Chapter 4: Shadows of the Past

Chapter 4: Shadows of the Past

The night after our fight in the garden lingered in my heart like a wound that wouldn’t close. Jack’s cold words echoed in my mind: “You’ll never understand my pain.”

I tried to tell myself not to care, not to chase someone who clearly hated me. But the truth was cruel: I couldn’t stop caring. Every time I saw him — in the hallways, in the courtyard, standing silently behind my father — his face was carved with grief and anger. He looked like a man trapped in a cage with invisible chains, and something inside me ached to set him free.

One evening, I found him in the stables, brushing down one of the horses. The light was dim, and shadows stretched long across the walls. He didn’t notice me at first, or maybe he was simply ignoring me.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” I whispered.

He stiffened, his hand pausing on the horse’s mane. “And you keep following me.”

I stepped closer, trying to hold his gaze. “Because I want to understand you. Jack, why do you hate me so much?”

For a long moment, he said nothing. Then, slowly, he turned to face me. His eyes were colder than the night air, but beneath the frost, I saw something darker — pain, sharp and deep.

“Your family destroyed mine,” he said at last. His voice was low, trembling with anger. “Once, my family had everything. We were respected, wealthy, free. But then politics changed. Your father rose, and mine fell. Lies, betrayals, power struggles — in the end, we lost everything. Do you know what it’s like to watch your world crumble? To see your family fall from grace and be forced to sell their children just to survive?”

My breath caught in my throat. “Jack… I didn’t know.”

“Of course, you didn’t.” His tone was sharp. “You live in silk sheets and golden halls. You’ve never known hunger, or chains, or betrayal. To you, I’m just a gift. To me, you’re a reminder of everything I lost.”

His words cut me, but not in the way he intended. I wasn’t hurt by his hate — I was hurt by the depth of his suffering. For the first time, I understood the storm that raged inside him.

I stepped closer, my voice trembling. “I didn’t choose this life, Jack. I didn’t ask for you to be bought. But I promise you — I don’t see you as a gift. I see you as… as you.”

He stared at me, stunned into silence. For a moment, the coldness in his eyes cracked, revealing a flash of vulnerability, raw and human. But then, just as quickly, he looked away, his walls snapping back into place.

“You shouldn’t care for me,” he said flatly. “It will only bring you pain.”

“Maybe,” I admitted, my voice soft. “But pain is better than pretending you don’t matter.”

The silence that followed was heavy, filled with unspoken words. The horse shifted restlessly, as if sensing the tension between us.

Finally, Jack brushed past me, his footsteps echoing against the stone floor. Before leaving, he said one last thing — a whisper that was almost lost in the dark.

“They’ll never let us be free.”

Then he was gone, swallowed by the shadows.

I stood there alone, shivering, not just from the night air but from the weight of his words. They’ll never let us be free.

For the first time, I realized the truth. Loving Jack wouldn’t just be difficult — it would be dangerous. And yet, as the shadows deepened around me, one thought refused to leave my mind:

Danger or not, my heart was already his.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***