Seeing I would not break, Noreen abruptly let go of my hair and wiped the blood from her face. Her eyes gleamed darkly.
"You're right." Her voice was soft, yet chilling. "Some things shouldn't be rushed. They need... slow torture."
She straightened her back, eyes narrowing. "Since you've returned... then let's play properly."
Without another glance at me, she barked an order at the security guards.
"Watch him. Don't let him run."
Then, as though flipping a switch, her expression melted into tenderness when she turned to Maxwell.
"Does it hurt?" She gently brushed the tears from his face.
"I'll take you to a private room."
Maxwell leaned into her with red-rimmed eyes. "As long as I have you, nothing can hurt me."
His voice cracked, choked with tears. "With you... I'm not afraid of anything."
As they left, I sat slumped on the floor, wounds stinging, my body screaming with pain. Around me, the vultures circled—Noreen's sycophants spitting their venom.
"Who even is this nobody? Daring to hurt Miss Noreen—she spared his life tonight, and he should be grateful!"
"Exactly! I heard he's just some orphan Mr. Edward picked up off the streets. The old man raised him out of pity, and how does he repay it? By bullying Maxwell! No wonder he was thrown out."
"Speaking of—" one of them laughed, pulling up a video on his phone. "I still have that dog video saved. You remember it, don't you? The night Maxwell taught him a lesson."
The man opened his photo album and pulled up the torture video.
The others crowded around, jeering.
"Show me!"
"I want to see too!"
The sound of Darcy's dying screams filled the air.
Something inside me snapped.
I snatched a jagged shard of glass from the floor, grabbed the man by his hair, and drove the shard straight into his eye.
His shriek tore through the room, but to me it was nothing more than background noise—like the finishing stroke of a painting. I turned my head toward the crowd. The ones who just moments ago were pointing and laughing fell silent, their faces went deathly pale.
No one dares provoke a madman.
Especially a madman willing to take the Carter family's precious little princess down with him. Even the guards hesitated, unwilling to make the first move.
I spat a mouthful of blood at their feet, sneering one word before turning on my heel toward Noreen.
"Trash."