"If I say kneel, you kneel. If I say die, you die!"
Her lips curled into a smile, cruel and taunting.
"But tonight... I don't feel like letting you die just yet."
She patted my cheek as though I were some pet.
"After all, how could I let such a fine plaything go to waste, hm?"
Her face blurred before me, so close I could smell her perfume. And in my mind, I heard Maxwell's mocking voice, echoing from that video he once sent me, dripping with pride.
"I only told Noreen that Darcy looked scary. She skinned him alive for me."
"Tell me, if I told her you were scary too, would she peel your skin off as well?"
"Hilarious, isn't it?"
"You may have been the Carter family's son-in-law by name, but in truth—you weren't even worth as much as a servant."
Now, staring into Noreen's gloating expression, bile and blood surged in my throat. As she raised her hand to slap me again, I spat a mouthful of blood straight into her face.
For one instant, shock flashed across her features—revulsion twisting her perfect mask. I laughed.
"That's right, Noreen."
I mirrored her tone, my lips curling. "How could you die so quickly? A game this fun... deserves to be played to the very end."
I hadn't come back to be spared.