The Wedding He Stole From Me

Chapter 7 Six Days in the Dark

Christina's heart leaped into her throat with sudden panic. She rushed forward and pounded desperately on the door, frantic to escape.

From outside the door, Hector's voice rang out, heavy with disappointment. "Christina, I really don't want to do this to you, but you've gone way too far this time. Just stay in there and think about what you've done. I'll let you out once you're ready to admit your mistake."

Then she heard his footsteps fading away into the distance. She called out desperately, but all that escaped her lips were heartbreaking screams. She could not form a single word.

Defeated, she sank to the floor and turned to gaze into the pitch-black basement behind her. Fear gripped her, and she curled up tightly, trying to make herself as small as possible.

It all brought back memories from a year ago. Bianca had discovered that she and Hector had been staying in touch. Enraged, Bianca had stormed in with a group of people and locked her away in the basement.

That basement had been dark and freezing, crawling with insects. She had been imprisoned for a full week without a drop of water or a bite of food. She had passed out from hunger several times. By the time Hector found her, she had been on the brink of death.

Hector had been furious and heartbroken. He had rushed straight to Larson Manor to confront Bianca, knocking her unconscious in his rage. It was only when Rhett arrived with his men that the chaos was finally stopped.

At that moment, as he held her close, he had vowed that he would never let anyone hurt her again.

But now, here he was, teaming up with Bianca to torment her instead.

A year later, the basement felt even colder than before. To her horror, there was a venomous snake slithering somewhere in the shadows.

Terrified of getting bitten, Christina had spent every moment on edge, carefully avoiding the creature. She did not even dare to fall into a deep sleep.

Suddenly, a wave of regret washed over her. She wished she had just apologized to Hector right away. After all, she only had to endure a few more days before she could leave them all behind for good.

She could only hope that he would remember her soon and come to release her.

But Hector's attention was entirely on Bianca. For six straight days, he had not checked on her even once.

Christina felt utterly hopeless. And things got even worse when she accidentally disturbed the snake. Just like her, the serpent had not eaten a single thing in those six days and was starving, its body gaunt and desperate.

The moment it spotted Christina, the snake flicked its tongue and lunged straight at her. She had no time to dodge. The fangs sank deep into her flesh.

Within moments, the venom spread through her body. The agony forced her to curl into a tight ball on the ground, completely immobilized.

Just as she believed she would die there that day, Hector's voice echoed from the doorway. "Christina, it's been so many days already. Do you realize your mistake now? As long as you sign this confession paper, I'll let you out immediately."

Right after, he slipped the confession sheet through the gap under the door.

By then, Christina was barely clinging to life, tormented by the snake's poison. When her dim eyes fell on the paper, a faint spark of hope flickered in them. But she did not have the strength to crawl over and sign it, not even enough to open her mouth. She could only watch helplessly as the sheet lay there, just out of reach.

When Christina gave no response, Hector frowned in irritation. "I know being locked up here has made you angry, but this is all your own fault. If you keep madding me, I'll take back my offer."

A flash of panic crossed her eyes. Fighting through the searing pain, she began to drag herself toward the paper. But her body felt like it was weighed down with lead. Even with every ounce of her strength, she only inched forward a tiny bit.

The effort was too much, and her broken fingernails tore at the rough floor. Blood trickled from her fingertips, leaving a crimson trail across the ground.

As the confession paper drew closer, a glimmer of hope broke through the despair on her face.

Just a little more. Just a tiny bit more, and she could finally get out.

But at that moment, Hector lost his patience. His voice turned cold. "Christina, you are getting more willful by the day. Since you refuse to admit your mistake, you can just stay in there."