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It's euphoric, watching the way the blade glints beneath the light hanging above. The way his body begins to writhe with every cut. The sound of his screams is almost lyrical in my ears.

I can't control it, the need for more. The desperate, disgusting craving that embeds its way into my soul. I cut harder, faster. Blood spills from his body until his stomach is open, but I don't stop. I can't. I reach inside, feeling the weight of his intestines in my hand, and suddenly, every moment inside these walls floods to my core. Every punishment, every nightmare. The moment my mother sold me to these monsters, only for me to become the very same thing.

Archie steps back as I move, dragging the man's organs across his body. Blood spills to the floor, the smell nauseating, but I push through just enough to wrap his intestines around his throat, a perfect noose for a man who kills children before they ever get a chance to live.

I don't know if he was dead before, he probably was, but still. I take a step back to examine my work, and I glance over at Archie, his face full of pride.

"Finally, my Ace of hearts as black as a spade."

His words sink in deep as I look down at my blood-stained hands.

What have I become?

Chapter Twenty-Four

Amora

I stretch my legs out in the porcelain tub, letting the water glide over my skin. The smell of lavender and honey fills the room. It feels good to wash away the day, and more importantly, the memory of Vincent from my skin. He hasn't returned, not since breakfast this morning. And while most of me is glad, a part of me has been riddled with anxiety for what comes next. He knows the truth; well, at least my version of it. Whether Melina has managed to sway his mind, to twist what happened in the cells into her own version well enough for him to continue believing, was another story.

Footsteps emerge from the other side of the white door, and I already know who they belong to. I try to move quick and grab the towel in an attempt to conceal myself, but I'm too slow. He's already pushed open the bathroom door.

"My, my, my." His voice is low as he walks closer. I pull my knees to my chest, the water splashing over the edge of the tub. "What a treat this is."

"Please, could I have some privacy to get dressed?" I whisper, avoiding his gaze that never leaves my body. He ignores me, of course, and takes a step closer. My hands tremble against my knees as his hands find their way into my hair, his fingers lacing against each curl. He grips tightly, enough for me to wince as he pulls my head back and stares into my eyes.

"You want privacy? You need to earn it." My hands move quickly to his wrists, nails digging into his skin, but he doesn't falter. He only grips harder. "You want to live? You fucking earn it." I wince at his grip, eyes watering.

"Please, you're hurting me."

"Good, you little slut. I want you to hurt." He leans in, his breath warm on my cheek. "Tell me, what did you think would happen if you got away?"

"I-I…" I stutter but the words don't come, because I don't know.

"Did you think you'd be free? That I'd never find you, that I wouldn't come and collect on what belongs to me?"

"I'm…" I swallow. "I'm sorry, Vincent."

"You're sorry?" he scoffs. "You're fucking sorry?" Something in the air shifts; his eyes darken as his jaw tightens. "I'll show you fucking sorry."

Before I can think, fight, or even take a breath, his hands are pushing me down hard until every part of me is submerged into the bath water. I fight, oh God, I fight so hard against his grip. My hands struggle against the edge of the tub, slipping and sliding as I thrash, water spilling over the edge on the marble tiles.

"You belong to me, Amora." He holds me still as water begins to flood into my lungs, everything beginning to fade into darkness. "I decide everything. You'll see. Every breath you take is mine. Every beat of your heart belongs to me."

I barely register his words, and for a moment, all I feel is peace as my hands slip from the edge of the tub. As I'm about to finally let the darkness take me, he pulls me from the water. My chest burns as his hands smash against my back, my throat aching as I splutter every inch of water I'd swallowed. It hurts to breathe, it hurts to think, but he doesn't stop, his hands wrap around my waist as he drags me from the bathtub and leans me over the edge. I can barely kneel, every inch of me weak. I hear the zipper of his trousers, but I can't react. I don't know if I even want to anymore.

His hands move to my hips, holding me in place as I lean against the porcelain tub. I barely have the strength, but I don't dare let myself fall.

The burn between my legs is something I'll never forget; the feel of him forcing himself inside me. I don't scream, I don't give him the satisfaction. I just lay perfectly still against the edge of the bath and let the numbness take hold as he thrusts against me, each one taking a part of me I'll never be able to take back. His fingers dig into my hips, his breath sharp and quick as he pants away. I bite against my cheek and wait for the voice in my head to speak, to tell me it'll be okay and it'll be over soon, but it never comes. Only the sound of him fills my ears.

Time stands still, like each second lasts longer than the one before, just to punish me further. His hands roam across my body until he's gripping my breasts, his grunts sending waves of sick to my stomach.

"You're so tight," he says through gritted teeth. "Almost like you were made just for me."

I close my eyes, the sound of skin slapping together bouncing around the walls of the bathroom. His hands grip tighter, pulling him deeper inside me, sending a shooting pain across my stomach. I cry out, but it only spurs him on. A disgusting gurgle escapes his mouth as he cries out a loud moan, and that's when I feel him. Emptying himself inside me. He leans against my back, his forehead damp with sweat against my skin.

"So fucking worth the wait."

He pulls himself out of me, wiping the cum from his cock on my back, and moves away. I crumble to the ground, the space in between my legs throbbing and the room spinning with every breath.