculating Principessa.
09:41Nothing more.
09:42I rolled over, swiftly pulling a pistol from under the covers.
09:46And then, I seized his neck.
09:48Who granted you the audacity to step into my bed?
09:52Yet he showed not the slightest fear that I might pull the trigger.
09:56You healed my leg.
09:57To repay your kindness, Miss Kara.
09:59I offered myself to you tonight.
10:03Get out.
10:03I've told you, I'm not interested in you.
10:05He stared at me doubtfully.
10:07But you looked utterly ingrawned by my kiss just now, Miss Kara.
10:09Could I have misread you?
10:11I pressed the muzzle of my gun harder against his heart.
10:14One more word, and I'll kill you.
10:16A beguiling smile tugged at his lips.
10:18You'd never hurt me, right?
10:19My expression faltered faintly, but I did not fire.
10:23What is it you truly want, Miss Kara?
10:25His eyes stirred a ripple through my chest that wouldn't stop.
10:28But I knew.
10:29His gentleness is feigned.
10:30I don't want anything.
10:32Your leg is healed.
10:33Leave tomorrow.
10:34Elias's brows drew together.
10:36He stared at me, as if trying to see through me.
10:38My answer clearly wasn't the one he'd been looking for.
10:41He couldn't understand why I hurt him, and now heal him again.
10:46Power.
10:47Money.
10:48Control.
10:49Everyone inside this estate had their own agenda.
10:51But what I wanted, simply, was for him to live well.
10:54To love whoever he wanted, freely.
10:57Elias.
10:58If you ever need help, you can still come to me.
11:02It seems Miss Kara has truly grown tired of me.
11:05Then I will go out.
11:06He acted indifferent, but his steps stumbled.
11:09After Elias left, the warmth of where he'd been still lingered in the sheets.
11:13I've grown greedy for this fleeting warmth, yet it is all but a fleeting spring dream.
11:17I reminded myself, stay away from Elias Walker.
11:20The next morning, Elias had already left my wing.
11:23Good.
11:24He and I had never been walking the same road.
11:27Not long after Elias left, Lila appeared.
11:30The first time I saw Lila, she was standing up for Elias.
11:33Spotting me coming, the butlers at the estate deliberately mocked Elias in front of my face.
11:36They called him a pretty pet who'd earned his keep on his back.
11:39They think he used his looks and his body to please his mistress.
11:42And even they said the butlers were worth more than him.
11:45Every word is filthy.
11:46They didn't understand Elias Walker was a wolf, who had only been temporarily caged.
11:50Once freed, his teeth would rip their throats out.
11:53I clenched my fist.
11:54I moved toward them.
11:55But someone else was whip cracking across the faces of those underlings.
11:58The girl wore red.
12:00Fierce, elegant, no makeup, and still stunning.
12:02Lila's voice was commanding.
12:04Underlings!
12:05A pack of social climbers!
12:06How could you humiliate Mr. Walker?
12:08Her gaze shifted to me.
12:09Those at the top have power.
12:11But power used to take what isn't yours?
12:13What kind of love is that?
12:15She meant me, obviously.
12:17It comes as no surprise she was going to be a don.
12:19Even the perpetually detached Elias looked at her with something soft in his eyes.
12:23Though Elias wasn't as cold toward me as he'd been last life.
12:26But the moment Lila appeared, she pulled him out of whatever darkness he'd been in.
12:29This time, Elias was no longer broken.
12:31I have no wish to disturb his peace again.
12:34I turned around and quietly walked away.
12:36Elias became Lila's personal advisor.
12:38They say Lila had brought premium champagne to Don Valentino's study every day until he agreed.
12:43Not long after, I heard from the maids that Elias' old leg injury leg had flared up again.
12:47Then, Lila stayed at his bedside day and night.
12:50She refused to leave until Don Valentino ordered her back to her chambers.
12:53I frowned.
12:54Is his leg injury acting up again?
12:56That night, I wrapped myself in a coat, took an oil lamp, and walked through the snow.
13:00Elias lay motionless in his private suite.
13:02I pushed the window open.
13:03The bitter medicinal smell thinned.
13:06Ms. Cara, why are you here?
13:08Looking at his face was white.
13:09I felt something heavy in my chest.
13:11I came to check on you.
13:12I stepped closer to his bed, slowly pulling back the dressing on his leg.
13:16The old scar was swollen.
13:18The wound split and infected.
13:20His physician had administered strong treatment without cleaning or disinfecting it.
13:23Why have you come?
13:24I told you.
13:26I'm going to heal your leg.
13:27He merely watched me contemplatively.
13:29I exhaled silently.
13:30I fix what I break.
13:31That's my code.
13:32I used a cloth treated with penicillin to clean the wound carefully.
13:35I heard you've been Lila through the estate every day.
