House of Cards || Daerin

1. Blood All Over My Heels

DANIELLE

His suffering could end if I just let him die.

I am anything but that forgiving.

"Bend down and beg me to spare your life," I whispered, each word dripping with venom as I watched him choke, foam bubbling from his lips.

"Beg." My voice sharpened as I nodded toward my bodyguard. He bowed slightly before untying the man slumped in front of me, letting him fall off the chair and collapse onto the cold, concrete floor.

His gasps were harsh and erratic, desperate for air I knew he'd never get.

"P-Please—" He coughed, trying to force the words through the tightness in his throat. "I'm sorry."

I swirled the whiskey in the glass—the same glass he drank from, now sizzling with poison. Poor, gullible little rapist.

"Do you even know what you're apologizing for?" I asked, tilting my head slightly, eyes narrowing as I let the glass slip from my fingers. It shattered on the floor, shards of glass scattering.

"For—for looking at you," he croaked, barely audible through his struggling breaths.

I laughed, low and soft, the sound barely rising above the flicker of the torches that lit the dim garage.

His garage. The house he built with the filthy money earned from selling illegal photos online. He deserved more than death—he deserved agony.

"No." I crouched beside him, the cold steel of my gaze meeting his bloodshot eyes.

"You're dying because you dared to touch my sister. You're dying because of all the little, helpless girls whose lives you've destroyed. You're nothing but a worthless piece of shit, and I can't believe I'm wasting my time on you." My voice was slow, deliberate, each word cutting deeper than the next as I stood up, the click of my heels echoing against the concrete floor.

"Hand me the hammer," I sighed, holding out my hand without turning around.

My fingers twitched as I glanced down at my freshly done nails. I had just gotten them done this morning-what a waste.

Jungmin, my loyal guard, stepped forward, placing the hammer in my hand with no hesitation. His face was blank, accustomed to the kind of brutality I thrived on.

I lifted the hem of my dress slightly, bending down to his level once more, watching him struggle for breath. His eyes, wide and red, darted frantically as the poison worked its way through his veins. Slowly. Painfully.

"The poison?" I smirked, brushing a strand of hair from my face. "That's not how you'll die, Lim Sunghyo."

His eyes bulged, terror setting in as I raised the hammer just above his head. His lips trembled, foam mixing with the blood seeping from his mouth.

"Any last words?" I asked, lowering the hammer ever so slightly, letting him see the glint of it in the dim light.

He spat, wiping his sleeve across his mouth, his breathing ragged. "All... all this for that slut? She was a terrible lay an—"

Blood sprayed across my face, warm and thick, as his scream curdled and died in his throat. The metallic taste of it settled on my lips, but I didn't flinch.

Again. I brought the hammer down, feeling the bones splinter beneath it. His face—what was left of it—collapsed inward, his body convulsing as the life drained from him.

And again.

One for every woman he had hurt.

One for the shame he brought to his family. And the last one—one final crushing blow—was for my sister. For Hanni.

The sound of his skull cracking echoed in the cold, dark space.

I blinked, the reality of what I'd done snapping back into focus. Blood pooled around my feet, dark and thick, seeping into the cracks of the concrete. I looked down at my heels, stained with gore.

Not these. These were expensive.

I straightened up, using the back of my hand to wipe the blood from my face, the sticky warmth of it clinging to my skin.

"Cut off his dick and feed it to the dogs," I said, turning to leave the room, my voice as calm as if I'd just given an order at dinner. "I don't care how you do it. Just make sure he's forgotten."

The guards moved swiftly as I walked out, the sound of their boots scraping against the blood-soaked floor blending into the background.

They would take care of the mess. They always did.

At the door, I paused, turning one last time to look at the broken, lifeless body on the ground. A smile tugged at my lips, slow and satisfied.

He'd fucked around—and now, he'd found out.

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A/N: So, should I continue?