Chapter 31
Chapter 31
AXEL’S POV:
85%
Her muscles tensed under my touch, and I smirked at the reaction. “Who knew you’d be tatted up, darling? With that innocent face, I’d have pegged you as squeaky clean. But this–I pressed my fingers harder against the inked skin, watching her flinch. “–this tells me there’s more to you than meets the eye.”
Her silence was deafening, her shallow breaths the only response.
“What does it mean?” I asked, my tone deceptively calm. “A lover’s name? A mark of shame? Or is it something darker- something you earned in prison?” I leaned closer, letting the threat simmer between us. “You’ll tell me, one way or another.”
She said nothing, only moving her back away from my touch like it burned her, trying to twist it in a different direction from my eyes. Her silence only heightened my curiosity. I stretched my hand and pressed harder, letting my fingers dig into the symbols. “Answer me,” I demanded.
Still, she remained mute. My frustration boiled over, and I lashed out, the chain snapping against her side. She cried out, the sound raw and unfiltered, but she didn’t speak.
I leaned in close, my breath hot against her ear. “I thought a cat got your tongue,” I mocked. “You’ll speak when I tell you to. Do you understand?”
Her only response was a low groan, her body sagging slightly against the chains. For a moment, I thought she might pass out, and the idea filled me with a twisted sense of satisfaction. She was fighting so hard, but she was losing. And I was enjoying every second of it.
“You’re a challenge,” I said, almost to myself. “A beautiful, stubborn challenge. But don’t worry, dear wife. I’ll break you. I’ll ruin you. And when I do, you’ll beg me for mercy.”
I stepped back, watching as she wobbled slightly, her head hanging low. Her body was a canvas of pain, but her spirit–oh, her spirit was still intact. And that only made me want to crush it even more.
For now, though, I would let her simmer in her torment. There was still so much more to explore, so much more to uncover. And I had all the time in the world.
***
When she finally passed out, I sat back, watching her. Even unconscious, she radiated defiance. I busied myself with work, scrolling through emails from Chase Grayson. But boredom crept in.
Rising, I turned the faucet embedded in the wall, redirecting the cold spray to her face. The water hit her in a relentless torrent, and she jolted awake, gasping and frantic.
It took her a moment to gather herself, but when she did, her eyes locked on mine, blazing with pure hatred.
“You’re pathetic,” she hissed, her voice weak but venomous. “Torturing someone weaker than you doesn’t make you powerful. It makes you a coward.”
Pain was a language everyone understood. And since words weren’t getting through to her, I decided it was time to speak in a way she couldn’t ignore.
Grabbing the chains again, I pulled them taut, forcing her to her toes. Her gasp was sharp, a desperate intake of air that sent a thrill racing through me.
“Don’t make me ask again,” I warned. “What does it mean?”
Nothing.
1/3
Tue, 22 Apr
Chapter 31
Her lips pressed together, her jaw clenched, and that defiant fire in her eyes burned brighter.
So be it.
85%
With a yank. I let the chains drop, and her body fell forward. The cuffs dug into her wrists, the weight pulling at her limbs. A groan escaped her, raw, as her body sagged against the restraints.
I crouched to meet her eye level, her face now inches from mine. She was trembling, her breaths ragged, but the fire hadn’t dimmed. It only enraged me further.
The room went silent.
A slow smile spread across my face, one I knew would unnerve her.
“Oh. Avery,” I sød, my voice a dangerous purr. “You don’t know what cowardice is. But don’t worry–I’ll show you.”
Reaching into my pocket, I retrieved a small blade, its edge gleaming in the dim light. The room’s silence was now a suffocating weight, pressing down on both of us. Her breathing quickened as her eyes darted to the knife, a flicker of unease betraying her otherwise stoic demeanor. The first crack in her armor, and it was enough to ignite the thrill coursing through
“Fear is such a fragile thing. I murmured, turning the blade in my hand, letting the light dance along its edge. “It creeps in slowly, takes root in the mind, and grows until it consumes you. But you-” I pointed the knife at her, my gaze locking with hers. “You think you’re immune to it. That’s what makes this fun.”
Her jaw tightened, a visible effort to suppress whatever fear might have surfaced. The defiance in her eyes hadn’t dimmed, but it was there–hidden beneath layers of anger and pain. A crack in her armor, faint but promising.
I moved closer, the blade resting just beneath her chin. “Tell me,” I whispered, my tone deceptively soft. “Does your silence mean you’re brave or simply stupid?”
She didn’t answer, of course. She never did. Her lips pressed together in a tight line, her breathing shallow but steady. Her slence wasn’t bravery. It was a shield, one I was determined to shatter.
I pressed the knife lightly against her skin, enough to draw a thin line of blood. Her body flinched, an intake of breath betraying her reaction. The sound was intoxicating–a small victory in this battle of wills.
“I could carve the truth out of you,” I mused, tilting her chin upward with the blade. “But that would be too easy. No, Avery. I want you to give it to me. Willingly. I want to see that fire in your eyes burn out, to hear you beg for mercy you won’t receive
Her eyes narrowed, her voice a low rasp. “You’ll be waiting a long time.”
The corner of my mouth twitched, amusement and irritation warring within me. She was resilient, I’ll give her that. But resilience could only take her so far.
I pulled back, tossing the knife onto a nearby table. The metallic clar echoed in the room, a sharp contrast to the heavy silence that followed. “Very well,” I said, turning my back to her. “Have it your way.”
“A beautiful ruin,” I murmured. “That’s what you’ll be when I’m done with you.”
Her body stiffened, and I relished the tension, the way her spirit warred against her physical reality. It was intoxicating, breaking someone so strong, so unyielding.
But not yet.
I wanted her broken, yes. But I wanted her beautiful, too–a masterpiece of pain and defiance, stripped of everything but the essence of who she was.
2/3
Chapter 31
44 Ap
I stepped back, my gaze raking over her form one last time before I turned toward the door.
“You’ve got some fight in you,” I said, my tone almost admiring. “But it won’t last.”
(+45)
I strode to the hidden cache, retrieving a heavier chain. The weight of it felt satisfying in my hands, a promise of what was to come. Turning back to her, I let it drag across the floor, the sound a low, ominous scrape before binding her hands with the weight.
“Let’s see how long that fire lasts,” I said, my voice cold and unyielding. “Because by the time I’m done with you, Avery, you’ll wish you’d never been born.”
Her gaze met mine, and for a fleeting moment, I saw something in her eyes–a flicker of doubt, quickly masked by her defiance. It didn’t matter. She could fight all she wanted, but in the end, everyone broke.
Everyone.
And Avery? She would be no exception.
Without another glance, I walked out, leaving her to hang in the silence of the cell.
Outside, Ryan leaned against the wall, his expression unreadable. “What’s stopping you from killing her?” he asked.
“The same thing stopping me from killing you,” I snapped.
It wasn’t the truth. I wanted to kill her. Hated her guts. But she was different—a challenge I couldn’t ignore.
“Is everything ready for tomorrow?” I deflected.
3/3
