I'd come back to destroy the Carter family—piece by piece.
For Darcy, whose death was so cruel it still tore at me, I would make every last one of them pay.
Seeing I would not break, Noreen abruptly let go of my hair and wiped the blood from her face. Her eyes gleamed darkly.
"You're right." Her voice was soft, yet chilling. "Some things shouldn't be rushed. They need... slow torture."
She straightened her back, eyes narrowing. "Since you've returned... then let's play properly."
Without another glance at me, she barked an order at the security guards.
"Watch him. Don't let him run."
Then, as though flipping a switch, her expression melted into tenderness when she turned to Maxwell.
"Does it hurt?" She gently brushed the tears from his face.
"I'll take you to a private room."
Maxwell leaned into her with red-rimmed eyes. "As long as I have you, nothing can hurt me."
His voice cracked, choked with tears. "With you... I'm not afraid of anything."
As they left, I sat slumped on the floor, wounds stinging, my body screaming with pain. Around me, the vultures circled—Noreen's sycophants spitting their venom.