My mind went to my frozen bank accounts, and my body locked in place.
"Hurry! If you don't pay now, he's going to bleed to death!"
The nurse kept pressing. I forced my stiff legs to move and slowly turned to face Ian, who stood behind me.
"Ian. All my accounts are frozen. Could you..."
Ian had his arm draped around Nadia's slender waist, laughing with unbridled arrogance.
"Sure, I'll help. But if you're going to beg, you'd better beg properly."
He raised an eyebrow at me.
"Your people have been conning the Delgado family for nearly a century. You think one little video settles that? Get on your knees. Apologize to me and to every Delgado ancestor."
I looked at Alaric, his robes already soaked through with blood.
I couldn't afford to waste another second.
I dropped to my knees at Ian's feet, my voice shaking.
"I'm sorry. I deceived you—"
Nadia cut me off, her voice dripping with saccharine sweetness.
"Just 'sorry'? That's hardly enough. You need to kowtow."
"What are you looking at me for? Nadia told you to kowtow. Are you deaf? A hundred times!"
Under Ian's mocking gaze, I slammed my forehead against the ground.
"One... two..."