CHAPTER 162 — THE MYSTERIOUS MESSAGE

DARIUS.

Darius had his head buried on his office desk, half asleep and deep in meditation when a thundering knock on his door jolted him awake.

"Come in." He grunted and looked up from his desk. The doorknob twisted open, and a guard entered, bowing his head dutifully.

"Master…" He greeted, and Darius responded with a wave of his hands. He inquired immediately. "What brought you to my office? Is there any news?"

"There is." The guard moved closer to the desk and slipped an envelope towards him. He said, "The postman arrived earlier with this envelope for you. He stated it's urgent, and the sender wants you to view it immediately."

"Huh?" Darius frowned. He rarely received letters unless they were business-related, and even then, they were delivered via mail. So, who had sent him an envelope? He couldn't even remember the last time he received one.

"Well, I think you should see for yourself." The guard spoke again, and Darius hummed.

He extended his hand, took up the brown package, and inquired again, "Did the postman tell you who the sender is? Did you ask him?”

"Yes, I asked him, but he appeared to be in a hurry and simply said that he had no idea. The sender remains anonymous."

'An anonymous sender?' A chill raced down his spine.

Who might this person be? And why was he developing a horrible feeling that whatever was in that envelope would not sit well with him? It wasn't anything he wanted to see.

Nonetheless, he was curious as to what it was, and sharply tearing off the envelope's cover, he pulled out the folded paper.

But this wasn't an ordinary note. It was something else, and Darius didn't immediately unwrap it. He looked up at the guard, who was also staring back at him.

Slowly, he returned his sight to the folded paper in his hands.

He unwrapped it, and what he saw next nearly made his blood freeze. Darius' jaw dropped open as splatters of picture cards landed on his thighs.

What the hell was this? He wondered, but he didn't have to think long because he had the answers right before him.

When he turned the photo cards to face the front, he felt another shudder run down his spine as he viewed the horrible images.

"What the fuck?" He mumbled, still glancing at the photos.

Each photo depicted the same victim in a different torture position, and each was more brutal than the last.

Darius recoiled with disgust.

Brielle. Brielle was the woman pictured with her head bent. Her bright red hair was hard to overlook, and she appeared torn, tattered, bloodied, and bruised.

In all of the photographs, she was not even looking at the camera. Her eyes only lowered, and blood flowed from the side of her mouth.

In several photos, it appeared that she couldn't even stand or sit erect. Thus, she was helped by some males whose faces were obscured by black masks.

Darius felt his entire world fall apart. His heart rate dropped, his chest beats accelerated intermittently, and his breathing became shallow. The color had departed from his skin. All of his blood surged out, leaving him cold and hollow inside.

This was Brielle. His Brielle. And she was subjected to the most unthinkable suffering.

Bile rose to his throat.

"No!" Darius finally found his voice and cried out. The envelope in his palm dropped to the floor when he rose from his seat.

"No, no!" He shouted out loudly and slammed his fist against the wall. He remembered the itching and aching from yesterday night.

This was what. She had been in a torture dungeon, and whoever had her was mistreating her in the worst way conceivable.

Darius clenched his hands. He saw red! Blazing, furnace-like red.

"Master, what is it?" The guard inquired, moving towards him, but Darius raised his hands, instantly stopping him.

"Do not come near." He placed an order. He couldn't bear the thought of anyone else seeing those photos, let alone Brielle's deteriorating condition.

Who was this individual? Darius paused for a moment before noticing another note on the floor. The small pink paper poked out from the sides.

He grabbed it up with shaky fingers. The handwriting was small and delicate, hardly discernible, but done with considerable care. It read -

'Darius Havix, I hope this finds you well. If you want to save your mate, you must meet me at the place listed on the back of the envelope. Come to my castle so that we can settle this calmly and let the young lady free. You can choose not to come, and I will blow her brains out with my rifle. When I do, I'll email you a photo. Or a lot of images. But for now, I'll wait for you. We have so much to discuss, boy - from your beloved Uncle, Draken Havix.’

This was the most alarming letter he'd gotten in years, and as he finished reading, the piece of paper dropped from his grasp. At the same time, he felt sick to his stomach, and tears welled up in his eyes as he sank to his knees.

The guard appeared perplexed and worried, and he approached Darius again but was sent away.

Darius wanted to be alone. Too much information flooded his mind, and he needed time to comprehend it.

He recently discovered a long-lost relative. One he hadn't heard anything about from his parents. And now that same relative had his mate shackled.

"Call Rocky! I need him in my office right now!" Darius barked.

As the door banged shut, he looked up. He straightened and began to pace around, considering his next action plan.

Darius knew one thing, though, as pictures of a beaten Brielle clung in his head like glue.

Whatever was going on, it had altered everything. He would take the meeting bait and end Draken Havix once and for all. Darius would avenge every pain Brielle had endured, regardless of the ramifications of murdering his blood. Somehow, someway, Draken Havix would pay.