Chapter 16
They dragged Serena into the hotel room and tied her to the bed. Soon, several burly men entered, just as she had falsely accused Nadine of planning to do to her.
“No! Don’t come near me! Get out! Hunter, I was wrong! I admit it!”
Serena screamed, cried, and begged, trying to ward off the approaching men. But weakened and restrained, she stood no chance against them. They tore off her last shred of clothing within moments.
Her screams turned to broken sobs as she lost all dignity, surrounded by the men’s revolting stench. The torture lasted several days before the satisfied men finally left the room.
Serena lay discarded on the floor like a filthy rag. Her eyes were vacant, and her expression looked hopeless as she was completely stripped of pride. In less than a month, she became a shadow of her former self, and all her radiance was gone.
She didn’t even notice when Hunter approached. The man stared down at her for a long time.
Serena’s dull mind slowly registered the gaze. Her eyes gradually focused on the approaching figure. It was Hunter!
Hope surged through her almost immediately. She scrambled up and clung to his legs.
“Hunter! I know I was wrong, truly! Please forgive me! I’ll change, I’ll never do those things again!
“It was all my fault! I’ll do anything for your forgiveness! Save me, Hunter! Just no more… I’m so scared… so scared…”
Tears streamed down her face, and her terror was undeniably real. Even so, she still had a chance at redemption–something Nadine would never have again.
The thought of that left Hunter cold as he observed Serena’s pitiful state. “Do one last thing to settle your debt with Nadine, and I’ll forgive you.”
The offer was irresistible to Serena. She would agree to anything to escape this hellish punishment!
Serena nodded frantically and said, “I’ll do anything, Hunter… Hunter… please forgive me. I’ve always loved you.”
Serena gazed at him with desperate affection, but Hunter only responded with a cold laugh. Without explaining what he wanted her to do, he left the room.
Very soon, Serena found out what Hunter wanted her to do. It was for her to drop dead.
Chapter 16
2/2
They dragged her to Nadine’s grave. She was forced to kneel, and she felt the sharp blade plunge into her body again and again.
She tried to escape, but Hunter held her down firmly, keeping her kneeling as the knife stabbed relentlessly. Blood soon covered the gravesite. Her desperate sobs went unanswered- there was only the ceaseless thrust of the blade.
It stopped after 33 strikes. Serene was covered in blood; her expression finally twisted into
pure hatred. After all her obedience, why did she still have to die by Hunter’s hand?
“Hunter! Why? Why are you doing this to me?” Her face contorted with rage and madness, and every feature screamed hatred.
Hunter remained expressionless, looking at her as if she were already dead.
“You deserve this because you killed Nadine.”
Serena burst into wild laughter. She pointed a trembling finger at Hunter with her last strength, her eyes burning into him.
“Didn’t you say you didn’t love Nadine? You’re lying! You loved her–that’s why you’re so
angry! That’s why you’re doing this to me!
“But it’s too late! You think Nadine died because of me? She died because you never trusted
her! If you’d cared even a little, would she have died in such a hopeless way?
“Hunter, you’re the real culprit here! You loved Nadine, and you’ve gone insane over it! Look at yourself–you’re a madman!
“But no matter what you do, Nadine won’t come back. Enjoy the rest of your miserable life!”
Her voice rose hysterically before fading, and her breathing grew shallow as she collapsed to the ground. Two tears slid from her eyes. Then Serena closed them forever, her heart stopping
mid–beat.
Hunter watched coldly through it all. He told himself that he didn’t love Nadine.
