Chapter 82 Vengeance!
|| Author POV ||
Kevin stepped into the mansion with heavy strides. His eyes were dull. His instinct told him his mother was in the hall but he didn’t care.
“Kevin?!” Carolina’s voice rang sharply while she approached her son.
“Where the hell have you been all night? Do you not even feel the need to inform your mother?” she snapped, arms crossed tightly.
Kevin stopped mid-step, turning his face to her with a fiery gaze. He tried walking past her wordlessly.
“Don’t tell me you went to find her again. It’s been months!”
Kevin froze. A short, bitter laugh left his lips before he turned to face her fully. “Yes! I went to find her! So what?” he snarled through gritted teeth.
“Are you that heartless, Mom?” His voice cracked slightly. “Did you not even once wonder where she might be?” Carolina stood frozen.
“I looked for her everywhere!” he staggered into the living room. “Mom. I couldn’t find her. I don’t know where she is!” his eyes were wild with guilt and despair. “How could you do this to her?!”
“I know I made mistakes too.” he whispered more to himself. “But I need to confess. The guilt..it’s killing me!”
Carolina’s brows knitted. “Guilt?”
Kevin’s throat bobbed as he swallowed hard. His voice dropped in shame. “That night... I tried to r-rape her, Mom.”
Carolina froze. Her face drained of color.
“She slapped me. I deserved it. I–God, I hated myself the second it happened. I was out of control, I know. But she’s still Rosa... she’s still our little Rosalie..”
“Please, bring her back. I’ll do anything. I’ll never touch her again. I’ll just be her brother! I swear, I’ll never even look at her if that’s what she wants.”
Carolina’s world spun.
“I stayed silent like a coward.” Kevin whispered. “Even after knowing it was her own mansion and you threw her out... I said nothing.”
“Kevin, you did what?” Carolina was still in shock at her son’s earlier confession. Kevin looked at her with a gaze filled with guilt. “I’m sorry, Mom.”
“Please... find her.”
𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟
Killian rolled his tongue inside his cheek, eyes scanning the trees that surrounded the small hut in the middle of a forest.
A few men in black suits trailed behind him with silent steps. Killian’s presence radiated power. A dark, oppressive force like the devil himself. He scrunched his nose in disdain the moment he stepped inside the hut.
His cold, predatory gaze landed on the thin old man, restrained tightly by his men. Chris stood nearby, straight-backed.
“Boss is here.” Chris announced formally, nodding to the others.
The old man who was already bruised, glared at Killian in confusion. “Are you their boss? W-what the hell do you want? Why the hell are you holding me?!”
The old man trembled under the intense gaze of the tall, young man who approached with a dreadful smirk.
Killian’s presence was suffocating. As he stepped closer, one of his men twisted the old man’s arm, drawing a sharp grunt of pain.
“You served as a security guard at the National University, correct?” Killian asked in a heavy menacing tone.
The old man gulped.
“I just want a few answers.” Killian said curtly, grabbing the man’s hair and forcing his head back with a merciless tug.
“Do you know Hana Salvatore?”
The old man’s eyes flew wide in shock. He immediately shook his head. “I-I don’t know anything.. I swear.”
Killian let out a low chuckle and lit a cigarette. The flame briefly illuminated the cruel glint in his eyes.
The old man sat frozen in shock. Terror clouded his wrinkled face. Calmly, Killian exhaled a cloud of smoke and brought the burning tip dangerously close to the old man’s throat.
“I-I really don’t know anything! Let me go!” the old man barked.
Killian’s grip tightened mercilessly. “One more lie.” he warned coldly, “and you’re gone.”
The man quivered, paralyzed by fear. A scream tore from his lungs when the cigarette seared into his skin. He thrashed, only to be restrained by the men holding him.
“LET ME GO! WHO EVEN IS SHE TO YOU?!” he screamed in agony.
Killian let out a slow, humorless laugh. “She was my blood.” he said coldly. “My little sister.” he added, almost too calmly for the rage behind it.
“Y-your s-sister?” The old man’s eyes widened in terror, realization dawning on him.
“I don’t know! I have n-nothing to do with your sister! I don’t even know her!” he groaned, only to scream louder when Killian pressed the burning cigarette against his skin.
Killian stepped back, signaling his men. One of them handed him a thick metal rod.
“NO! NO! PLEASE, LET ME GO! I SWEAR, I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING!” the old man pleaded desperately.
Killian rolled up his sleeve. A cold smirk curled on his lips and brought the rod down hard.
“You don’t know anything, huh?” A heavy thud echoed through the clearing as the rod struck the old man’s face, bone cracking beneath the blow. A tortured scream ripped from the man’s throat.
“Oldie, tell the truth to the king, or you won’t leave this place alive.” Chris warned coldly. The man’s eyes widened with panic. “K-king?” His eyes flashed with terror.
The rod hit his bone again and he cried louder.
“Stop! I know! I know everything! Please, don’t hurt me anymore!” he pleaded.
Killian tightened his grip, pressing the rod against the scorched flesh of the old man’s throat. His men held him firmly.
“I knew Hana. S-she was a bright student. I was just a security guard back then. Nine years ago, she was murdered by one of the teachers. When I was locking the doors, I saw him dragging a body and then I saw her. I swear, I had no part in it. I was scared. He threatened to kill my family if I spoke out and offered me m-money. He was powerful, I was powerless–” the man confessed, grunting in pain.
Killian tilted his head, eyes narrowing. “So you stayed silent for some money? Let an innocent life get destroyed? Let injustice fester?” His voice deepened with fury.
“HUH?!” The rod came down again with a sickening thud and the old man howled in agony.
“I-I’m sorry! I was scared!”
“What’s that motherfucker’s name?” Killian roared in an unhinged animalistic voice.
The old man was barely conscious. Blood dripped from his temple. He forced his eyes open and rasped in a weak tone.
“Cedric Thorne...”
Killian’s eyes turned to stone, deadly sharp. So Chris’s intel had been right all along. It’s that damn man. That’s all he needed.
“I’ve told you everything.” the old man stammered, tears mixing with blood. “P-Please.. I have a family. I swear, I told you the truth.”
Killian let out a cold sneer, devoid of mercy. “You’re useless now.” he said flatly, raising the metal rod. “Men like you don’t deserve to breathe.”
“You’re already old. Rot in hell, BASTARD!” The old man’s eyes widened in horror just before the iron hit his jaw, a bone crack followed.
His scream tore through the silence and his body collapsed onto the ground. Blood spilled from his mouth and head, limbs twitching weakly. He was barely hanging on to life.
“Chris?” Killian called steadily.
“Yes, boss.”
Lighting a fresh cigarette, Killian exhaled a slow breath, gaze fixed on the dying man writhing in pain.
“Bury him alive.” he ordered.
Chris gave a silent nod, understanding without needing more words. He wondered what that little girl would do if she saw his brutality.
Killian turned on his feet and stepped out of the hut. The faint curl of smoke trailed from the cigarette between his fingers.
Sunlight filtered through the trees, casting sharp lines across his face, accentuating every chiseled feature like a shadowed sculpture of vengeance.
His men followed close behind. Their boots crushed the dead leaves beneath. A cold satisfied smirk played on his lips.
One piece of the puzzle had fallen. And now, he was sure about the culprit. There was no doubt anymore.
“Cedric Thorne.” Killian muttered with disgust.
‘I’ll hunt you down in the most painful way imaginable.’
He exhaled smoke slowly.
‘And when I find you, death will feel like mercy.’
Killian looked up. His eyes gleamed like steel, filled with vengeance and the sunlight glinted in his dark ocean blue eyes.