“Brother-in-law, I was just looking for you with Stephen. We thought you might be in Dahlia’s room when we didn't find you. But the moment we walked in, we saw this photo.”
“I never imagined Dahlia would hate me this much. I just don’t know, does she despise me, or does she hate this face of mine? After all, I look so much like my sister…”
The moment those words left her lips, Carlos’s expression darkened completely.
“Dahlia, it seems I’ve been too lenient with you,” he said coldly. “That’s why you keep making mistakes, again and again.”
“Kneel. Bring out the family punishment.”
Because this involved his beloved late wife and the sister she adored, he didn’t even grant me a chance to defend myself. In his eyes, anything I said was nothing more than an excuse.
The bodyguards seized me, forcing me to my knees. They pried open my hands.
Then came the first strike.
A metal rod laced with barbs slashed across my palms, tearing through flesh with merciless ease. Another blow followed, then another, each one more brutal than the last. Within moments, my hands were nothing but a bloody ruin.
Carlos’s voice cut through the agony, cold and unyielding.