CHAPTER 158 — THE END OF CASSIUS WARREN

BRIELLE.

"No…." Brielle screamed so loudly that it echoed throughout the four walls of the cell she was in as she watched her father's head fall to the floor with a loud thud.

"A perfect morning to you, too," Draken muttered to her with an evil sneer on his face, clapping madly with his bloodied hand as he walked deeper into the lit-up jail.

Brielle began to pull away, terrified of what this man would do to her. Her heart was racing, and she was confident he could also hear it.

This man was well aware of his powerful influence on her and was taking full advantage of it.

Her back slammed the wall behind her, halting her progress, and she cursed silently. At the same time, Draken stopped in front of her. He squatted down, laughing wildly.

"You must be wondering what's going on, right? And that head rolling on the floor is your father's, correct?” He inquired, but Brielle said nothing.

Instead, she swallowed a large lump of saliva that she had no idea was trapped in her throat, and gripping her arms tightly, she began to repeat some incorrigible words. She was trying to calm herself down even though the actions were worthless.

"So, I killed your father. It's apparent, and I didn't expect this reaction from you when I walked in here.”

"What… what do you mean?" Brielle asks, her gaze drawn to her father's dead body and the blood spilling from his neck. Brielle felt sick again after seeing the horrible scene. She knew that if she forced herself to puke, her hungry intestines and lungs would undoubtedly come out. She hadn't eaten since she arrived here, save for last night.

"I've heard much about your father before I scouted him to work for me in the last few years. I had also heard much about you, and I knew how he mistreated and disliked you.”

Brielle's chest clenched as she realized he was right about what he would say next. She was meant to be happy that he was dead. He had done nothing tangible for her in her entire life, and every day she spent with him had been filled with agony, so she had to feel liberated.

Her deadbeat and selfish father was dead, but strangely, she was not pleased with it.

She felt something incomprehensible. She felt empty. She felt numb, and despite her previous scream, she hadn't moved or shed a tear.

She wasn't pleased or sad; she was just there. A number had taken over her entire body, and she couldn't even feel her pulse or heartbeat. Her sole relative and only person in this horrible world of sin was no longer with her, and the realization caused her to blink regretfully.

"Won't you say a thing, huh?" Draken asked, interrupting her thoughts and putting his bloodied hands on her hair again.

What would she say? What did she have to say? She thought to herself amusingly, a shiver running down her spine.

After a little pause to gather her thoughts, she softly asked, "Why did you kill him?"

His face furrowed in confusion at her query, but Brielle just repeated, "He worked for you for so many years, just as you stated, so why did you murder him? Do you think you did me a favor by killing him?”

The man before her was silent. She continued. “You claim to be a good man who will treat me well, but you just killed my father and are now covered in blood, so what does that imply? You are a murderer, just like my father." She spat viciously, and the moment she finished, she felt a hard slap on her left cheek.

The smack hurt terribly, and Brielle could swear that his hands had left a mark on her cheek.

"How dare you call me that? How dare you call me a murderer!" Draken thundered, his hands leaving her hair as he rose and stepped away. He was now observing her through hooded eyes, and Brielle could feel his rage radiating like waves.

Silence lingered for a few minutes before he broke it with, "Well, I don't care what you think of me. I have a task to complete, and I don't have to take your remarks to heart while accomplishing all of this to restore my rightful place." He paused, and Brielle assumed he was about to depart, but he didn't. Instead, he proceeded to stroll around the room, circling her dramatically as he stated, "However, there are so many things I have to tell you, but first, I would begin with the real reason why I killed the excuse of a man that birthed you."

This was what she wanted to hear, and despite her exhaustion and weakness, she perked up her ears as she listened to his filthy tale.

He went on and on about how he met her father precisely as she had expected. How they made a bargain with him, offering to send Darius' mate while simultaneously faking his death to avoid a debt he owed.

Brielle gasped as she listened to all Draken Havix was saying to her. At first, she didn't want to believe him, but she knew the kind of father she had and how he could become selfish and greedy only to satisfy his desires.

"It amazed me how easy it was to persuade him to bring you, and learning that you were his daughter enraged me even more. I might be a demon and a killer, but I would never sacrifice my flesh and blood for a ridiculous game.”

Brielle listened silently, her gaze fixed on his reaction.

"So that's the full story. I did you a favor by killing your miserable, sick-in-the-head father. His type does not deserve to be on this planet. He's a living live version of the devil, and you know it."

Brielle sniffled a little as he continued to speak. He had observed her crying and stopped talking for a moment, but when he resumed, he began with a grin, mockingly saying, "And here I thought I’d done you a tremendous service by killing the motherfucker. I am hurt."

Brielle suddenly yelled out, "You did not do me any favors. You murdered my father, the man who gave birth to me, and now you expect me to be grateful?”

Draken folded his arms and stared at her closely. He was waiting for her to continue talking, but she couldn't. She didn't know what else to say; words failed her, and she began to sob bitterly.

She was completely traumatized, her energy drained away, and it ached so much. So friggin much. The silence that followed was chilly, and the atmosphere became strained.

Brielle dreaded what he'd say next. She was already bracing for the blow or slap that would come next, most likely because he was disappointed in her for not expressing thanks after killing her father, but what he said next stunned her.

Not only did it stun her, but it also caused her to open her mouth wide and gasp when she heard him say.

"Enough tales about late Cassius Warren. Now, shall we talk about something else." He whispered, then took a step closer to her. He touched her hair, and that gesture sent fearful thrills down her spine. Still, Brielle remained silent, waiting for him to proceed.

"I don't know why I love talking to you…" This time, he removed his hands from her hair and trailed his fingers on her cheeks.

He pushed her chin up, a sneer on his face as their gazes connected, and asked, "Do you want to know why I'm doing all this? Do you know why I say there's a hidden motive in capturing you?”

Brielle didn't even wait for him to finish. She foolishly bobbed her head up and down. Inwardly, she blamed herself for looking so anxious to hear what he had to say, and the smile he gave her only confirmed this.

"Hmmm…" He groaned, albeit in an animalistic manner.

At the sound, Brielle closed her eyes. She expected a hit from him, but she got nothing. No one attacked her. No one slapped her. Nothing came.

When she opened them to look back at Draken, she met a shocking sight. Instead of assaulting her or whatever she’d been thinking, the old gentleman placed his hands on her shoulder.

“Do you want to know your purpose here?”

She swallowed hard. “Yes…yes.” She stuttered. “I…I want to know.”

“Good.” He smirked. “Now let’s talk…”