Chapter 74

Their eyes met, and Megan's heart skipped a beat.

The next moment, his long legs closed in on her slender waist, pressing her down against his rock-hard chest.

"Trying to run again?"

His phoenix eyes burned with desire.

Megan raised an eyebrow, lips curling into a mocking smile. "What can you possibly do?"

Barely were the words out of her mouth when a quiet click sounded-his wrist cuffs just popped open.

Before she could react, warm hands slipped around her waist. In one swift move, everything flipped.

Now, with Tristan on top of her, Megan hooked a small foot behind his waist, lifting her chin defiantly "So,what can you do to me? I'm probably asking for it,huh?"

Tristan leaned in, breath warm at her neck, voice low and husky. "Not asking for a beating... More like begging for something else."

Then his lips crashed onto hers, and his hand guided hers lower.

He bit her jaw playfully, whispering through gritted teeth, "This is what you get for playing with fire."

Megan groaned, "Okay, okay... I regret it."

"Too late for regrets."

"Wait, wait! Shouldn't you-apologize or something?"

"Already said sorry back in the lab. Now it's time to say it again... here in bed."

Megan could barely breathe, "You damn... mmm...jerk!"

The room filled with a sweet, almost dreamy warmth.Even the breeze sneaking through the window seemed softened.

But far from this gentle scene, in a damp and gloomy dungeon, the air reeked of blood and rot.

A woman huddled in the corner, hair tangled, face dirty. She'd lost track of how many days she'd been trapped here.

No clue who had taken her or where she was.

Through the tiny window above, she marked the days with sunlight and darkness.

Food came once a day-leftover scraps barely edible.

A foul bucket in the corner served as her toilet. The stench made her gag.

The isolation, the filth, the uncertainty-they were driving Molly insane.

Part of her wished they'd just come for her already.Let her do something, anything, just don't leave her rotting here. But she was also terrified of being summoned. Wyatt had been taken... and never returned.

She had no idea what had become of him since that night-dead,maybe?

Footsteps echoed. Her head snapped uJp.

The cell door clanked open. Two bulky men walked in,grabbed her roughly, and dragged her out.

Down a long hallway they went, shadows stretching behind them.

They threw her into a warm room, where she hit the floor hard.

She looked up-and her breath caught.

A man lounged on a sofa, wearing a bloody demon mask.

Her hands clenched into fists as she trembled, barely able to lift her head to face him.

He sat with a kind of lazy elegance, eyes behind the mask cold and amused.

She crawled forward on her knees, voice shaking."Don't kill me. I'll do whatever you want. Just let me live."

Before she got close, the two men behind her pinned her down.

A low, rumbling chuckle came from behind the mask.His voice had that deep, magnetic pull

"Molly Shaw, isn't it?" "Yes."

"Anything...really?"

Molly knew her assets-curves that had bent many men to her will. She was confident they'd work this time too.She swallowed hard. "If you're willing, I'd be more than happy to serve you."

The man let out a low scoff. "Thing is... I find you filthy."

Molly's heart sank. She had no idea what else she had to offer-surely he wouldn't waste time keeping someone useless around.

As a cold sweat broke out across her forehead, the man suddenly spoke again. "Do you hate Megan ?"

Her pulse jumped. Was he doing all this to get back at that wretched woman?

If that was the case, she was screwed.

"Do you want her to suffer? To be devastated?"

Molly looked at him with wide, panicked eyes."If you don't, I'll disappear. I'll crawl like a bug, never crossing her path again."

The man slowly stood and walked right up to her. His fox-like eyes curled with a smirk. "But what if I do want that?"

A gleam of hope instantly lit up her face. "If that's what you want, I'll help you. Whatever it takes."

He caught the murderous gleam in her eyes and gave a small, satisfied nod before returning to his seat on the couch.

With a casual wave of his hand, he said, "Take Miss Shaw to rest. Make sure she's comfortable."

Molly sent him a grateful look. Guess the enemy of her enemy really was her friend.

After she was taken away, the man slowly pulled off his mask. The sharp edge in his eyes grew darker.

Calling over a bodyguard, he said coldly, "Burn the carpet. It's filthy."

"Yes,sir."

Molly was led into a clean, cozy room-soft lighting,fresh sheets, a hint of lavender in the air. Her face lit up with a genuine smile for the first time in days.

Wasting no time, she ran a hot bath and soaked herself in the steaming water, scrubbing away days of grime and dread.

Wrapped in a fluffy robe, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Even after all that, she still looked damn charming.

She dried her hair, then dropped into the soft bed,letting exhaustion pull her under.

God knew how long she slept. But suddenly,something tickled her nose, and then-she couldn't breathe.

Snapping awake, heart pounding, she found the room eerily quiet, the sky dimly lit with hints of dawn.

A weird tightness pressed against her chest.Probably just stress and worn nerves, she thought, dragging herself out of bed for a glass of water.

With the cup in hand, she walked over to the window -and froze.

Her hand shook so hard the glass slipped and shattered against the floor.

Her breath caught. Finally, she knew where that thick,metallic stench was coming from.

Down below, rows and rows of large ceramic v/ats were lined up. Inside weren't things...they were people.

Still alive-barely. Their eyes and noses had been cut out.

Their bodies had been hacked to fit.

Her whole body trembled as her breathing turned frantic. She'd heard stories-this had to be the stuff of living corpses.

Her blood ran cold. Was she... working with the devil himself?

Stumbling to the bathroom, she nearly threw up from the horror. She didn't dare take another look-what if one of those bodies down there was Wyatt ? That could be her fate too.

Glaring at her pale, shaken reflection, she made herself a vow-get out, and never come back.

She didn't sleep again that night. Not even when someone knocked at the door the next morning.

Meanwhile... Megan blinked awake, only to find Tristan staring straight at her.

"Morning,little troublemaker," he said lazily.

"Hmph," she huffed and turned over.

But the next second, his arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her bare back flush against his warm chest.

Tristan nipped at her ear. "Still mad at me?"

She rolled her eyes hard enough to see her brain.