Chapter 87 The Forbidden Room
Chloe froze. Was Brian inside?
From the hallway, all she could hear were broken, muffled groans. She stepped closer and knocked.
“Brian, are you in there? What’s happening?” she asked. But the only answer was more fragmented moans.
Chloe frowned. Under normal circumstances, Brian would never ignore her knocking and question.
The only explanation was that something was wrong.
That thought only made her more tense. The military had placed her as his bodyguard precisely because the Steeles were working with them, and there were people determined to sabotage the deal.
Chloe’s job was to ensure Brian’s safety until the agreement was secure. Could someone have made a move against him?
Her instincts sharpened. She reached for the small pistol at her waist, the one she had been permitted to carry while on duty. It held six rounds, but that was more than enough for emergencies.
Just as Chloe hesitated, intending to assess Brian’s condition from outside the room, a pained groan suddenly echoed from within. It sounded feral, as if something was trapped and wounded.
Her heart jumped. Whatever rules Brian had set about this forbidden room no longer mattered.
She grabbed the doorknob, bracing to force it open if she had to. But to her surprise, it turned easily. The
door hadn’t even been locked.
When she entered the room, the sight that met her eyes as she stepped inside stopped her cold.
The room was dim, and on the walls hung whips. There were rows of them in all kinds and sizes.
In the corner, Brian was curled up tightly. His elegant, slender fingers twisted at unnatural angles, and his striking face was contorted with agony. The broken moans she had heard from outside spilled endlessly from his lips.
Relieved to see no one else was inside, Chloe quickly holstered her gun and rushed to Brian’s side. What’s happening to you?” she urgently asked.
But he didn’t seem to hear her. His body shook, and his finger clawed at his own flesh as if he meant to drive them to the bone.
“Brian!” Chloe shouted, grabbing his hand. She forced them still before he could tear himself apart. What’s wrong with you?”
“I’ll be good… I’ll be good. I’ll keep Mom here…” Brian’s voice was broken and incoherent, spilling from him in fragments. “Hurts… it hurts… it hurts so much…”
Chloe’s chest tightened. Her mind flashed to the scars she had once seen on his back.
for Liam.
The implications dawned on Chloe. Had Brian been a victim of his own father?
Suddenly, her chest began to hurt. It was a dull, aching pain.
To Chloe’s surprise, she realized it was pity. She felt sorry for him.
“Brian, snap out of it!” she shouted.
But his eyes were lifeless, as if drowned in pain. His hand thrashed, trying to break free of her grip.
His strength was frightening. When Chloe realized she couldn’t hold him for much longer, she made a split
-second decision.
Using her body weight, she pushed Brian down beneath her and locked her fingers tightly with his.
“Wake up! No one is going to hit you now. As long as I’m here, I won’t let you suffer!” she pressed him
down, looking at him as she spoke.
Brian was lost in a sea of never–ending pain. The relentless scourge of a whip fell upon him, each blow
more excruciating than the last.
But what cut even deeper were Liam’s words, each one a curse.
Was he unworthy of being used as a mere tool? If his existence had meaning only in keeping Emily from leaving, then what was the point of living once she was gone?
The pain and the darkness were overwhelming him. Who would save him now?
No one, surely. Even his parents had abandoned him…
“Brian? Brian! Do you hear me?”
The voice cut through. It was familiar, desperate, and close to his ear.
Whose voice was it? It sounded so familiar, so steady, that it gave him an odd sense of peace.
“Brian, you have to listen to me! As long as I’m here, no one will hurt you ever again! So wake up!”
The voice was strong and commanding. It drove the darkness away, and with it, Brian’s eyes slowly
cleared.
The first thing he saw was those familiar eyes, bright and unyielding. Then, that delicate yet spirited face he longed for came into view.
It was Chloe.
Brian’s lashes trembled as he stared at her in shock. She had pulled him out of his madness.
Chloe didn’t run or flinch. Most importantly, she didn’t abandon him.
Chapter 87 The Forbidden Room
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“You came…” he murmured.
“Yes, I came,” she answered. “Is your head clear now? Do you know who I am and where you are?”
Brian pressed his dry lips together. “You’re Chloe and… this is a room in my villa.”
His gaze flicked to the whips hanging on the wall, and he instantly knew where they were. They were inside the forbidden room.
As a child, Liam had brought him here to punish him. This room was his deepest, darkest nightmare.
Brian had preserved the room as a stark reminder. Weakness meant being controlled.
This was why he had to become stronger. He had to rise above Liam and forever break free from his
torment.
But he never expected that after all these years without a single episode, his condition would resurface.
And worse still, Chloe had entered the room.
“How do you feel now? Let me take you to the hospital,” she softly said.
“I’m not going to the hospital. I’m fine now,” he replied.
“But just now you-”
“There’s no point. A regular hospital wouldn’t be able to help me.”
Chloe didn’t argue further. She started to get up, only to realize their fingers were still interlocked.
“Loosen your hand,” she said.
Brian’s lips pressed into a thin line, and he released his left hand. As soon as she reached to loosen the other, his arm suddenly slid around her waist and pulled her down against him.
Caught off guard, Chloe tumbled onto his chest. “What are you-”
She lifted her head, only to be trapped by his deep, dark gaze.
Brian’s gaze burned into her as his lips moved. “Even with you pinning me down like this, don’t you desire
me?”