13:37Your leg flared up because you've been overworking it.
13:39Lena grew up outside.
13:41She's new here.
13:42Naturally, she's curious.
13:43I smiled.
13:44Something bitter moved through me.
13:46How could I forget?
13:47He would throw his own life away for her.
13:48A broken leg was nothing.
13:50I wrapped the wound again and told him quietly.
13:52Your leg needs rest.
13:54Stop walking around with Lila.
13:56I packed my medical bag and turned to go.
13:58Behind me, I heard him ask.
13:59Will Ms. Cara come back?
14:01Three days.
14:02I'll come change the deading.
14:05Every three days, I wrapped myself against a snow
14:07and came to Elias' private suite at night to change his bandages.
14:10Tonight, I heard laughter from outside his door before I even reached it.
14:14One lamp burned warm inside.
14:16Two silhouettes moved on the window glass.
14:19Lila, it's late.
14:21Go get some rest.
14:22The girl turns away with a bright, playful look.
14:24I blew out my oil lamp.
14:25I hid in the shadow of the corridor
14:26and watched Lila walk away until she disappeared.
14:29Then I stepped inside.
14:31Elias sat at his desk.
14:33He looked at me and said,
14:34Warm your hands.
14:34I recognized it.
14:36A gift Don Valentino had given Lila.
14:38This time, I didn't tell Elias to get on the bed.
14:40I crouched at his feet, right there at the desk,
14:43and changed his dressing.
14:45Elias, after this, I won't be coming anymore.
14:48He said nothing, which made me feel awkward.
14:51I've made amends for my past mistakes.
14:53I'd planned to aid you within the family,
14:54yet Lila supports you.
14:56You have a clear path ahead, and I am unnecessary.
14:59Elias bent slightly toward me.
15:01Are you jealous of Lila?
15:03Elias bent slightly toward me.
15:06Are you jealous of Lila?
15:07I laughed quietly and said it plainly.
15:09Yes.
15:10I'm fairly jealous of her.
15:12He smiled faintly.
15:13Miss Cara, you have everything.
15:15What could you possibly envy in her?
15:17What am I envying, really?
15:18I was the Principesa who had everything.
15:20And I envied Lila, who had grown up with Unworldly.
15:23Her eyes still held a brightness that was alive and fearless.
15:26I admire she loved openly, hated openly,
15:28was vivid and beautiful.
15:30But I, growing up in a world of political maneuvering,
15:32had long since bleached it out of me.
15:34As if only the girls who shone like that were the ones people actually loved.
15:37Miss Cara, you've become unpredictable to me.
15:40Was the arrogance and the cruelty your mask?
15:43He suddenly raised his hand and pressed it to the back of my head,
15:45and then he kissed me.
15:46My waist pressed gently into the crook of his arm,
15:48and I closed my eyes.
15:50After the kiss, I breathed against him,
15:52slightly undone, but I saw it.
15:54Elias's lips pressed tight, watching my reaction.
15:56Testing me.
15:57Again.
15:58Using himself as bait.
16:00I was an idiot.
16:01I knew everything he did was for Lila,
16:02and his tenderness was a probe.
16:04And still, the warmth of him scattered my sense.
16:06Elias.
16:07I said his name softly.
16:08Never love with all your heart.
16:09Seven parts is enough.
16:11Don't be so silly.
16:12Not anymore.
16:14After that night,
16:15a long time passed without me seeing Elias.
16:17But I had Elias had stepped down as Lila's personal advisor.
16:20Elias had been promoted to consigliere.
16:23Don Valentino had adopted Elias' proposal
16:25to reduce the family's street taxes.
16:27I busied myself with the medical supplies in my hands,
16:29genuinely relieved and happy for him.
16:31Everyone on the estate noticed Miskara had changed.
16:34She devoted herself to medicine.
16:35She had even apprenticed herself to the chief family doctor.
16:38Rumors spread Miskara was jealous of Lila,
16:40afraid she'd compete for position.
16:42Even Don Valentino tested me.
16:44Would you like to take over the family?
16:45I offered him a bottle of the painkillers
16:47and antibiotic ointments I'd mixed myself.
16:49I declared my purpose clearly.
16:51I wanted to be a healer.
16:53Don Valentino looked at me with warmth
16:54and said I had inherited Elena's wish
16:56and that his daughter had finally grown up.
16:58As for the rumors inside the estate,
17:00I didn't care.
17:01I was only mildly curious.
17:02What would Elias think?
17:04If I became a threat to Lila's path to power,
17:06would he destroy me,
17:07the way he had last life?
17:09I sniffed the air.
17:10The faint smell of scorched medicinal herbs
17:12drifted from the stove.
17:13I got up quickly,
17:14laughing at myself
17:15as I rushed to turn off the flame.
