Damaged

Damaged The Primes Linie Bener E dited By: Norma Gambini Cover Artist: Prism Designs Copyright © 2023 by Linie Bener All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. Contents 1. Damaged 2. Book Description 3. Trigger warnings 4. Chapter 1 5. Chapter 2 6. Chapter 3 7. Chapter 4 8. Chapter 5 9. Chapter 6 10. Chapter 7 11. Chapter 8 12. Chapter 9 13. Chapter 10 14. Chapter 11 15. Chapter 12 16. Chapter 13 17. Chapter 14 18. Chapter 15 19. Chapter 16 Damaged Book Description Power, seduction, desire, and twisted revenge. This is the theme of my life. A prime heir whose family's enemies want revenge on me, risking my blossoming relationship with Christian. But I refuse to be a victim, and I'll do whatever it takes to keep him by my side, even if it means making personal sacrifices that could break us both. I know I can't face it alone, with danger lurking at every turn. With the help of my allies, we'll rise above this conflict and ensure that we come out victorious. This is not your typical romance. It's a story of obsession, danger, and intense sexual chemistry, with dark themes and triggering content. For mature readers 18+. No cheating. Please read the trigger warning. Christian and Catherine's journey will conclude in book 4, where we'll discover whether their love is strong enough to withstand the ultimate test. Next book is about Rome's story. Trigger warnings This book contains offensive language, drug, and alcohol use. It also contains descriptive torture, graphic violence, and death scenes with graphic sexual encounters, attempted rape, and mention of child molestation. Chapter 1 Catherine“Elizabeth! God, are you okay?” Mother’s voice held a hint of hysteria, while Father’s face contorted in anger. One would believe they were concerned parents, but it was all an act. I'd laugh hysterically at their acting skills if I weren’t too shocked at their arrival. At least my late grandmother didn’t bother pretending. She was blunt, cold, and she didn’t bother mincing words while my parents pretended to care. However, they were cowards and only looked out for themselves. “What are you doing here?” I asked in a sharp tone. This prompted Christian to lay a hand on my shoulder. “We heard . . .” Mother's voice croaked as she choked back tears. “Are you okay?” Father regarded me with a solemn expression. I sneered at the fakeness and exhaled harshly. “Why do you care? You said it was my duty to be a good wife to William Arnoult. You didn't care the last time he abused me. Why should you care if his father did this to me?"My mother reached out to touch me and said, “Eliza—.” I jerked away because I didn’t want her comfort. My emotions were still raw, and I couldn't fake being nice. They needed to wait until I was better to get their fake daughter back because they loved it when we all acted like one happy family. My eyes burned as I held back tears. Their presence here dredged up the emotions I kept under a tight leash. “If you’re not here to free me from my betrothal to William, you can leave.”Father's eyes lowered. This made me angrier. How dare he act contrite. Why couldn't he fight for me like a normal father would? “It’s not that easy,” he said.I let out a sardonic laugh and gave them a harsh stare. “There is nothing else I want to say to either of you.” My tone held a hint of dismissal. “I—” my mom persisted, but I firmly shook my head. I'd had enough of this crap for one day. She looked pitifully at my dad, but he avoided eye contact. Mother's shoulders rolled forward, and she sighed in defeat. Good. No more pretending. To me, they might as well be dead. I had too much pain to bear, and I didn't need them adding to it.“Wait.” I side-eyed Christian, ready to snap at him. Didn’t he understand how much I wanted them to leave? But the intensity of the way he stared at my mother stopped me. “Arnoult Senior did this to Izzy and Leah.” He pointed at Leah and me. My mother cast her eyes toward Leah for the first time, whereas my father kept his gaze fixed on the ground. “He wanted you,” Christian said in an accusatory tone.My mother's eyes widened, but Christian continued. “He was using them as leverage to get to you.”My father’s eyes jerked up while my mother stared at Christian with an unreadable expression.“What did he want?” Father asked in a sharp tone. I hated that he showed more emotion about this than my current state. My weight shifted, wishing they’d leave. The feeling of loathing bubbled, and I wanted to hurt them. I wanted them to feel how much they hurt me, so I said, "Because of your treachery, Arnoult Senior exacted his vengeance on Leah and me." Mother stiffened until her tears revealed her true feelings. When Dad saw Mom crying, the wrinkles around his eyes deepened. Did she still have feelings for Senior? With a scowl, father nodded at Klause and Christian, then reached for my leg, but stopped short of skin contact. His expression softened as he looked into my eyes and said, "I'm glad you're recovering."That's it? What a fucking joke.My pent-up rage flared, and I opened my mouth to yell at him, but he spun and marched out the door. My mom sobbed and then bolted after my dad without saying another word. My throat tightened, and the room fell silent. Only after Christian dried my eyes did I realize I had been crying.I hated that I still cared. I should let them go, but the tenacious ember of hope always sparked whenever I was around them, and it hurt just as