Chapter 220: Erased

“Oh my baby, who could have done such a horrible thing to my baby,” Cindy Williams cried dramatically as she stroked what remained of Sabrina’s once-long, silky hair. Her perfectly manicured nails trembled as they ran over the jagged, uneven chunks left behind. “Your beautiful hair… my sweet girl’s beautiful hair…”

Sabrina lay propped up in the luxurious private hospital room, tears streaming down her swollen, red-streaked face. The room looked more like a five-star hotel suite than a medical ward, soft cream walls, fresh flowers on every surface, a large flat-screen TV, and a comfortable sofa where her mother had been sitting for hours. The best private wing money could buy at New York-Presbyterian.

Sabrina’s bottom lip quivered as she touched her hacked hair again. “Mom… it’s gone. They just… they cut it all off like I was nothing. I look disgusting. I can’t even go outside like this.”

Cindy let out a fresh sob and pulled her daughter into her arms, rocking her gently. “You are still the most beautiful girl in the world, my darling. Mommy will fix it. We’ll get the best hair extensions, the most expensive ones. We’ll fly someone in from Paris if we have to. But this… this is unacceptable. Who would dare do this to a Williams?”

On the other side of the room, Walter Williams stood with two police officers, arms crossed tightly over his chest. His face was flushed with barely contained fury.

“We will do everything possible, Mr. Williams,” one of the officers said, notepad in hand. “But as your daughter and her friends have stated, the attackers wore full masks. No clear facial descriptions. It seemed to be a very professional, very coordinated attack.”

Walter’s jaw clenched. “Professional? They rammed their car, ripped the doors off, and assaulted three young women. And you’re telling me you have nothing?”

The second officer shifted uncomfortably. “Sir… from what we can tell, they didn’t rape them. They didn’t steal anything of value. They only slapped them, spat on them, and cut their hair. It’s… unusual. Almost like a targeted humiliation rather than a random crime.”

Cindy’s head snapped toward them, eyes blazing with rage. “THEY SPAT ON MY DAUGHTER!” she shrieked, voice cracking. “They cut off her hair like she was some kind of animal! And you’re standing there talking about how it could have been worse? You must find them! I want them in prison! I want them ruined!”

Walter raised a hand toward his wife. “Cindy, calm down. Getting hysterical won’t help Sabrina.”

“How can I be calm?!” Cindy screamed, gesturing wildly at her daughter on the bed. “Look at our daughter, Walter! Look at her face! Look at her hair! Your daughter was attacked and humiliated, and these officers are acting like it was some harmless prank!”

Sabrina started crying harder, covering her ruined hair with both hands. “I can’t go back to school like this… everyone’s going to laugh at me. I was supposed to be the one everyone envied…”

The first officer cleared his throat and turned to Sabrina. “Miss Williams, I need to ask you this. Is there anyone who might have a grudge against you? Anyone you’ve had serious conflicts with recently? A rival at school? An ex-boyfriend? Someone you may have angered or….embarrassed?”

Sabrina sniffled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. Her mind flashed briefly to Leitana, the girl she and her friends had bullied in the bathroom. But no. That couldn’t be it. Leitana was weak. Timid. Married to some rich man, yes, but she was too soft to ever do something like this.

“No,” Sabrina said shakily, shaking her head. “I don’t have any enemies. Everyone likes me. I didn’t do anything to deserve this. It must have been some random psychopaths.”

The officers exchanged a quick glance but nodded.

“We’ll review all available footage and speak to your friends again,” one of them said. “In the meantime, try to rest. We’ll have officers stationed outside the room for your safety.”

As the police left, Cindy sat back down beside her daughter, still stroking the chopped hair with tears in her eyes.

“Whoever did this,” she whispered venomously, “they will regret the day they ever touched a Williams. I promise you that, my baby.”

Sabrina closed her eyes, fresh tears slipping down her bruised cheek. Deep down, in a place she didn’t want to examine, a tiny seed of dread began to grow.

She had no idea she had just provoked something far worse than any rival at school.

Something that didn’t forgive or forget.

“Every footage of the chase has been wiped, sir.”

Ravial sat in the back of the moving SUV, blindfold still firmly in place, one leg crossed elegantly over the other. The city lights blurred past the tinted windows as they sped through the night.

His head of security, Marcus, spoke from the front passenger seat. “Traffic cameras, street cams, private security feeds from three blocks around the incident, all deleted. By morning, there will be no digital trace left that connects us to them.”

Ravial gave a single, slow nod. His expression never changed.

Marcus continued, “The two officers assigned to the Williams girl have already been… encouraged to treat this as a random act of vandalism by masked thugs. No leads or suspects. The department will drag their feet for a few weeks and then quietly close the file.”

Another faint, cold smile touched Ravial’s lips.

“Good.”

Of course it was gone. He didn’t need to lift a finger myself, his influence ran deeper than any mortal government or tech corporation could comprehend. Governments, agencies, satellites, servers… they all bowed in the end. The devil had walked this earth for thousands of years. Erasing a few hours of digital footage was nothing.

The two SUVs turned smoothly onto the long private driveway leading to his villa. The wrought-iron gates opened silently before them, as if the house itself recognized its master.

The vehicles came to a stop in the grand circular courtyard. Ravial stepped out without waiting for the door to be opened. His long black coat settled around his powerful frame as the cool night breeze brushed past him. His men remained in their vehicles, knowing better than to follow unless called.

He walked up the wide stone steps and pushed open the heavy double doors. The villa was quiet, dimly lit by warm wall sconces. The faint scent of Leitana’s favorite candles, vanilla and rose lingered in the air. His little lamb was already home.

Ravial’s footsteps echoed softly through the foyer as he ascended the grand staircase. He could sense her presence even before he reached their bedroom door. She was awake, waiting for him.

He paused for a moment outside the door, fingers resting on the handle.

Tonight, three foolish girls had learned what happened when they touched his wife.

Tomorrow, the rest of the world would continue pretending they were safe.

But they weren’t.

Not if they ever looked at Leitana the wrong way again.

He opened the door and stepped inside, his tall frame filling the entrance. Leitana sat up in bed, wearing one of his oversized shirts, eyes wide and tired from the long night.

Ravial closed the door behind him with a soft click.

“My lamb,” he said, voice low and smooth, finally softening just for her. “Come here.”