SYBIL'S POV

Hunter's basement,
07:02 am

I was shifted back to the damp basement once again, my mind drifts to the memories I hold dear, now overshadowed by the looming presence of my captor. His threats echo in my ears, a constant reminder of the danger not only to myself but to my loved ones.

The weight of his words presses down on me, suffocating any flicker of hope that dares to ignite within me.

I find myself consumed by a whirlwind of emotions - fear, anger, and a sense of helplessness that threatens to engulf me.

The thought of my parents entangled in this nightmare because of me fills me with a deep sense of regret for trusting blindly. Only if I was a bit careful beforehand.

Now, their safety their well-being hang in the balance, tethered to my uncertain fate.

My entire body was aching; I had buried all over it. Purple and dark reddish prints of leather belts had covered me whole.

I lifted my top to see the biggest one that was encircled like a snack. I trace my trembling fingers over it only to hiss.

The leather belt's cruel slaps still linger on my flesh, a stark reminder of the violence inflicted upon me.

In this moment of despair, as I stare at the buried secrets around me, I cling to the fragile threads of resilience that remain, knowing that my strength will be tested like never before.

"Pretty, aren't they?"

My head snapped up to see him again. His face was half hidden in the dark.

The mere sound of his footsteps sent shivers down my spine, a silent warning of the power he wields in this twisted realm of captivity. His very essence exuded a malevolent energy that engulfed the space, casting a shadow over any semblance of hope that dared to linger in the corners of my mind.

In the stillness of his arrival, his formidable presence loomed large, a chilling reminder of the darkness that was enveloping me.

Fear gripped me like icy tendrils that paralyzed my every movement. As his ominous silhouette loomed closer, I shrank without daring to rise from my cowering position.

The air grew heavy with the weight of his oppressive presence, each heartbeat a thunderous drumbeat of dread echoing in the silence. I inch away, my body trembling his piercing gaze that seemed to strip away my very soul.

He settled on his ankle in front of me, I didn't dare to look at his face even though his chilling aura of power and presence was suffocating me.

I sensed his gaze roaming all over my curled-up poster before it stopped at my neck. His hand moved my hair back from my neck to look at the buries better.

"Tsk tsk tsk..." He shook his head slightly. " I don't know what will get you killed first, your loyalty or your stubbornness." He spoke checking the wounds.

My gaze followed his hand movements as his fingertips were still in contact with my neck before my eyes met his. "Are my parents safe?" I dared to ask.

His eyes lingered in mine for a long moment before he tightened his lips and nodded. " No one can harm those I put my eyes on.... except for me." He replied, his eyes shifted towards my neck again, his fingers tracing a pattern on my neck.

I reached out to his and took them between my palms. "Don't hurt them. They are innocent." I pleaded giving a slight squeeze to his hand.

His gaze was focused on our hands before he looked at my face. His eyes had slightly softened, yet touching him without his permission was somewhat of a stupid idea; I released his hand but didn't but didn't break the eye contact.

He was silently staring at me for an unknown reason before something flickered into his eyes and they darkened again.

"I know, they are unaware of everything happening around them. That's the basic strategy of undercover agents like you. You all seem to live a simple life in others' eyes but spy on the darkest secrets of the underworld."

I lowered my head, knowing nothing gonna change his mind; for him, I'm a murderer, and that's all he wants to hear from me.

" I'm not claiming anything on my own; we have collected strong evidence and information from the ex-owner of Dream Aura. He has proven that apartment number 18 of B-Wing was taken on rent a few months back, that too under your name. Another proof points out that no one used to live there before you. You were paying half the rent as you bought the unit that contains two bedrooms. You joined a dancing class as a coach to be seen living a normal life, then you managed to fool the security of Strippers Den by dressing up as a pole dancer, attacked my father, then you set a strategy to blame on a girl who doesn't even exist. Bravo." He explained exactly what Lia was trying to show him. I don't blame him if I had so many proofs against someone who has harmed my parents, plus I had as many powers as him... I'd probably be doing the same.

"How do I prove that the girl does exist? She has lived with me for months there in that apartment. I've been to multiple places with her, I'll name them. You can check the security cameras." I said with a little hope.

"You think I haven't already?" He chuckled. "You got a good hacker's back. They leave no traces behind." He added, looking at me as if he was ready to prove each word wrong.

I ran my hands through my hair and gripped them tightly. My mind wasn't working, I was going crazy. "What do I do?" I muttered to myself,

I heard a chuckling sound, I looked at his face only to find him laughing at my condition. "Oh, you aren't in the position to decide, remember?" His eyes bored into mine.

"The doctors are here." Another manly voice reported. Making me look behind King, a man was standing near the gate, I shifted my gaze back at King with crashed eyebrows.

"Appointed specially for you." He said, making me search for his next motives in his eyes. His eyes are the biggest spoiler of his emotions, but I can never imagine what he's about to do until he reveals it himself.

"Get her to the forensic lab," he commanded, his voice cold as he stood up, sliding his hands into his pockets, his demeanor exuding an unsettling authority as he walked outside.

I didn't protest when the man led me out of my cell as the thought of putting my parents in more trouble gnawed at me. It was easier to comply, even if it felt like surrendering.

With each painful step, I limped along, the sharp sting in my leg a constant reminder of my vulnerability. The corridor felt endless, its sterile walls closing in on me as we followed King to a room at the far end.

