The illegitimate daughter of a powerful businessman, she was sent to live with her six half-brothers after her father's sudden death.
The boys were born from privilege, pride, and perfectly manicured bloodlines. No one welcomed her. No one cared.
De...
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The room reeked of dampness and blood, its silence broken only by the rattling of chains overhead. A single, flickering bulb swung from the ceiling, casting broken shadows against the moldy walls.
Dangled by my wrists, I was tied high above my head. I feel my toes barely brushing the cold, gritty floor. My clothes were torn and bloodstained, clinging to my fragile frame.
I can feel how my cheeks were wet with silent tears, lips cracked and pale, and hair matted against my bruised face.
Suddenly—SWISH!
A belt lashed through the air, striking my back with a loud crack.
"Aaaah!" A piercing scream tore from my throat before I could stop it. My body jerked, trembling violently, as pain exploded across my spine.
The man behind the mask stepped forward. Cold, grey eyes peeked through the holes, merciless and sharp. His voice was deep, oddly calm, yet heavy with contempt.
"Keep screaming," he hissed, lifting the belt again, "and I'll keep hitting until you learn silence."
Another blow. And another.
My cries echoed in the darkness like a haunted song, raw and desperate. But something inside me, something small and defiant, refused to give him the satisfaction.
I bit my lip, hard, so hard that the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. My body convulsed as the next strike came, but this time, I did not scream.
A tense silence fell.
The man finally paused.
"Tch..." He tossed the belt to the side with a casual flick.
"You're not like her," he said bitterly, pacing in front of me, his voice laced with venom.
"Your mother never begged. Never broke. Ruthless witch, she played with people's lives like pawns on a board. Manipulative. Cruel. And when she died, she took the satisfaction of revenge with her."
He turned sharply, looking into my terrified, tear-soaked eyes.
"But you?"
"You're the compensation."
"You're the living blood of that woman, and now, you'll pay for her sins."
My lips trembled. I mustered what strength I had left.
"I don't know anything," I whispered, my voice hoarse, barely audible. "I don't even know her..."
But the man didn't respond.
He turned, cold and wordless, and walked out. The door slammed shut behind him. Total darkness swallowed me whole.
I shot upright in bed, breath ragged, my body drenched in sweat.
