𝐅𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 [𝟏𝟖+]

24

TRIGGER WARNING SA

Do not google names of some skin diseases I've mentioned unless you're desensitized to them.

4k words of pure torture ig

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"When did you come out?"

A machiavellian spark lit Romeo's countenance. "If I can't bend the rules, I will find a loophole. Arlovia has a very peculiar tradition of honoring their dead. So peculiar that they would even let prisoners go home with proper security to perform their last rites. How unfortunate I had to kill my dear mother to come and visit you."

He killed his mother?

Disgust curled through me.

"Although they haven't aired the news and wouldn't until five more days, I would soon be labeled as Arlovia's most wanted criminal in their records since I escaped out of the security's hands. But it doesn't sound as bad as being sentenced to death, does it?" His eyes drifted to his lapdog's—Mason's figure.

"Death sentence?" My brows knitted in confusion.

Romeo explained, "Drug smuggling is punishable by death in Arlovia. Someone had outed me for that crime and I'm to attend a hearing from the court this month's end. First an accident at one of my factories, then Mason's leg fracture, then my arrest because of a Ponzi scheme, then Mason's death, and now my death sentence. Who has plotted all this? Who is that stupid wanker trying to get me and my men killed? I know it is not Katrina and Hayden."

Marcus was dead? Who would do that?

'Someone is actively tolling his death knell', Kate had said. Had she meant this same thing?

Romeo's voice drifted around me. "If I didn't know Cyrus was asexual, I would have suspected it to be him because he does such brilliant scheming. But Cyrus maintains a very clean track of celibacy, which I'm certain even you can't disrupt. Did you know why I let you work under him? His disregard for you. Every man either tries to get into your panties or parade you on his arm because of your beauty, but Cyrus? He has zero interest in you. It's obvious he was so done with your slutty behavior and shifted you to the photography department to get rid of you. Besides, Cyrus would never waste millions to destroy me. It would bring him nothing in return."

Relief bit deep into my heart at his vehement denial. It was good that he didn't know about Cyrus's and mine rendezvous.

However, considering Romeo's words, knowing Cyrus wasted thousands on buying tickets on an entire flight just to keep Marcus away from me, I realized who was tolling Romeo's death knell. Cyrus. It was Cyrus who was sabotaging Romeo all this time. The unlocked, connected door was the fact that he wanted to give me liberty. Cyrus let me into his place because he knew I hated having Romeo's lapdogs trail after me. Why hadn't I told Cyrus the truth? If I did, maybe he would have gotten me completely out of Romeo's clutches.

Romeo's hands curled into fists. "This leaves my question unanswered: who is it, baby girl? Is it Dante Amato? I know the fucker has some loyalty towards you, but even that fucker wouldn't risk going against Talin and me at once? Or is it Billy Bates? Did you suck his dick so good that he thought he could kill me and have you? Or was it someone else? Whose handprint is it on your neck? Who was making a slut out of you when I was in prison?"

"Why would I answer that? Maybe I should let you wonder who I fucked on your bed?" A conceited smile pulled at my lips. "Maybe it was one man or two. Or maybe more. Or maybe it's a woman. Or maybe I brought home a different person every night to fuck me on your bed while you were counting tiles on the prison floor and your lapdog was lamenting over his broken leg in his apartment. It could be anyone and you would never know." Suddenly I felt supremely powerful, knowing I had bruised Romeo's ego in the worst way possible.