17:17Sure enough,
17:18handsome men have always distracted one from me.
17:21This summer,
17:22a succession of violent storms
17:23caused flooding across multiple regions.
17:25The waters drowned entire neighborhoods.
17:27The harvest was destroyed.
17:28Donna Valentino led the estate
17:29in donating jewelry to the relief fund.
17:31An aid station was set up
17:32at the perimeter of the estate.
17:33Donna herself handed out supplies.
17:35The noble women of the Alliance
17:36followed her example.
17:37Right before I asked Don Valentino
17:39to let me join the doctors outside,
17:41Lila walked into here.
17:42Don Valentino,
17:43I am formally requesting
17:44that you grant me and Elias
17:46an Alliance marriage arrangement.
17:48Don Valentino frowned.
17:50We'll discuss this later.
17:51He turned that same
17:52displeased look on me.
17:53And you're here for Walker, too?
17:54I'm here for the medical crisis
17:56among the victims.
17:57Don seemed genuinely interested.
17:58And how would you solve it?
17:59Manhattan's victims can be relocated
18:01to better-resourced areas
18:02near the estate.
18:03Temporary field clinics
18:04shall be set up
18:04at major intersections,
18:05staffed by our family clinic physicians.
18:07And when the time is right,
18:08we strike.
18:10Excellent.
18:11Both excellent.
18:12Elias just proposed
18:13moving the displaced to food.
18:14And now you come with
18:16moving the displaced to medicine.
18:17Miss Cara requests permission
18:18to accompany the family clinic team
18:20outside the estate
18:20to treat the victims.
18:21You're my principessa.
18:22You want to get close
18:23to those refugees?
18:24I'm also a doctor.
18:26A doctor heals everyone.
18:27Rich or poor.
18:28Mob or civilian.
18:29Don Valentino smiled.
18:30You truly have grown up.
18:33Outside in the corridor,
18:35Lila stopped me.
18:35Did you come to interrupt
18:36my requesting on purpose?
18:37I met her eyes directly.
18:38The victims are starving
18:39and dying in the streets.
18:41Children are infected.
18:42And you think your personal feelings
18:44take priority right now?
18:45Lila faltered.
18:46I didn't.
18:47In Last Life,
18:48Lila had grown up
18:49outside the estate.
18:50She understood
18:50what real suffering looked like.
18:52After she took power,
18:53she pushed new order reform
18:54and built an era of peace.
18:56It's not the girl
18:56distracted by romance
18:57while people died.
18:58I kept my face hard.
19:01I'm not trying
19:01to take Elias from you.
19:03He is yours.
19:05Lila pressed her lips together,
19:06a trace of guilt
19:07behind her eyes.
19:08I couldn't take him
19:09even if I tried.
19:10What you said was right.
19:11Those in power
19:12have authority,
19:13but they also have
19:14obligations they must fulfill.
19:16Lila nodded in agreement.
19:18You're smarter than me.
19:19You know that.
19:20I turned and found Elias
19:21standing at the far end
19:22of the corridor,
19:23gazing at me.
19:23He walked closer
19:24and a smile moved through it.
19:26Miss Kara,
19:27it's been a while.
19:29I find you more and more
19:30interesting.
19:31I couldn't stop
19:32a small tremor.
19:35Elias,
19:36what a coincidence.
19:38Not a coincidence.
19:40I specifically...
19:41Mr. Walker,
19:42were you waiting for me?
19:43Lila came jogging over.
19:45I see.
19:45He'd lingered here
19:46just to wait for Lila.
19:47Miss Kara, I...
19:48Congratulations.
19:49I interrupted him at once.
19:50You've gotten
19:51what you desired.
19:53Outside the walls,
19:55a three-year-old girl
19:55in her mother's arms
19:56lay covered
19:57in infected sores.
19:58I found again
19:59the reason I first
19:59became a doctor.
20:01Young lady,
20:02you have such a good heart.
20:03You'll go to paradise
20:04when you die
20:05for saving so many people.
20:06The family doctor
20:07beside me laughed.
20:09Do you know
20:09who this young lady is?
20:11This is Miss Kara Valentina.
20:13I heard gasps
20:14all around.
20:15That's the one
20:15who chained her own
20:16advisor in chains?
20:17The one they call
20:18the vicious prince obsessor?
20:20A little girl
20:21staggered back
20:21and rushed
20:22into her mother's arms
20:23in a panic.
20:24Is that the dreadful Miss Kara?
20:26I laughed bitterly.
20:27Was my reputation
20:28really that bad?
20:29Late that night,
20:30I slipped into
20:31the dark oak grove
20:31behind the private suite.
20:33But I thought
20:33I saw Elias' figure
20:34far away.
20:35He wanted nothing more
20:36than to stay
20:37as far from me
20:37as possible.
