Chapter 82 Silent Hatred
Daniel was shoved hard against the wall by two bodyguards, his arms wrenched behind his back and bound tight with coarse nylon rope. The fibers bit into his skin, burning his wrists. The rope looped around an old, rusted pipe jutting from the wall, pinning him in a forced kneeling position. There was no room to move, no room to shift.
A strip of industrial-strength duct tape sealed his mouth, pulling painfully at his cheeks. He couldn't speak, couldn't shout--only a muffled, guttural growl rose from the back of his throat, hoarse with rage.
"What's the matter? Can't bear to watch? The woman you fought so hard to save tastes damn sweet in my hands."
"Lift his head."
A cord was looped around Daniel's neck from behind, tightened into a knot, then lashed to the armrest of a chair behind him. The tension forced his chin upward, the rope digging into his throat. His breathing turned harsh and ragged, his face flushing crimson as he was made to stare directly toward Caroline.
Alexander seemed pleased with his captive audience.
His cold gaze lingered on Daniel for a moment before shifting entirely to the trembling woman in his arms.
Warm bathwater surrounded them, steam drifting faintly in the air. But to Caroline, every inch of Alexander's touch carried an icy chill that spread beneath her skin, seeping into her bones.
He raised one hand, fingers sliding slowly through her damp hair, tracing down the delicate line of her neck. His touch stopped at her shoulder, where a raw scrape--left by rough contact with the floor--marked her skin. His thumb pressed down hard.
Caroline flinched violently, a muffled cry escaping her throat.
"Here... did he touch you?"
She shook her head desperately.
In her mind she screamed, 'No! Daniel never touched me! He only tried to help me! He only wanted to save me!'
Alexander's expression didn't change. His fingers moved on, brushing over a pale, faded scar just below her collarbone.
"And here?"
Again, she shook her head, frantic, wet strands of hair clinging to her face and making her pallor even starker.
Her lips parted, struggling to form words--to tell him it wasn't like that, to beg him to stop this slow, slicing interrogation--but no sound came.
Alexander's fingers kept moving, following the curve of her body: over her chest, her stomach, her narrow waist, down her legs that were little more than bone beneath skin. At each pause, his voice came again.
"Here? Did he touch you?"
"And here?"
Every question, every touch was a dull blade grinding against her nerves, sending tremors through her body and splintering her soul.
The relentless repetition gnawed at her sanity, pulling her ever closer to the brink of madness.
She had no strength left to resist. Her tears were long gone; she could only shake her head in hollow submission.
Daniel's eyes burned from where he knelt against the wall.
He strained against the ropes, wrists tearing open under the nylon's bite, blood seeping down his hands. He hurled his body against the wall, desperate to break free, but it was useless.
His struggle only seemed to fuel Alexander's fury.
Alexander's hand slid further, fingers grazing Caroline's thigh, stopping at the vulnerable space between her legs, hovering dangerously.
"And... here?"
Caroline's eyes widened in shock. In her numb expression, a flicker of defiance finally broke through.
Alexander's smile sharpened.
His water-slicked fingers moved inward. She wasn't ready--her body wasn't yielding--and pain jolted through her spine, forcing a broken whimper from her lips.
Alexander watched her face, captivated by the agony there. His smile deepened, his eyes bloodshot.
"Is this how he touched you?" he murmured. "No... probably not. Daniel's too gentle. He wouldn't dare. But..."
He slowed his movements deliberately, the rough drag of his calloused fingers over her most fragile flesh.
"Remember... this pain... only I can give you."
The torment stretched on, each second pulled taut. The tearing ache blurred Caroline's vision; her lips moved soundlessly.
Daniel's growl rose, low and furious.
Alexander's brow furrowed. Without warning, he drove his finger deep inside her.
Caroline's body convulsed, her back snapping straight, head thrown back, mouth open in a scream that never came.
At that same moment, Daniel bit down hard, severing the duct tape with his teeth. He spat blood onto the floor, his voice breaking into a roar.
"This is rape! You sick bastard! You're going to hell!"
"Rape?" Alexander tilted his head, amused. "Do I need to have someone bring our marriage certificate and place it right in front of you?"
"She doesn't want you to touch her! You're a monster! Let her go!" Daniel's voice tore at his throat.
"You're too loud." Alexander's tone turned sharp.
The door burst open. The bodyguards stepped in, untying the rope from the pipe and hauling Daniel up by his hair. They dragged him toward the door.
"Alexander, be human! Stop hurting her! Give her a chance to live!"
Daniel fought them, leaving a trail of water across the wooden floor.
In the last second before the bathroom door closed, he saw Alexander looking straight at him, eyes full of challenge. Alexander tipped his head, pressed a kiss to Caroline's pale forehead, then shoved her back into the bath.
The water swallowed her. Caroline felt cold--colder than the day Edith died, colder than the wind off the pier and the crashing waves that had stolen her breath. Colder than the warmth draining from her body now.
So this was how life slipped away... bit by bit.
It didn't hurt as much as she'd imagined. It wasn't as terrifying as the other times she'd brushed death. It was almost... peaceful. Her thoughts swam, her eyelids heavy. If she closed them, it would all be over.
"Caroline..."
Who was that?
Was Edith here to take her away?
A point of light swelled in her vision, growing larger, until it became Alexander's face.
"Open your eyes. Look at me." His hand clamped around her throat, dragging her up from the icy water. "Tell me... who do you belong to? Who can control you?!"
Her senses slowly returned, seeping back into her awareness.
The tearing pain between her legs flared sharper. Each thrust brought his face into cruel focus.
The hollow in her chest filled with something cold, jagged.
She stared at the face she had loved for years, and deep inside, a seed of hate took root — strange, yet growing fast, wild.
With Alexander's final, shuddering breath, Caroline's lips curved into a quiet, knowing smile.