Cynthia: "What are you doing?" I screamed when he pushed me into the car once more, and this time he succeeded, rolling inside with me. He took off his belt and, while forcing my back against the seat, tied my hands behind my back after turning me around. "HELP!" I yelled as soon as the realization hit me. I couldn't overpower him. He still managed to secure my hands and then made me sit down, fastening the seatbelt on me before he sat in the driver's seat in silence. "My father will notice I haven't returned home," I began to threaten him, even though my father probably wouldn't notice my absence since I was supposed to go to the academy next. "Shut up!" Enzo shouted, adjusting the rearview mirror to keep an eye on me as I sat in the backseat, panic taking hold of me. He remained still for a solid minute before inserting the keys into the ignition. As he started driving, fear began to engulf me. I had no idea what he had in mind or what kind of video he was thinking of making to trap me. "Don't you think you're going after the wrong person?" I tried to make him understand that he couldn't punish me for doing what I believed was the right thing. "Wrong person? Weren't you the only one who accused me and Atticus in front of the principal?" Enzo grumbled, reminding me that I was the only one present; Mara had never set foot inside. "Do you feel any remorse for getting us in trouble with false accusations?" he shouted, being aggressive in his tone. "As if you two haven't done that to me already," I muttered through clenched teeth, my concern for myself growing. I had no idea where he was taking me because he mostly drove on roads that were rarely used. After driving aimlessly for a while, he stopped when we were close to the abandoned side of the mountains. He got out of the car immediately, while I started to struggle to exit before him. However, the belt he had wrapped around my wrists was so tight and securely tied that I couldn't move my arms. "Get out," he opened the door for me and grabbed my arm to pull me out. While doing so, he accidentally knocked me on the car door. "Now!" once we were standing face-to-face, he shoved me against the car and clutched my face in his hand, "I will give you the taste of your own medicine," he said, looking determinedly angry. I admit being wrong in this situation, but he didn’t get punished because of my accusations. He was just angry because I was his mate. That’s all I could get from him. "You were punished for making out with Mara in the girl’s bathroom. My accusations were dropped when you showed us that video and those text messages," I managed to speak since silence would only get me in trouble. Defending myself and trying to make him understand that I ended up not being the reason behind the punishment he got seemed like a good idea.However, as I said earlier, he just needed a reason to be mad at me. "And that excuses your accusations? Do you even know how Rosalie must be feeling right now? She is upset with me for---- sleeping with your fucking loser of a friend," he clenched his jaw when talking about Mara, but his eyes shone as his lips pronounced Rosalie’s name. It hurt. My ego stopped me from reminding him that I was his mate, not Rosalie. He'd been rude to me all year, so shedding tears in front of him because of his cheating wasn't something I wanted to do. We had a history of hating each other, so why should I give him the satisfaction of acting like I care? "She told me you----," thankfully, that accusation allowed me to release a whimper, "I thought I was helping a victim," I added with tears in my eyes. "You and your friend are awful. The only distinction is that---," he said, pausing briefly while digging his nails into my skin. As he said that, he pushed me back and released his grip on my face. "Your father beat you up because of the video of your rejection. Can you imagine what he'll do when he sees the video I'm going to make tonight?" He scoffed, chuckling as he pulled out his phone from his pocket. "Please, don't do it. Our lives are already filled with misery. If this video gets to my neighborhood, they'll gather and threaten me," I pleaded, knowing how much my father and our neighborhood valued their reputation. I never understood what they gained from bullying my sister and me. We had never done anything wrong. "Even with all the rules and restrictions, you and your father still found a way to break the rules," he said, rubbing his chin as he once again pointed out my behavior. I wish I could someday ask them: What was their issue, really? They didn't want me, so why did they bother about what I did or who I spent time with? "Please, just let me go!" I begged again, feeling uncomfortable for having to do so. "Hm!" He was pacing restlessly, lost in his thoughts. Then, he finally stopped and muttered, "I didn't blackmail your friend. She was pressuring me when I said I didn't want to keep sleeping with her," he explained, with a mix of emotions on his face. Honestly, I didn't give a damn about those two. It was only the mate bond that made my heart ache when I saw him with her. In response, I just nodded and decided not to argue with him about Mara anymore. I was pretty confident she could take care of herself. "Now, go before I change my mind," he hissed, but thankfully, I was free to head back home. Still, I could tell from his anger that Atticus would come down hard on me this time. I was shocked that he was letting me go like that but at least I was free for now.