20:38Why would he ever
20:39come back to this grove?
20:41Suddenly,
20:41a woman rushed
20:42to me with a knife.
20:48The grove was dark
20:49and thick
20:49and still.
20:50Suddenly,
20:51a maid lunged
20:52at me with a knife.
20:52The blade sliced
20:53open my right shoulder.
20:54Blood spilled instantly.
20:57Miss Kara,
20:58do you know
20:59my child died
21:00in the floods?
21:01Why didn't you save him?
21:02She saw the first strike
21:03hadn't hit anything vital
21:04and then raised the knife
21:05for a second blow.
21:07Suddenly,
21:07the blade drove
21:08through her throat
21:08from behind.
21:09She collapsed
21:10and blood poured
21:10from her mouth.
21:11I looked up
21:12at the man
21:12standing behind her
21:13and laughed.
21:14Elias,
21:14it really is you.
21:16What are you doing here?
21:17Elias said nothing,
21:18just pulled me into him
21:19and began checking my wound.
21:20I went blush
21:21and tried to block his hands.
21:22Elias,
21:23you're not a doctor.
21:24You can't treat this.
21:25He pushed my hands away,
21:26pulled out a handkerchief
21:27and pressed it
21:27against my wound
21:28to stop the bleeding.
21:29His warm breath
21:29brushed my neck,
21:30light and ticklish.
21:32Elias,
21:33why did you save me?
21:34If I died,
21:35wouldn't it be happier
21:35for you and Lina?
21:36Even though I had
21:37no intention
21:37of taking power
21:38for myself,
21:39but my death
21:39would remove
21:40the last obstacle
21:40from Lila's
21:41path to Donna.
21:42Elias' mouth
21:43curved faintly.
21:43I did once hate you
21:44and even want you dead,
21:46but now...
21:46He stared at me.
21:47I don't want Miss Care
21:48to die anymore.
21:49He gathered me up
21:50into his arms
21:51and leave.
21:52Elias sat on the edge
21:53of my bed
21:54and bent over me
21:54to clean the wound.
21:55It burned.
21:56I kept my jaw locked
21:57and said nothing.
21:58I belongs to myself,
22:00not to Lila.
22:01That day,
22:02I wasn't there
22:03to wait for her.
22:04He's explaining himself
22:04to me.
22:05Why?
22:05In Last Life,
22:06Elias had loved Lila
22:08with a madness.
22:09Cold and harsh
22:09toward her on the surface,
22:10he was soft-hearted
22:12at every turn.
22:13He pushed Lila away,
22:14yet secretly orchestrated
22:15everything for her
22:16from the shadows.
22:17I didn't want to repeat
22:17Last Life
22:18and stand in their way again,
22:19and even end up
22:20dying a humiliating death,
22:22despised,
22:22cursed by the world.
22:24Elias,
22:26let's not see each other
22:27anymore after this.
22:27His gaze grew heated,
22:29aching to uncover the truth.
22:30Miss Kara rose
22:31before dawn daily,
22:32spending hours
22:33preparing medical formulations
22:34and give me targeted
22:35physical rehabilitation.
22:36Even braved harsh storms
22:37to tend to my wound dressings
22:38in my quarters.
22:39I was supposed to keep
22:40hating Miss Kara,
22:41yet I kept finding my way
22:42back to this grove.
22:44But now Miss Kara says
22:45let's not see each other.
22:47The principal's tricks
22:48are getting more sophisticated.
22:50Elias leaned down
22:51and kissed me,
22:51sinking into something
22:52quiet and warm.
22:53All I could hear
22:54was the sound
22:54of two heartbeats.
22:55For one moment,
22:56I lost everything
22:57I'd been holding onto.
22:58Is he testing me again?
22:59Or,
23:00I didn't dare hope.
23:02I has always believed
23:03in returning what was given.
23:04Miss Kara chained me
23:05and made me yours.
23:06So I'll chain Miss Kara
23:07right back
23:08and not be free of me
23:09in this life.
23:09After that,
23:10I couldn't hear the rest
23:11of what he said.
23:11I was too exhausted
23:12and fell asleep in his arms.
23:14If this is a dream,
23:15I wish to linger
23:15a while longer.
23:16News of the assassination attempt
23:18spread through the entire state.
23:19It was rumored
23:20Leela Valentino
23:21had sent the assassin
23:22determined to see
23:22Miss Kara dead.
23:24When Leela stormed
23:25into my bedroom,
23:26I was in the middle
23:26of changing my vantage.
23:28She looked at my
23:29blood-soaked shoulder
23:30and her nose.
23:31It wasn't me.
23:32I swear it wasn't me.
23:35I know it wasn't you.
23:40You were never the type
23:41for shadows and schemes.
23:42You always hated
23:42that kind of maneuvering.
