"What did Ai tell you?"

Yuan's voice thundered through the door as soon as he came in. He brought his scary guardsman with him for further intimidation.

"Yuan!" My heart hammered on my chest as I yanked myself out of bed, flustered beyond myself. Yuan turned me into an anxious woman that I'm always flinching at the sound of his voice or at the sight of him every time he came around.

My eyes darted between him and his scary guardsman. He had never let that man inside my chamber before until now, and I knew right then Yuan meant to interrogate me.

"What did Ai tell you?!" His hard voice boomed and shook the thin walls sending ripples of alarm swarming all over my body.

"What're you talking about?" I answered. I knew better than to admit anything because either way, there'll be consequences whether I told him what he wanted or not.

"Ai!" He cut dangerously and leaned further, his fierce eyes burned into me. Yuan had me bending backwards at the weight of his dominance.

He snatched my arm and gripped it tight cutting the circulation of blood from flowing. I tried to pull away but his hands were like steel that my efforts were useless.

"I don't know. I haven't seen Ai."

"Why do you lie so much, Jasmine? You lied to my brothers all the time, and now you lied to me!" Yuan jerked on my arm reeling me closer. I winced but he didn't let go. His fingers tightened turning my entire arm purple. "Lying to the emperor is punishable by death, remember that!"

I had no doubt he'll have me killed at the first chance he got.

"I'm not lying!" I retorted.

His wide palm flew from nowhere and struck my cheek. I yelped from the sudden pain. It came so fast that I never saw it coming until it was right on my face.

For a few seconds the world turned dark and my knees gave out. He hit me hard enough where it knocked me out unconscious. Yuan kept his hold on me and steadied me just enough until I came back then threw me on the bed.

His nose flared, his eyes glittered with savage rage that was all directed to me.

I never knew what it was like to fear men until now. My father treated me like a treasure growing up. My husband treated me as thought I was his universe, and prince Julong treated me as one of those unreachable stars he'd do anything to have.

I was a treasure to my father, the universe to my husband, and a fantasy to prince Julong. But Yuan opened my eyes to how ruthless and malicious human beings could be.

I held myself from crying. It's so easy to cry when I get my heart broken or whenever I get sad about something but anger had a different kind of determination. I seethed in rage just as much as he did.

If he thinks for one second I will compromise the only ally I have in this palace, he is severely mistaken. At least now I have hope, I found out the truth. He's using prince Julong's unborn child against him. If he held me hostage, he had all the advantage he needed.

I suck a breath, my eyes moistened but not enough to make me cry helpless and senseless. My own hand lifted to caress the throbbing skin that's quickly turning purple.

Yuan's face later rearranged to something horrified as though his own act of violence surprised him.

"No, no, no, no…" Yuan turned from someone savage to someone so sweet and affectionate like a switch had been flipped and he's suddenly a different person. He pulled and cradled me gently into his chest, resting his head on the hollow crook of my neck. "Oh, forgive me, Jasmine. I didn't mean to hurt you."

This was not the first time he struck me and this was not the first time he said those apologetic words to me either. He acted as if aplologizing can erase the pain and trauma of his abuse easily.

He kissed my shoulder but it only made my skin crawl at the sensation of his filthy lips on my skin.

Yuan cupped both my cheeks into his palms, landing soft peppers of kisses on the bruised part of my face. "Look what you made me do, Jasmine." He crooned. "You should've known better, you know not to make me angry. I wouldn't had hurt you if you hadn't made me angry."

He kissed my bruised cheek again and tucked me in his chest. "I'm sorry, my love." His voice dipped so low that it mimicked the voice of the man I loved. My stomach churned with disgust. I hated the way he looked and sounded just like Hoon sometimes.

Yuan guided me back to bed. "Lay down, Jasmine. You shouldn't be out of bed, I don't want you stressing out, not when you're so close to having our baby."

There's no doubt I'll wind up having the baby prematurely at this rate.

Yuan tucked me underneath the sheets and made sure I was comfortable before turning over his shoulder, snarling commands at the servants lined behind the wall of my chamber. "Go fetch her some hot water and soothing salve!"

His abusive hand caressed my tender bruise yet again. "I don't know what Ai told you, and I could assure you right now you shouldn't trust her. Ai was jealous she wasn't the one to give me a child, she's out to ruin me. I will be sending her back home to her father for now, but whatever she told you, it held no truth to it. You're dear to me Jasmine. And the reason I made you my concubine was because I cared for you. I'm even willing to elevate you as one of my wives." His hand that softly caressed my cheek transferred to my stomach and traced the line of my bump. He looked at my belly with genuine warmth in his eyes. "This child is ours and I will destroy anyone who takes it away from us."

A shiver ran down my spine. Not only Yuan is abusive, he's also crazy.