The two of them walked in together, close, intimate, as if the world existed only for them. His hand rested protectively on her, his posture soft in a way I had never seen directed at me.
I stepped forward to follow.
But the house steward blocked my path.
His expression was awkward, almost apologetic, but he didn't move aside.
"I'm sorry, signora," he said hesitantly. "The young master said Miss Russo can't stand the smell of blood."
Before I could react, a high-pressure water hose was turned on me.
The force hit like a blow. Ice-cold water slammed into my wounds, tearing through already damaged flesh. Pain exploded instantly, sharp and merciless, ripping a broken cry from my throat.
My body gave out beneath me. I crumpled to the ground on the stone courtyard, shaking uncontrollably as the water continued to pour over me, washing away the blood along with what little warmth I had left.
Every second stretched into eternity.
Ten unbearable minutes passed.
By the time it stopped, I could barely feel my limbs.
I lay there for a moment, trembling, before forcing myself to move again. Slowly, painfully, I dragged my soaked, broken body toward the bathroom.
Head lowered.
Clothes clinging to me.
Barely holding together.
There was only one death left.
The final one.
The thought settled in my mind with a strange, quiet clarity, like the last flicker of a dying flame. After everything, after all the pain and the countless times I had crossed that line between life and death, there was only one more step left to take.
"Dominic," Celeste whispered softly, her voice light and almost dreamy, "she's survived ninety-nine times. If our child could be like that too…"
Her words floated in the air, gentle on the surface, but heavy with something darker underneath.
"I know a black clinic," Dominic replied, his tone low and shadowed, as if even speaking about it required caution. "They specialize in deprogramming people with… unusual body types."
"Deprogramming?" Celeste tilted her head slightly, her brows knitting in innocent curiosity, as though she were asking about something harmless.
Dominic's gaze flickered briefly in my direction before he lowered his voice even further.
"We'll talk about it later."