23:44The Leela I remembered,
23:45she wanted power.
23:46She went for it openly.
23:47She declared her love
23:48for Elias with her children.
23:48I love you, Elias!
23:49She wasn't afraid
23:50of anyone's opinion.
23:51Even later,
23:52when she and Elias ended,
23:53it was clean.
23:54Final.
23:55No manipulation.
23:56After I had reminded her
23:57of her responsibilities
23:58outside the Dons,
23:59she had taken the family's
24:00aid supplies personally
24:01and led a team
24:02to the worst-hit district
24:03coastal town.
24:04How do you know
24:05it wasn't me?
24:06I want to compete
24:07with you for power.
24:09Elias already looked into it.
24:12The maid had lost
24:13her child in the floods.
24:14She snapped.
24:15It had nothing to do with you.
24:17Okay, good.
24:18But I'm not giving up Elias.
24:20He says he sees me
24:21as a sister
24:21and he has no feelings for me.
24:23But I've admired him
24:24since before I came here.
24:26We are living
24:27when I was still living outside.
24:28But I won't give him up.
24:29We compete.
24:30Fair and equal.
24:33She was alive.
24:34Luminous.
24:35Utterly beautiful.
24:36Truly beautiful.
24:37With everyone working together,
24:38the disaster finally passed.
24:40Elias came looking for me
24:41several times.
24:42That night's kiss
24:43had unsettled me.
24:44I could only long to flee.
24:47Don Valentino summoned me
24:48and Lila urgently
24:49to the family hall.
24:49He looked at me.
24:50Then at Lila.
24:51His expression was heavy
24:52with something
24:53he didn't want to say.
24:54The Russian mafia family
24:55has proposed an alliance.
24:56A permanent peace.
24:57In exchange,
24:58one of the Valentino guarders
25:00must agree to an alliance marriage
25:01with their fourth son.
25:04I looked at Lila.
25:05She had gone white,
25:06biting down on her lip.
25:07I'll go.
25:08Lila stared at me.
25:10I knew this was hard
25:12for Don Valentino.
25:13If he could,
25:13he wouldn't send either of us.
25:15But he was Don first
25:16and father second.
25:17The family had just
25:18come through a disaster.
25:19The victims were still
25:20grieving their death.
25:21How could they withstand
25:22a war on top of it?
25:23The only candidates
25:23for alliance marriage
25:24were Lila and Lee.
25:25But Lila was the future Don,
25:26the one who could build
25:27an era of peace.
25:28So from the start,
25:29there had only ever been
25:30one candidate.
25:31Outside the hall,
25:31Lila grabbed my hand
25:32and called me sister
25:33and telling me
25:34there had to be another way
25:35that she would give me
25:36Elias back.
25:37Lila,
25:38I just don't want the people
25:40calling me the infamous
25:41Prince of Ada.
25:41My life and fate
25:42are mine to rule.
25:44This was the best ending.
25:45I don't know when Elias
25:46came into my bedroom.
25:47When his breath hit my ear,
25:49I smelled alcohol on him.
25:50A second later,
25:51I tasted it
25:52and his mouth over mine,
25:53fierce and hungry.
25:54I fought back.
25:55My nails dragged a line
25:57across his cheek.
25:58Elias' eyes went still
25:59and deep and sneer.
26:00Since when has Miss Cara
26:01become so selfless?
26:02The most self-serving
26:03Prince of Plessa in New York
26:04become volunteers
26:06for alliance marriage.
26:07Is this what you want?
26:08My heart shook,
26:09but I kept my voice
26:10flat and cold.
26:11Elias,
26:12you're drunk.
26:13He laughed
26:14and then rolled off me,
26:14murmured,
26:16Yes, I'm drunk.
26:18My fingertip,
26:18coated in ointment,
26:19just barely touched his wound
26:20and he caught my hand
26:21but said nothing more.
26:22We both knew.
26:23Family interests
26:24had always come
26:25before everything else.
26:26He was still
26:26devastatingly beautiful
26:27even with scare,
26:28yet the dark shadow
26:29lingering in his brows
26:30refused to lift.
26:32To prove their sincerity,
26:33the Russian mafia family
26:34sent their fourth son,
26:35Mikhail,
26:36to escort the bride.
26:37The people said
26:38Miss Cara was a hero
26:39because she had volunteered
26:40for an alliance marriage
26:41to buy peace and safety
26:42for everyone.
26:42On the day Mikhail
26:43entered Manhattan,
26:44the crowds cheered.
26:45Mikhail stood in the family hall
26:46and presented the Russian
26:47mafia family's gift,
26:48a one-of-a-kind
26:48diamond butterfly tiara.
26:50It was meant for his future bride,
26:51he said.
26:51And then he was seated
26:52across the high table from me.
