“I didn’t do anything wrong,” I said, my voice hoarse but stubborn. “Why should I admit to something I didn’t do?” I looked at him, my chest tight. “The biggest mistake I ever made was meeting you. Argus… you’re the most disgusting person I’ve ever known.”
His expression darkened instantly.
“And you,” I turned to Celine, my voice colder, “what are you pretending for? Who do you think you are? Without him, you’re nothing.”
“Dahlia,” she frowned, her voice trembling, “don’t talk about him like that. You don’t have the right—”
“Shut up,” I snapped. “You think you’re better than me? You’re just as pathetic.”
The whip came down harder this time.
“Shut up!” Argus shouted, completely losing control.
“This one is for Grandpa,” he said coldly as the whip struck again.
“This one is for what you did to Celine.”
“This one is to remind you who you are. Don’t ever think you can stand next to me.”
The strikes kept coming, one after another, until I lost count. Every hit felt like it tore through my skin and deeper into something I couldn’t protect. My throat filled with a metallic taste and I coughed, blood spilling out. My vision blurred, everything spinning.
So this was it?
Was this how it ended?