The atmosphere was suffocating, marked by an eerie silence that amplified my anxiety. At the end of the hall, broad glass doors loomed, guarded by a towering, burly man whose presence seemed to swallow the light.

He bowed slightly to King, an act of submission that left an unsettling taste in my mouth, before opening the door just enough to let us pass. As I stepped through, a chill ran down my spine, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was walking deeper into a nightmare.

The room was brighter than any other I had encountered in this grim place. The stark fluorescent lights cast an unsettling glow, illuminating the stark white surfaces and the couple of doctors who stood ready, their blue gloves and masks giving them an almost robotic appearance.

"Take a seat," one of the doctors instructed, gesturing toward a bed-chair that looked more like an interrogation platform than a place for care.

I turned to glance at King, who was watching me intently from a distance, his eyes piercing through the sterile atmosphere like a predator assessing its prey.

"Get on it. It won't hurt...much," he assured me as he caught me gulping.

I flinched as I felt a firm hand guiding me toward the chair. It was one of the doctors, their touch surprisingly gentle amidst the coldness of the environment.

They began to search for my veins, their movements were precise and practiced; once they located a suitable vein, one of them began to clean the cubital fossa; the antiseptic scent filled my nose tails, making me palm my nose.

The doctor looked at me for doing that before he focused back on his work.

I looked around finding King busy talking on his phone. There were a lot of unseen things until my gaze fell on the lady lying under a white cloth at the other end of the room. She was the same woman from my cell who had thrown acid on her face.

I thought she was getting her treatment until I noticed her not breathing.

Panic surged through me as I glanced back at the doctor injecting me. My mind raced with terrifying thoughts-what if they were planning to sell my organs?

In a burst of adrenaline, I pushed the doctor away and bolted for the door. I slid it aside, ready to escape, but just as I was about to step outside, I felt my feet leave the ground. A powerful arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me back against a solid chest. The grip was painfully tight, pressing against the wound on my stomach.

It was only the strong cologne that filled my senses, and I realized I was no longer in control of my fate.

"LET GO OF ME!" I struggled fiercely, trying to free myself from his iron grip.

But another hand pressed down on my mouth, muffling my screams. "Silence," he hissed in my ear, his voice low and menacing.

With every ounce of strength I could muster, I managed to uncover my mouth and bit down hard on his wrist.

He groaned, and the sound vibrated through me as he released me, and I fell to the floor in front of him.

I immediately turned to face him, only to find him chuckling darkly, his eyes glinting with a mix of anger and amusement as he looked at his bleeding wrist. A thin line of blood trickled down to his fingers, each droplet hitting the floor one by one.

I heard the sound of a doctor gasping in shock as he attempted to approach us, but a single gesture from King halted him in his tracks. His gaze remained locked on mine, and I refused to break the eye contact.

He bent down slightly, his eyes narrowing as he studied me, a predatory glint in his gaze. "Aren't you a bit too delicate to be this stubborn? You're in my territory now. Your pretty little teeth and tiny feet are utterly useless for escape."

His calm demeanor sent chills down my spine, a stark contrast to the chaos swirling around us. I was able to feel my heart pounding in my chest, and the fear wrapping around me like a suffocating blanket.

"Come on now, it's just a little test. You have a lot to face ahead if it turns out negative," he said, his voice dripping with condescension, as if he were savoring my helplessness.

Before I could even process his words, he yanked me up by my arm, dragging me back toward the bed-chair. "I think you like being tied up." He grabbed a zip tie and secured my wrist to the metallic arm of the chair with a swift, practiced motion.

As he leaned in closer, his breath felt warm against my skin. "Stay still," he warned his face mere inches from mine, his dominance palpable, sending a wave of panic crashing over me. The intensity of his gaze felt like a trap, every second stretching into an eternity as I struggled to steady my breath.

He rested his left hand beside me and leaned in, wiping the blood from my lips with a gentleness that felt utterly wrong. His gaze lingered over my trembling mouth, a mixture of curiosity and something darker swirling in his eyes before they finally met mine. "I had your parents in my custody last week. They were interrogated in different rooms, and their answers didn't match. Your father replied correctly, but your mother refused to even acknowledge you. Eventually, your father provided medical proof that she has Alzheimer's disease. The doctors are here to take your blood and bone marrow samples because this disease can be genetically transferred. This might explain why you forgot what happened at Strippers Den. Personally, I hate people with lost memories, but if the results come back negative... you'll see what I'm capable of."

My heart shattered at his words, tears streaming down my face, not because I feared the test results, but because I felt the weight of my parents' suffering. "Did you hurt them?" I questioned my voice breaking, desperation clawing at my throat.

He smirked, and at that moment, I saw the monster lurking behind his eyes, a twisted satisfaction in his demeanor as he spoke the most devastating words. "Your mother died of hemorrhage in the custody room. Your father is doing well, though."

• In this underworld, mercy is the only luxury they can't afford.

Chapter Published On: 22 September 2024.

🔍⍤⃝🔎 🔍⍤⃝🔎 🔍⍤⃝🔎
Vote! Vote!! Vote!!!

As per my promise here's your birthday present 👉🏻adriana_gr1004👈🏻

I mentioned a reader but Wattpad isn't showing it. Just click between (👉🏻👈🏻) and wish this beauty.

Sunday is my day but I broke my rule so you gotta leave a lot of comments in return.