CHAPTER FOUR
943 Words
It wasn't a dream.
Eminent loomed beside her bed.
Her eyes flew to the door. Sapphire stood there, panic written all over his face.
Why did he come back so soon? Her pulse thudded in her ears.
Sapphire must have freed him.
All her plans to punish Eminent crumbled instantly.
“I guess you had a nice sleep,” Eminent murmured, his voice smooth and deadly, each word sending shivers down her spine.
She pressed her lips together, wishing she could undo what she’d just done. She was in his house, after all.
Before she could collect her thoughts, Eminent dragged her up by her hair from the bed, his grip merciless.
“What were you thinking, tying me up in my own house?” His voice was sharp, every word laced with anger.
“You're always blinded by revenge, never thinking about the aftermath,” he continued, his eyes cold and piercing.
“I've had pity on you… but you've gone too far.” Eminent roared. Chill ran down her spine as she stared at him.
His hand shot to her neck, squeezing mercilessly. Her hands flailed in the air as she struggled to draw a breath.
“Boss!” She heard Sapphire’s voice call out.
Eminent pushed her roughly to the floor.
“Take her away. Make sure she is tortured,” he said as he walked away.
Her legs wobbled. She pressed against the wall to steady herself.
“I can't plead for you. You have gone to the extreme,” Sapphire said.
Vanessa ignored him.
She and Sapphire walked silently from the mansion. She stepped into the dungeon. Flickering torchlight cast long shadows along the rough stone walls. Tough men were stationed in different rooms of the dungeon, their muscles tense, eyes sharp. This was another section of the dungeon.
“This is Lungeman, young lady,” she heard Sapphire remind the man stationed at the dungeon.
He nodded at her and walked away.
The man stationed in the dungeon, where she was placed, shoved her forward.
Vanessa marked his face carefully.
He was going to pay for this… once everything was settled.
Before she could react further, metal clinked against her wrists. The man handcuffed her tightly with a chain.
The cold bite of the metal reminded her that she was trapped.
Then the man walked toward the far end of the room. Vanessa glanced around, her hands still bound, until her eyes landed on a wooden chair with a broken arm. She lowered herself onto it.
Just when she thought it was over, he stepped closer, a snake dangling from his hand.
Dread coiled in her stomach as he advanced, a slow grin creeping across his face, as if he were enjoying the show.
Her legs wobbled as she pushed herself up from the chair, stepping back as the man moved closer.
“Ahhh!” she cried out.
Her breath came in sharp gasps as she kept retreating until he suddenly stopped.
The snake hit the floor.
She stopped mid-step. Only then did she realize it wasn’t moving. It was dead.
“Eminent Domain! You will pay for this!” she shouted, her voice shaking with anger and fear.
Forcefully, he dragged her to the broken chair and tied a rope tightly around her.
A sharp jolt shot through her body.
Electricity tore through her.
“Ahhh!” she gasped, her body jerking violently.
Moments later, he loosened the rope around her and yanked her mercilessly. Her shoes scraped against uneven tiles as she was dragged toward the iron door.
Vanessa didn’t fight this time.
She let him pull her.
He forced her against the door and bound her there.
Then, without a word, he brought out a whip.
The first lash struck.
Slash!
Another followed.
And another.
He didn’t stop.
Vanessa’s screams tore through the room. Her cry tore unevenly from her throat, her body jerked against the rope.
It had been three days. She hadn't eaten anything.
The man had been generous enough to give her water, but even that small mercy only delayed the revenge she had planned for him.
Her legs buckled as she tried to rise, forcing her to lean on the wall for support.
Just then, Eminent's voice cut through the room.
“Vanessa Lungeman,” he said, calm and cold.
“How was your vacation? Was it enjoyable?” he said with a smug look on his face.
Vanessa gritted her teeth. This time, she had failed; her chance to plot had slipped away.
Eminent Domain… I will make you beg for mercy, she stammered, lips trembling as she forced the words out.
She watched as Eminent chuckled.
“Still as vicious as ever.”
“We will be going to a family gathering later in the evening,” he said, his voice cold and calm.
She ignored him.
Then his voice came in again.
“I heard you have an idea about the Gulmiho file location,”
“How about we work together again?” he asked.
“I'd rather make a deal with the devil than with you,” she said. Her eyes lifted, sharp and unforgiving.
A bitter laugh escaped her.
“So you can kill me too, as you did to your mother?”
Vanessa spoke slowly, her words sharp and deliberate.
Silence followed.
She saw him stagger slightly, and his expression flickered.
Her muscles tensed as she waited for his next move.
Then, quietly, he let the words out.
“Release her.”
Her eyes followed his back as he walked away. A wave of regret rushed through her. Should she have said those words?
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