Instantly, Lina clamped shut. She didn't even flinch or blink when Kaden muttered curses one after the other. Her ears bled. This man needed to wash his mouth with soap.

  "Dove."

  Kaden saw her shut down in real-time. She resembled an oyster shutting so tightly, there was no way of opening it. Immediately, he regretted his reaction. He shouldn't have been loud or violent. He was well-aware of her turbulent childhood. He remembered her words.

  If they were to have children, she'd never want them to witness these kinds of fights.

  Running a hand through his hair, Kaden pressed his lips together. His nostrils flared as he sharply exhaled through his nose. She remained rooted to the table. Her eyes flickered and she glanced at his shoulders. He hated this expression of hers the most.

  Kaden could practically picture her youth. When she learned that her crying only made the arguments worse, a little Lina adapted to shutting off her emotions. The child went from sobbing during her parents' and relatives' disputes to remaining frozen like a statue. What kind of effect did that have on her?

  "Dove," Kaden murmured. He dropped his hands to his side.

  Lina grounded her teeth. She frowned towards the ground, her heart racing in disbelief. This man… was never going to change. He did it again. She tried so hard to have a civil conversation. Sure, she made a jab at him with a cold dish. But did he have to behave like that?

  Suddenly, something snapped.

  Lina slowly blinked.

  These violent fights end with us.

  Lina breathed out. The revelation punched her in the stomach. It knocked the wind out of her. Kaden. Was. Never. Going. To. Change. Did she want to subject her future children to that? Was this the life she wanted them to have?

  Will they have to hold a stuffed toy and cry loudly in front of their parent's homicidal disputes? Will her daughters beg on their knees for everything to stop? Will her sons have to witness their father throw tantrums and toss things across the room?

  Will Lina subject her children to that childhood?

  "This ends with me."

  "I'm sorry," Kaden said. He grabbed one of her hands that laid limp on the table. He linked their fingers together. He pressed his forehead upon hers, tightly squeezing his eyes shut.

  "I was wrong, dove of mine. I'm in the wrong. It's my fault." Kaden firmly planted his palm on her lower back, pressing her even closer to him.

  "Please forgive me, I—"

  "I watched my mother throw plates and vases at my father and his hysterical anger. I've witnessed my grandfather destroying the entire room and house to blow steam."

  "Dove, I know, I—"

  "I remember hugging Milo when he broke down at the sight of this. I remember thinking to myself, who was there to comfort me when I saw it? All these years of therapy and I never healed from it."

  Kaden knew where this was going. He could see it from a mile away. He lost her three times and this was the fourth. His grip tightened on her hand. Would she run again? Would she disappear from his life? Would he be as pathetic as Atlantis who did nothing but drink himself stupid?

  Kaden didn't mean it as an insult, for he basically did the same. Except, he was much worse. Any man that showed interest in her lost it in just a day. He'd make sure of it. No one was to disturb the peace of his property. He did it from the shadows these past five years. He'd only do the same.

  Lina could run for all she wanted. She could even go to the other end of the world. It wasn't like she was going to drop dead now. It wasn't like their time was limited.

  "You're going to leave me." It was not a command. It wasn't even a question. It was the truth. Kaden knew this from the bottom of his heart.

  "You don't realize it, do you?" Kaden let out laughter, his voice cracking. Not from pain, but from insanity. Emotions clawed at his chest, but all he could muster was his craziness.

  "How happy you can make me from doing just the simplest things… all you have to do is exist and it is enough for me. I don't even need you to smile. I only want to see you once or twice." Kaden's tone was filled with bitterness.

  If Atlantis was pathetic, Kaden couldn't imagine what he was. Whipped? No. Tortured. That was what he was. Her absence was worse than being chained, skinned, and brutalized. Every fiber in his body craved her. By now, he couldn't describe it. This urge to possess her. This ability to kill anyone, even his loved ones, even Mia, if it meant to have her.

  Kaden didn't even know what to call his own emotions.

  "What a pitiful creature I am," Kaden realized. "Just how much control do you have over me? Do you even realize that?"

  Lina tried to pull away. She wanted to leave. She suddenly lost the reasoning for coming here. She needed space—and time.

  "Let me go," Lina said in a collected voice.

  Despite his proclamation, Kaden yanked her towards him. He was a mad man. She stiffened. He hugged her so tightly, she felt her bones being crushed against his body. His hand clawed up to her shoulders, gripping it tightly. His other arm clung onto her back desperately. He pressed his face into her neck.

  He was shaking.

  Lina softly reached for his upperback. But then, she froze. He wasn't trembling because he was scared of losing her. He was laughing. Her heart dropped. My god, this was beginning to scare her.

  "If you're going to run, dove of mine, run for your life. You better hide so well I'd never be able to find you. I'll even give you a head start."

  Lina could feel her heart's tremor. His chilling words made her skin crawl. This wasn't what she wanted. No. This was far from it.

  "All I wanted was the truth," Lina admitted.

  Kaden stilled.

  "All I wanted was to hear it from your mouth. Not anyone else's. Not the doctors…… Not from strangers. Why did everyone else know before me? Why… am I always the last one?"