26:53I found his eyes were deep
26:54and shadowed,
26:55like a cold,
26:56fathomless abyss.
26:57Beside me,
26:58Mikhail was filling
26:59his own glass
27:00again and again.
27:01This family gala
27:02was supposed to be
27:02a welcome celebration,
27:03but there was no joy
27:04on anyone's face.
27:06When the gala ended,
27:07I stood and bowed to Mikhail,
27:08preparing to leave.
27:09He called after me.
27:10Miss Kara,
27:11do you know a place
27:12called St. Clair Abbey?
27:13I frowned, puzzled.
27:14He was from the Russian
27:15mafia family.
27:16Why would he bring up
27:17an old Catholic abbey
27:18in our territory?
27:19I only heard that the
27:20cherry blossoms there
27:20are very beautiful.
27:21Very beautiful.
27:23I suspected Mikhail
27:24had a girl
27:24somewhere in his heart.
27:26I had never thought
27:27him bold enough
27:27to take a novice sister's
27:28hand and kneel
27:29down before me.
27:30The girl wore a gray habit
27:31and looked like a delicate
27:32porcelain figurine
27:33with brave and bright eyes.
27:35This proud fourth son
27:36of the Russian mafia
27:37confessed that back
27:38in his homeland territory
27:39he had once intended
27:40to marry her.
27:41Yet he had suspected her
27:42of being a Valentino spy.
27:44He'd wounded her deeply.
27:45Crushed and heartbroken,
27:47she fled his territory
27:48and made her way here.
27:49He'd begged me to help him.
27:50He said without her,
27:51he was just a shell.
27:52Living or dead,
27:53no difference.
27:54Mikhail had cold eyes,
27:56but when he looked
27:57at the girl he loved,
27:58his gaze was warm,
27:59burning,
27:59so full of feeling
28:00it was nearly overflowing.
28:01I helped him to his feet
28:02and looked at him steadily.
28:05Mikhail,
28:06for the alliance
28:07between our families,
28:09you have to marry
28:10Miss Kara Valentino.
28:12Miss Kara rode
28:12in the Russian mafia family's
28:14formal escort vehicle.
28:15Mikhail rode out front himself,
28:17leading the way.
28:17The escort team
28:18carried lanterns.
28:20Donna Valentino rode
28:21in an armored car
28:21alongside Lila,
28:22who wore the diamond
28:23butterfly tiara on her head
28:24and a thin red veil
28:25over her face.
28:26Elegant.
28:26Dignified.
28:27Miss Kara Valentino,
28:28for the peace of two families
28:29across generations,
28:30had gone to join
28:31the Russian mafia family.
28:32Harbortown was a tiny
28:33coastal hamlet,
28:35home to a female physician
28:36who operated
28:36a private clinic.
28:38People claimed
28:39she could cure any illness,
28:40no matter how grave.
28:42I was preparing
28:43medical supplies.
28:44Mrs. Rosa came
28:45to my small yard
28:46carrying a plate
28:46of oven-baked salmon
28:47she'd made herself.
28:49Kara, look at you.
28:50A woman running
28:51a clinic alone
28:51is too much work.
28:52You need a man around.
28:54I smiled and said nothing.
28:56You need a man around.
28:58Ever since I treated
28:59Mrs. Rosa's
29:00chronic knee pain,
29:01she had been coming by
29:02every few days with food
29:03and screaming about
29:04setting me up with someone.
29:06Kara, this one
29:07I'm setting you up with
29:08is different from the others.
29:09He's so handsome.
29:11It's like one of those
29:11old paintings
29:12came to life.
29:14And he teaches school
29:15in the village.
29:16If Mrs. Rosa
29:17wasn't already married
29:18with kids,
29:18she'd be fighting you
29:19for him, I swear.
29:20If he was that handsome,
29:22every girl in town
29:23would be fighting over him.
29:24I have no need
29:25to queue up alongside them.
29:27No, no, Kara,
29:28this time it's truly different.
29:29Mr. Walker, he...
29:30The rest of it
29:31I didn't hear.
29:33The one I hold dear
29:34lives far away,
29:35bearing the vision
29:36to mend and rule the world.
29:38I finished the salmon
29:39and then lay back lazily
29:40in my casual lounge chair
29:41in the yard
29:42for an afternoon nap.
29:44At some point,
29:45the clear sky
29:46quietly turned
29:47to soft rain.
29:50When I woke,
29:51there was an umbrella
29:52over my head.
29:54I found the fine rain
29:56landed on the shoulders
29:56of the man holding it.
30:00He wore black.
30:01His face was at peace,
30:03his eyes devastatingly beautiful.
30:05Elias Walker smiled
30:06down at me
30:06and bent close.
30:07He gathered me,
30:08completely at a loss,
30:09into his arms.
