Ounce of my hatred

**Ivery Clark POV**

The scent of mildew and something far worse, the acrid bitterness of old blood—hung in the air, as I neared the stone steps leading down to the dungeon, making my stomach churn.

I hesitated at the top of the stairs, gripping the iron rail as though it might steady the storm of emotions tearing through me.

Rowan was down there. My brother—my family, my tether to sanity—was somewhere beneath my feet in the clutches of *him*.

What state would Rowan be in? Had they tortured him, starved him? Could I even recognize the brother I’d once laughed with, shared secrets with?

Drawing in a shaky breath, I turned the handle and pushed the door open.

The sight that greeted me turned my stomach.

The dim room was dominated by Rowan, slumped in the corner, his body bloodied and bound..

The sight hit me like a blow, my knees threatening to buckle. His face was bruised, one eye nearly swollen shut, dried blood marking the sharp angles of his cheekbones.

“Rowan...” The sound of his name cracked from my throat, and he slowly lifted his head. His good eye opened, recognition flashing in it.

“Ivery...” His voice was hoarse, broken, but unmistakably him.

I ran to him, falling to my knees despite the cold, wet floor. “Rowan, oh my God! What did they do to you? What did they—” My words dissolved into sobs, my shaking hands hovering over him, too afraid to touch his wounds.

“Don’t cry, Ivy.” His voice was weak, “I’m fine. Don’t cry for me.”

"Fine?" My voice broke. “You’re not fine! You’re—” I gestured helplessly to the blood and bruises. “Look at you! How did this happen? How could you—?” 

“How could it not?" His head leaned back against the wall, his one good eye closing for a moment before he murmured, “Someone had to step up.”

"What are you talking about?" I wiped my face with trembling hands. “Rowan, how—how did you even get involved in… this?” My voice dropped to a whisper, disbelief choking me. "A gang, mafia." 

His jaw tightened, “How else, Ivy? What do you think I was going to do?”

I blinked at him, tears still streaking my face. “You—you could’ve worked. Found a normal job. Anything but this! Why would you choose—”

"Choose?" he snapped, his voice cracking like thunder in the confined space. “You think this was a choice? You think I wanted this?”

I flinched, stunned by the force of his words, and his face softened immediately, though his expression remained pained.

He shook his head slowly. “You were too young to understand. After Dad was gone—after everything—there was nothing. No money, no education. No help. What was I supposed to do? Watch you and Mom starve?”

"And moreover do you think I wanted you and mom to see what I had to do just so we could keep a roof over our heads?”

My heart twisted in my chest. I bit my lip, tasting blood as fresh tears spilled over.

"You deserved better. And so did Mom. I couldn’t just let it all fall apart. So, yeah, I did what I had to. Don’t you dare look at me like I had a choice!”

My voice was barely a whisper, raw and trembling. “I'm not judging you…I just—I hate that you had to go through this.”

Rowan’s head fell forward, his expression crumbling in a way I hadn’t seen since we were kids. 

“I hate it too, Ivy,” he murmured. “You think this is what I wanted for us? For me?"

My chest heaved with sobs, the weight of his words pressing down on me like a crushing tide. “I didn’t know. I didn’t—Rowan, I’m so sorry.”

His lips pressed into a grim line, "You tell me…how did you end up with Alrigo? How did you associate with someone dangerous like him?”

The words “Alrigo,” so easily slipped from his lips, stung like venom.

I swallowed hard, trying to hide the panic that was crawling up my throat. I couldn’t tell him the truth. 

How could I even begin to answer him? How could I tell him that I was caught up in the mess of Alrigo’s world, tangled with Surñio’s gang, the auction... and the damned consequences of my own actions?

I couldn’t lay bare the horrifying fact that I met Alrigo through a twisted chain of events I didn’t fully control. That truth... it would break him.

So I lied. “I... I met him in the city. He seemed like just another businessman, maybe a little more polished than the others.”

“Businessman,” he repeated coldly, the word coming out like it tasted foul. “A businessman, huh? Then how did you get caught up in all this?”

“I didn't ask for this, Rowan. He approached me like I was just another means to his end, but I didn’t realize how deep in the mess I’d gotten until I was too late.”

“Too late.” Rowan scoffed bitterly. “You don’t accidentally end up with a man like that, Ivy.”

I couldn’t say anything to that—not when he was right. What kind of fool would I be to pretend it was just a twisted twist of fate that brought me here?

“I know,” I whispered, my voice trembling despite the fierce resolve I tried to muster. “I was a fool.”

His face softened for a fraction of a moment, but the hardness came back quickly, “Alrigo’s not someone you want to be involved with, Ivery. I don’t care how smooth he talks or how shiny his business deals sound. He’s no better than anyone who kills souls for money.”

I looked away. I couldn’t look into his eyes anymore. They were full of something I couldn’t bear to see—disappointment. Disgust. Shame. I had already broken his heart. This was just one more crack in the facade.

“But I don’t have a choice now, do I?” I muttered bitterly.

Rowan let out a frustrated exhale. “You do have a choice. You always have a choice.”

“And what choice do I have left? I’ve already bargained my way into his world, Rowan. I made my decisions, even if they weren’t the ones I wanted.”

Rowan watched me with pain,  “I don't care what you agreed to, Ivy. You're my sister, and I’ll never accept seeing you thrown away by him like... like trash. You need to leave.”

“You’re in danger every second you stay in this place. Alrigo…” His voice trailed off, and he shook his head. “He’ll destroy you. The way he destroys everyone.”

I froze, his words a chilling reminder of the reality we were trapped in. But I couldn’t leave—not without him. “Rowan, I can’t just leave you here. I won’t!”

“Don't worry. I’ll find a way to get word to the gang. You don't realize but there are still spies around us. I’ll get us out. I promise.”

My chest tightened. *I’ll get us out*. For a fleeting moment, hope dared to seep through the cracks. “But what about you? Rowan, what will happen to you?”

His eyes darkened, the only visible answer hidden deep in the layers of his soul that had long ago been hardened to the violence and lies around us. “Don’t worry about me. I’ve made my choices. But you, Ivy... don’t waste the chance to fight for your life. For us.”

He's right. 

If it takes everything I have, I will escape this. And I will get Rowan out of this hellhole.

No matter what it takes, I’ll claw my way out.

Even if it means surrendering to *him*.

I’ll play his game, act like I’m his, but I’ll use him to get out. One way or another, I will see his empire fall.  

I want to see his downfall, want to watch as everything he’s so meticulously built collapses into ruins.

He doesn’t know who he’s dealing with. When this is over, I’ll be standing tall while he burns, and I’ll make sure he feels every ounce of my hatred.