“Don’t worry,” Collin whispered softly, his tone low and soothing. His touch was gentle, each application of the ointment thoughtful and tender.
The room fell silent.
Linsey turned her head slightly, sneaking a glance at Collin’s face. His serious expression held her gaze as he meticulously applied the ointment to her wounds, treating her with the precision reserved for precious objects.
Her heart skipped a beat.
“What’s wrong?” Collin caught her looking and paused, cotton swab in hand. “Did I hurt you?”
“No, you didn’t.” She quickly looked away, her cheeks warming. After he finished applying the ointment, Linsey lay on her stomach, letting it dry.
With her back to Collin, the only sounds were him cleaning up, the faint scrape of his wheelchair moving across the floor as he went to the en suite bathroom to wash his hands. He returned shortly.
“The ointment has soaked in. You can put your clothes back on now,” he announced. He hesitated, then added, “Don’t worry. I’ll look away.” She responded with a murmur, cautiously dressing herself before lying back down.
Collin stayed by the bedside, his usually detached eyes now showing a rare warmth as they rested on her. “Get some sleep. I’m right here. No one can hurt you,” he said in a soft tone.
Tucked under the warm blankets, she opened her mouth to say she wasn’t sleepy.
Yet, it might have been Collin’s reassuring presence that enveloped her in a sense of safety. This newfound security slowly drew her into slumber. Her eyelids fluttered a few times before finally closing.
After a while, he listened to the steady rhythm of her breathing, reaching out to snugly tuck the blankets around her. His gaze softened. But as he thought of the injuries that marred her body, a flash of cold fury sparked in his eyes.
He vowed silently that Felix would pay for this.
The basement at Vista Villa was enveloped in darkness.
The night was deep, the air thick and suffocating within the confines of the prison.
Echoing ominously through the silence, steady footsteps descended the staircase.
Collin, tall and imposing, emerged at the entrance of the corridor. The guards stationed at the basement immediately advanced, their demeanor respectful. “Mr. Riley.”
“How is Felix?” Collin’s voice was icy.
One of the guards bowed his head and replied, “Per your orders, sir, we’ve kept him alive, just barely, awaiting your interrogation.”
Collin nodded slightly and strode forward.
He soon reached Felix.
Felix, blurred by pain and barely conscious, sensed someone approaching. He reflexively began to wail and plead. “Sir, please, I’m begging you! Let me go! I won’t dare do it again! Please, just let me go!” His cries and pleas continued for a long while, but there was no response.
Confused, Felix lifted his head, only to meet Collin’s icy, expressionless gaze.
His eyes locked onto Collin’s clearly functional legs, sparking a surge of terror that stole his breath.
“You… you’re not disabled,” Felix stammered, his face a mask of disbelief.
For years, nearly everyone in the upper echelons of Grester society had been led to believe that Collin was physically disabled.
However, this had been nothing more than a meticulously crafted deception.
Felix’s eyes flicked to the guards standing by, a chilling realization dawning upon him.
Collin had deceived everyone. He had concealed his true capabilities, and the depth of his cunning was now terrifyingly clear.
Felix’s complexion turned ghostly pale. Trembling, he pleaded, “Collin, please, I’m begging you. Let me go. I swear I’ll stay away from Linsey! I’ll never compete with you for her again!”
Felix’s howls were hoarse and grating, a clear indication of his profound fear.
As his pleas intensified, he started banging his head against the floor, his blood, now mingling with the grimy dust, seeping into his open wound.
A heavy silence engulfed the basement, so dense that the only sound was the thumping of his own heart echoing in his ears.
Just when he thought he could no longer bear the oppressive quiet, a cold, mocking laugh pierced the stillness from above.
“You don’t even qualify to compete with me for Linsey.” Collin’s voice came slowly, each word slicing through Felix like a sharp blade. “Considering what you did to her, you’re definitely going to pay the price.”
Felix shook his head in desperation, his eyes wide with panic as he tried to clear his name. “I didn’t mean to do anything to Linsey. I swear I didn’t have the courage! It was Linsey herself-she tried to seduce me. She tried to set me up!”
A flicker of irritation crossed Collin’s face, his deep eyes narrowing slightly.
Silently, he raised his foot, encased in a sleek, custom-made leather shoe, and slammed it down on Felix’s hand, eliciting a sharp cry of pain from him.
“Which hand did you use to touch Linsey? Tell me,” Collin demanded, his voice calm but threaded with a chilling menace.
Felix’s complexion turned pale, his body shaking from the intense pain. The force of the stomp was not enough to break him, but his body bore the marks of prior brutalities inflicted by Collin’s henchmen.
The fresh pain was like salt rubbed into his already festering wounds. His agonized screams filled the basement, bouncing off the stone walls, yet trapped in this sealed underworld, unheard by the outside world.
“Collin Riley!” Felix choked out, his voice hoarse with loathing. He looked up at Collin, fury contorting his features.
Collin regarded Felix’s animosity with an icy detachment. “Both hands, then?” His voice was devoid of any emotion. “Well, if you can’t control them, you don’t need them.”
On his signal, two of his men advanced. One held Felix down against the cold, hard floor while the other seized his hand, twisting it cruelly. A horrific scream ripped from Felix’s throat as his hand was forcefully twisted, the sound of snapping bones reverberating like a tolling bell. His face lost all color, and he broke out in a cold sweat. His throat, already raw from his earlier cries, felt like it was tearing.
As hatred blazed in his eyes, Felix glared at Collin, his voice quivering with venom. “Collin! You’ll get what’s coming to you!”
“Continue,” Collin ordered in a flat tone, cutting him off without a trace of mercy.
Moments later, one of his underlings forcefully snapped Felix’s other hand. The compounded agony overwhelmed Felix’s body. With a final, guttural scream, he fell into unconsciousness.
His respite was fleeting. Seconds later, Collin commanded one of his men to douse him with a bucket of cold water.
Felix’s eyes snapped open, he gasped for air, and his mind was foggy. “For every injury Linsey suffered, I’ll make you pay twice over,” Collin stated, his voice low and ominous. “It’s too early for you to pass out.”
Trembling, Felix looked up, locking eyes with Collin. The unmistakable intent to kill in Collin’s gaze chilled him to the bone. His body started to shake uncontrollably.
Soon, a foul smell filled the air. Collin’s men exchanged looks of disgust as they noticed the dark stain spreading beneath Felix, the sharp scent of urine mingling with the dank air.
“Did he seriously just wet himself?” one muttered, his expression one of disdain. “That’s vile.”
Stripped of all dignity by his fear, Felix was beyond humiliation. He groveled, his voice broken as he pleaded, “Collin, I’ll never do it again! Please, I swear I won’t go near Linsey ever again! Just let me go!”
Felix’s hands were crippled, leaving him no choice but to awkwardly prop himself up on his elbows. His appearance was the epitome of embarrassment and misery.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.