30:10Miss Kara,
30:11I have come to cage you.
30:13My lips trembled.
30:13Cage me?
30:14In what kind of prison?
30:17I'm nothing but
30:18a poor school teacher now.
30:21But this clinkly duck of yours
30:23looks like a very fine cell to me.
30:26Elias,
30:27there is no Miss Kara
30:28here anymore.
30:30Miss Kara went to join
30:31the Russian Mafia family.
30:32He sat down,
30:33lifted me onto his lap.
30:34His voice carried
30:35something sad,
30:36but the warmth
30:36was still there.
30:38I doesn't care
30:38who Miss Kara is.
30:39The one I want to cage
30:40is you,
30:41whoever you are.
30:42No matter a Valentino,
30:43Principeza,
30:44or a Harbortown doctor,
30:45from the beginning,
30:46I only wanted to spend
30:47my life with you,
30:48no one else.
30:49In the dark,
30:49he held me close
30:50and told me everything
30:51that had happened
30:51in the city after I left.
30:52He said Don Valentino
30:53was planning to step back early
30:54and let Lila take over.
30:56Lila and Rico fought
30:57and bickered all day,
30:58but the moment Rico
30:59got close to another girl,
31:00Lila turned green.
31:01He had thought
31:02I had genuinely gone
31:03to join the Russian Mafia family,
31:05and he had been drinking
31:06himself to sleep
31:07every night.
31:09Elias pressed his lips
31:10to my forehead,
31:11gently.
31:12Why didn't you tell me?
31:13That was the one
31:14who went in the car
31:14that day,
31:14wasn't you?
31:15A wolf was never
31:16meant for a cage,
31:18and you had ambitions
31:19that reached far
31:20beyond a small yard.
31:22Ambitions don't require
31:23a city.
31:23They can be built anywhere.
31:25We lay together
31:26in the dark,
31:27talking about nothing
31:28and everything.
31:29His arm around me
31:30slowly tightened,
31:31and then his kiss fell.
31:32Elias kissed me
31:33like someone drowning
31:34slowly and choosing to.
31:35His hands fumbled
31:36with the ties
31:37of my nightgown.
31:38Kara,
31:38can I just tear it?
31:39His eyes were dark
31:40and deep,
31:40and they pulled me in.
31:42A hand cradled
31:42the small of my back,
31:43and he folded me
31:44into him like I was
31:45something he had been
31:46waiting to hold.
31:47The candle threw
31:48unsteady light
31:49across the room.
31:50One long,
31:51warm,
31:52beautiful night.
31:53They say Harbortown
31:54has a love story.
31:56On a misty morning,
31:57halfway up,
31:58she came across
31:59a strikingly handsome
32:00school teacher.
32:01He had hurt his leg,
32:02and she brought him
32:03home to treat it.
32:06He ended up staying
32:08for over two weeks.
32:09After two weeks,
32:11he showed up
32:11at her clinic door
32:12with everything he owned
32:13and asked her to marry him.
32:15On a morning,
32:15Kara was crouched
32:16in the backyard
32:17of the clinic,
32:17carefully turning over
32:18the fresh,
32:19wild peppermint.
32:20You'll catch a cold.
32:21He settled a thin jacket
32:22over her shoulders,
32:23his fingertips brushing
32:24her cool skin.
32:25In the wicker basket
32:25nearby sat a few
32:26warm, fresh rolls
32:27he'd bought from
32:28the morning market
32:28in town.
32:29The small town school
32:30is on break today.
32:31I'll go with you
32:32to the hill trail
32:32to gather wild peppermint.
32:34Our storage is getting low.
32:36You remember
32:36the herb supply
32:37better than I do.
32:38She stood and brushed
32:39the grass from her skirt,
32:40took a warm roll,
32:41and bit in.
32:42Mrs. Leo came by yesterday.
32:44She said Leo
32:44is studying harder.
32:45Can already recite
32:46an entire reader
32:47from memory?
32:48He's naturally sharp.
32:49He just hadn't had
32:50anyone to guide him.
32:51Yesterday,
32:52I had them practice
32:52spelling the word home.
32:54Leo asked me,
32:55is home just a place
32:56where the people
32:57you love are?
32:59I told him yes.
33:01Kara felt something
33:01warm move through her.
33:02Then we have the most
33:03complete home there is.
33:08They packed the herb
33:09basket and tools
33:10and started up
33:11toward the hill trail.
33:12Elias walked on the
33:13outer side,
33:13occasionally reaching out
33:14to push back branches
33:15or thorns,
33:16giving Kara the clear ground.
33:17Do you remember
33:18the first time
33:18you brought me up here
33:19to gather medical supplies?
33:20You had barely been able
33:21to walk for any stretch
33:22of time yet,
33:22but you insisted
33:23on carrying the basket
33:24for me.
