Trading Love For The Devil’s Ring

"Nico, Scarlett just likes you too much. Don't blame her. If it makes her feel better, I'm willing to marry into the Volkov family in her place."

At the mention of the Volkov family, Nico's face instantly darkened. He remembered with brutal clarity how Veronica had died in their last life.

A cruel glint flashed in his eyes. He snatched a steak knife from a nearby table setting and viciously slammed it through the back of my hand, pinning it to the mahogany wood.

Searing pain shot up my arm, so intense it stole my breath.

"Scarlett Russell," he hissed. "You will marry into the Volkov family, and you will do it quietly. Otherwise, I'll have those men 'take care' of you again."

With that, he strode out with Veronica, leaving me to collapse onto the floor, staring at my mangled, bloody hand.

Nico… I understand now. I won’t love you anymore. Never again.

I returned home in a daze to find my family gathered around the dining table, enjoying top-grade steak.

As I walked in, my parents looked up, their expressions a fumbled mixture of awkwardness and surprise.

"Scarlett, what are you doing back? Weren't you supposed to be at the Volkov estate today?"

I glanced at the plates on the table, my voice cold. "Who told you that?"

No one answered. But the look they exchanged with Veronica screamed the truth.

I stared at the half-eaten steaks, my stomach churning.

"Scarlett, have you eaten? I'll have the kitchen make you something—"

"No, thank you." I forced a smile and turned toward my room.

When I was five, before Veronica was born, my parents gave me a colt for my birthday. I named him Griffin.

After Veronica was born, they all but forgot I existed. But Griffin didn't. He was my constant companion as I grew up.

Because of him, I forbade horse meat in our house. Everyone knew that.

But tonight… I came home too late.

I couldn't bear the thought. I sprinted to the stables.

"Griffin! Griffin!"

I searched every stall—it was empty. No soft whinny, no sign of him.

A deep chill crept up my spine.

I scrambled back downstairs and seized Veronica's arm. "What are you eating?" I demanded.

I stared at her lips, praying she would deny it.

Instead, she burst out laughing. "We're eating your precious Griffin! And you know what? He's delicious."

The shiny sauce glistening at the corner of her mouth made me gag. I let go of her and stumbled back, retching.

But she wasn't finished.

She leaned in with a cold smile, her voice laced with cruelty. "Scarlett, you should have seen it. When that stupid horse was loaded onto the truck for the slaughterhouse, it kept looking toward your room—as if it thought you would come and save it. Pathetic, right? You're getting married anyway, so keeping it around was an eyesore. We did you a favor."

Her laughter was like a knife twisting in my heart.

Something inside me snapped. A white-hot rage flared, and my hand flew across her face in a hard slap.

"Why?" I screamed. "I gave you everything! I chose Julian so you and Nico could be together. Why can't you just leave me alone?"

Veronica clutched her cheek, her head slowly rising. Her eyes blazed with a manic, unhinged hatred. "Why? Because in our last life, you were the one who stayed behind and pushed me to that monster in the Volkov family!"

"I was trapped there, serving that monster like some breeding machine! I was so alone, and you sent me to that hell! All I did was look for some comfort with Nico, and the Volkovs caught me. They buried me alive like an animal!"

"And all the while, you were stealing everything that should have been mine!"

So that was it.

That was why the Volkov family had executed her.

She had betrayed them, had an affair with Nico, and was carrying his child.

No wonder Nico had descended into such madness after her death.