Her body froze in place. Her pupils were dilated. She could tell someone was behind her back just by hearing his voice.
"Turn around."
Not wanting to increase her chances of being sadistically tortured, Callista immediately turned around. Even though she already knew, the sight of that flat face still made her flinch.
"I-I'm just curious about this room." After saying that, Callista ventured to look up to see Kenward's expression. Still the same, flat.
"That's because the door of this room is different from the others," she lied.
Kenward smiled wryly. The girl was not good at lying. Just look at her mannerisms and accent, it's easy to see through her lies.
"Not because you saw what happened last night?"
Callista suddenly straightened her gaze with rounded eyes. Realizing that her behavior would look suspicious, Callista lowered her head again.
"How did he know my whereabouts that night?" she thought with both palms already covered in cold sweat.
Kenward chuckled softly. "Do you think I didn't know where you were just because you were hiding?" he taunted.
Her heart seemed to leap out of her body as her eardrums caught those words. There were no more excuses to be made.
How is this? Try to find a reason! Brains, you must work together to find a way out! Hurry up, there's no more time!
Kenward looked at Callista's sweaty forehead. Since the girl was silent, he walked over. With a single movement, Callista's body was on his shoulders, carrying the girl like a sack of rice.
"You must accept the punishment, Illis."
Callista immediately thrashed. She repeatedly hit Kenward's back with her hands. Instead of a response from Kenward's body, her fist was sore and red.
"Stop moving." Kenward's words were firm and undeniable. Callista was immediately rendered speechless. Now her mind was filled with bad thoughts. What would happen to her? Would she also experience the same torture as them?
The maids who heard the commotion immediately came out of the kitchen. But as soon as they saw their mistress passing by, they immediately bowed their heads. Callista looked at the women with a sad look, why didn't they have the compassion to help her and the other prey of this psychopath?
Callista had now given up. She remained silent as the elevator took them to the third floor. The sound of the elevator doors opening surprised her greatly. Kenward, who noticed Callista flinch slightly at the sound, of course, chose to be indifferent.
Without any gentleness, Kenward threw Callista's body onto the sofa. Callista, whose head hit the hand of the sofa hard, felt a tremendous dizziness. She looked at the man in front of her with a frown.
The burly hand settled on Callista's hair and immediately grabbed it strongly. Callista winced softly with a hand that spontaneously held Kenward's hand. Hoping he wouldn't pull her harder.
"Please let go, it hurts," Callista pleaded in a trembling tone. Tears trickled down her cheeks.
"Indeed, I should not give mercy to my prey."
"Mercy? Do you consider torture to be compassion?" Callista wanted to voice that. But she did not want to add to the consequences. She just needed to suppress it.
"You think you have power here just because I gave you a break and let you sleep in my bed? No. I don't. I just want my dolls to live longer," he sarcastically said. After finishing his words, Kenward brought the body closer for him to embrace.
Callista's eyes rounded fully when her top was suddenly ripped off by Kenward, leaving only the crop top she wore for underwear.
Kenward smiled faintly as the engravings he had made on Callista's back still looked flushed. With eyes filled with ambition, his hand took out the small object he always carried with him.
With a single press, it pulled out a small blade. A smile appeared on his lips as the blade partially sank into Callista's back. The girl joined in with her melodious voice, further energizing Kenward.
Right on the wound line that had not yet dried, he stuck his favorite object. The rest of the time he was just tracing and repeating the pretty line. It would look beautiful if it was always red. And he was going to do just that.
Callista bit her lower lip, her hands squeezing the shirt Kenward used to channel the pain. There was no denying the tears. This was so painful! The wound that hadn't even healed yet was again made open and even worse than before.
With every movement, Callista whimpered and screamed in pain. Kenward smiled with pleasure. It was more pleasant to have the intoxicating scent of the girl in his arms mixed with the scent of blood.
Kenward withdrew his knife after finishing the writing. He moved away from Callista and squatted right in front of the girl.
"Do you intend to help those who are not even related to you?"
Callista, who had been looking down, looked at Kenward with a feeling that was still full of fear.
"Me-they are as innocent as I am." She paused her words for a moment. "You always torture innocent people just because of your thirst for blood."
Kenward smiled a smirk, which frightened Callista even more. "Only part of what you say is true. I have always thirsted for blood, but they are not innocent people."
Without warning Kenward brought his lips to Callista's ear. She got goosebumps as Kenward's breath touched her skin.
"They are traitors."
Callista immediately fell silent. So, was she trying to defend the traitors? She who didn't even know when death would come for her?
The knife stuck in her thigh instantly snapped her out of her reverie. Both of her hands held Kenward's right hand that stuck the knife.
"Ahh! t-this hurts... p-please let me go." Her vision was blurry and her eyes were filled with tears.
"You didn't care about your own life while trying to defend them?"
"Please forgive me." Callista's voice trembled. "Ahh! I-I plead guilty," she said haltingly.
Kenward grunted in annoyance as Callista partially stifled her scream. He pulled out the knife and rose to his feet. Callista covered her thighs which continued to bleed. Her eyes heated up with the occasional sob escaping her lips. This was so painful, her whole body felt broken.
The sound of tapping feet was heard approaching, Callista who still felt anxious immediately straightened her eyes. But before she could clarify her vision of the object, suddenly a murky water hit her body. Suddenly, her eyes closed.
The girl was pensive for a moment. Water dripped from her soaked hair.
"Ahh! Akhh t-this hurts!"
Callista screamed hysterically and could no longer maintain her body position. She lay to the side clutching her thighs. The wounds on her back as well as her thighs felt many times more painful than before.
Her eyes also stung a little. What was that murky water? Why did the wound become so painful?
"It's salt water," Kenward explained as if he understood what Callista was questioning.
Callista gasped with a cry that could not stop. She who kept moving because of the throbbing pain, unconsciously fell off the sofa. Her face was now not only soaked with salt water but also tears.
No! She had to escape from this psychopath! She had to fight back, otherwise, she would die.
"Somebody help me!" she shouted silently.