Chapter 6 +25 Bonus Chapter 6 Macro POV My assistant spoke in a hushed tone. "The day Miss Grant arrived at the hospital... she slipped out almost immediately." I snapped my head up, my voice sharp. "Why the hell didn't you stop her?! Why didn't you tell me?!" He flinched under my glare. "You were busy with the Family, and... we thought you didn't care about her anymore." My eyes narrowed. "Did I ever say those words?" He hesitated. "No, but... it looked that way. You've been gentler with Karen. With Seraphina you've been... harsher." Harsher. The word lodged like a knife. And God help me-it was true. I had turned a blind eye when Karen's people dangled her off the fortieth floor. I had let them throw her into the dungeon. The dungeon! I stormed out of the conference room and down to the dungeon. The air was thick and damp, and a faint metallic scent of blood filled my nostrils. In a corner, on what could barely be called a bed, lay a white shirt. The same shirt Sera had been wearing when she was dragged down here. I picked it up, and the stench of blood hit me, full force. The bloodstains were crisscrossed on the fabric, a brutal tapestry of red that soaked through the material. Despite my familiarity with violence, a jolt of horror shot through me, and I dropped the shirt as if it were on fire. My chest heaved, a maelstrom of rage and fear churning inside me. "Who did this to her?! I said she was only to be held for three days, no one was to touch her!" I bellowed, the sound echoing off the stone walls. My heart felt like it was being ripped apart, a searing pain that made my whole body tremble. 1/3 Chapter 6 +25 Bonus "The old Grant... and his other daughter... they came here." The assistant's voice was barely audible. "And you didn't tell me?!" I snarled, a wave of cold fury washing over me. "We thought... you'd stopped protecting her," he stuttered, fear in his eyes. I didn't waste another second. I pulled up the security feed. The screen flickered to life. A whip cracked again and again against Sera's back, each strike slicing the air like a blade. She never screamed, and never begged. She only bit her lip until the blood ran, her body rigid with defiance, until, finally, she collapsed. My chest caved in on itself. I couldn't see through the blur in my eyes. No wonder her eyes that day had been so empty, so distant, as if I were already a stranger to her. I pointed at the monitor, my voice a low, dangerous whisper. "Drag that old bastard into this hellhole. Whatever Seraphina suffered, he pays back tenfold!" My assistant swallowed hard. "And... another Miss Grant?" I closed my eyes, the words a rough rasp in my throat. "When I was drowning in the struggle for power, Karen was always there. She offered me comfort and encouragement. I was grateful for that, yes. But the only one I ever loved was Sera." The moment the words left my mouth, another man burst into the room with a small package. I tore it open, finding a tiny voice recorder inside. I pressed the play button. A familiar voice filled the room, cold and calculating. "Karen's been dead for a long time. So what? Your stupid parents will only believe me. All I have to do is put on a little show, and they'll always side with me. That idiot, Macro? He's no different..." The air was sucked from my lungs. A sharp, icy dread pierced my heart. I had defended Karen. Shielded her, while Sera bled. And the truth? She was only an impostor. I thought back to the day Karen "fell" down the stairs. I remembered Sera's eyes, the desperate plea for me to believe her, the raw hurt. I had promised I would, but I... I was a goddamn fool! 2/3 Chapter & My knuckles turned white as I gripped the recorder, my hands trembling violently. "Get that impostor now. Get a DNA test. Once it's confirmed... she'll pay, tenfold!" I was left alone in the cold dungeon. I collapsed onto the grimy bed, clutching Sera's blood-soaked shirt to my chest. The pain was unbearable, a crushing ache that stole my breath. It felt like every ounce of strength had been drained from my body, leaving me hollow and shattered. Not interesting at all Support ENJOYING THE BOOK? Give it a rating to show your support! Share +25 Bonus Very interesting 3/3