33:25You slipped on a rock
33:26and fell flat.
33:27And the whole time you fell,
33:28you were shielding the herbs
33:29inside the basket.
33:47By then,
33:48they had reached
33:48the wild peppermint patch
33:49on the hill trail.
33:50Kara crouched
33:51and began carefully
33:51digging up the roots
33:52with a small hand shovel.
33:53Elias sorted
33:54and bundled the ones
33:55she unearthed.
33:56Then,
33:56her foot slipped.
33:57She went backward.
33:58Elias' hands shot out
33:59and caught her
34:00and they both landed
34:00in the grass together.
34:02He immediately checked
34:03her ankle.
34:04I'm fine.
34:05I just startled you a little.
34:06See?
34:07Everything's fine.
34:09Elias exhaled.
34:10He helped her up,
34:11but after that,
34:12he wouldn't let go
34:12of her hand,
34:13not for a single step.
34:14Steady and deliberate
34:15the whole way down.
34:16Sunlight fell on their
34:17clasped hands,
34:17warm, quiet.
34:19By the time they came down
34:20from the hill trail,
34:21it was past noon.
34:22On the way back,
34:23they passed the stream.
34:24Kara spotted a lively
34:25bunch of mint
34:26growing on the bank
34:27and pulled Elias over
34:28to pick some.
34:30Mosquitoes are bad
34:31in summer.
34:32If we dry the mint
34:32and make it into
34:33herbal sashes
34:34for the village children,
34:34it should help.
34:36Elias nodded,
34:36picking alongside her.
34:38Their fingers grazed
34:39now and then.
34:40Each time,
34:40both of them smiled
34:41without meaning to.
34:42These small,
34:43quiet moments,
34:44nothing like the city's
34:45noise and spectacle,
34:46felt more steadying
34:47than any kind of wealth.
34:49Back at the clinic,
34:50Kara sorted the herbs
34:51to dry,
34:51while Elias went
34:52to the kitchen
34:52to boil water.
34:53Not long after,
34:54a knock came at the gate.
34:57Dr. Kara,
34:58my chest is tight again.
35:00Coughed half the night.
35:01Kara's expression
35:01shifted to focus.
35:03Sit down first,
35:04Mr. Tony.
35:05Elias,
35:06without being asked,
35:07brought a cup
35:07of warm water,
35:08then retrieved
35:09the pre-blended
35:10soothing tonic
35:10from the cabinet.
35:13Your pulse is weak.
35:14You have chest congestion
35:15and a bad cold.
35:15I'll write you
35:16a new formula.
35:17Two doses
35:18of liquid medicine a day,
35:19taken alongside
35:19a soothing tonic.
35:20You should feel better
35:21within a few days.
35:21Mr. Tony,
35:22try not to go down
35:22to the harbor
35:23so early in the morning
35:23to see if you feel
35:24crouped up.
35:25Come sit in the
35:25small town schoolyard,
35:26get some sun,
35:26listen to the children
35:27recite.
35:27You two are good people.
35:29Without you,
35:29these old bones
35:30wouldn't have...
35:31From here,
35:32we stay.
35:34Spring,
35:34we gather medical supplies
35:35on the hill trail.
35:37Summer,
35:37we follow the tides.
35:39Autumn,
35:39we sun-dry the catch.
35:41Winter,
35:42we watch the snow.
35:43The children in the school
35:44grow up one by one.
35:45The clinic never runs
35:46out of medicine.
35:47And we,
35:49year after year
35:49after year,
35:50never apart.
35:51Kara leaned back
35:52into him,
35:53listening to his heartbeat,
35:54slow and steady
35:55beneath her ear.
35:57Yes,
35:58year after year,
35:59never apart.
36:01Evening fell on
36:01harbor town.
36:02Small lights bloomed
36:03in the windows
36:04of the houses
36:04one by one.
36:06The clinic's candles
36:06still burned bright.
36:08Kara sat at the desk
36:09writing prescriptions.
36:10Elias sat beside her,
36:11dipping his pen,
36:12pausing now and then
36:13to refill her cup
36:14with warm water.
36:15The wind from the sea
36:16drifted in through the window,
36:17carrying the sound of waves.
36:19Moonlight came in
36:19through the lattice
36:20and fell across both of them,
36:21stretching their shadows long.
36:23Kara looked up
36:24and met Elias' gentle eyes.
36:25All that wandering,
36:27all of it had only been
36:28the groundwork
36:28for this quiet life.
36:29In this small town
36:30far from the world's noise,
36:32no estate politics,
36:33no family scheming,
36:34no chaos of power,
36:36just each other,
36:37here with each other.
36:38This was what they had found
36:39after everything,
36:40warm and lasting.
36:42So there was nothing.
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