Chapter 227

11:26 The echo of Bruce’s voice reverberated in the dimly lit room, freezing the air around me, as dread coiled in the pit of my stomach. Fear and desperation consumed me as I took in his demented expression.

“Glad you’re finally awake, Sleeping Beauty?” Bruce sneered.

My mind raced, a surge of disbelief and confusion gripping me. “Bruce? How… how did you get involved in this?”

Stella, seated nearby with an air of eerie satisfaction, interjected smoothly. “Bruce reached out to me, Evie. He wanted to offer his expertise in… seeking revenge after the pain you caused.”

Shock coursed through me. “You… you reached out to Stella? You were that desperate to ruin me?”

Bruce’s expression remained stoic. “I offered her a chance to make things right. And here we are.”

My disgust with him somehow managed to grow even bigger, and an overwhelming sense of disbelief flooding my senses. “Stella, you know who this is right?”

An eerie silence hung heavily in the dimly lit room. Stella looked up at the ceiling in thought, and it dawned on me how clueless she was about him. Bruce’s cold presence felt suffocating, his eyes holding a glint of malice as they rested on me.

“Stella, do you not know who this is?” I demanded, my voice quivering with a mix of fear and frustration. “Bruce is my stepbrother, the one who’s made my life miserable for years.”

Stella’s composed demeanor wavered for a moment, a flicker of surprise crossing her features before she quickly. masked it with indifference. “It doesn’t matter, Evie.”

My breath caught at her dismissive response. “How can you say that? This changes everything!”

But Stella’s voice remained detached, void of empathy. “Your personal history doesn’t alter the situation at hand. We have matters to settle.”

Dismay and disbelief coursed through me. How could Stella disregard the significance of this?

Bruce had been. noted as a dangerous individual in the news before, willing to kill. This was more than just a family feud, but she seemed clueless.

“Stella, please, listen to me,” I implored, desperation creeping into my voice. “You can’t just ignore this. Bruce hasn’t just caused harm to me. He stabbed Timothy before, I’m sure you’ve seen the scar on some occasions.”

Stella’s eyes held a fleeting hint of discomfort, but she swiftly composed herself. “I understand, Evie. But this is beyond personal grievances. It’s about what’s right.”

Anger bubbled within me, frustration boiling over at Stella’s indifference to the torment Timothy and I had endured. “What’s right? How can you stand there and act like this doesn’t matter?”

Her voice was cold and resolute. “Because it doesn’t change our course of action. We have our reasons, and they’re not solely influenced by your personal history.”

A sense of helplessness washed over me as I realized the futility of reasoning with Stella. I was at the mercy of individuals driven by their own motives, revenge the only thing on their minds.

“He’s dangerous! Do you hear me? You really think he’ll let you just go about your business after this?”

Stella’s voice dripped with detached nonchalance. “It was an offer I couldn’t refuse, Evie. You left a lot of hurt in your wake. Besides, I’m sure he’s smart enough to know not to screw over a well known heiress.”

“This is insane!” A violent chill ran through me and I hissed. “I have people looking for me, you know. If you let me go now, I’ll…I’ll give you my earnings for the month, Bruce. I’m sure you need them.”

But Bruce’s response was chillingly resolute. “That offer’s long passed, Evie. I don’t want your money.”

Terror clenched my heart as his words sank in. I didn’t have much else to bargain. At least, nothing I was willing to trade.

His tone remained unyielding. “You think you can get away with trying to take me out? You and Timothy both will pay for that.”

My breath caught at the mention of Timothy. Fear for him surged through me, a suffocating terror gripping my heart. “Please, don’t hurt him. He’s not involved in any of this.”

Bruce’s voice dripped with disdain. “He chose to involve himself when he hit me with his car. I can only imagine the things I’ll do to him when I get my hands on him.”

I clenched my jaw, on the verge of screaming. “He’s not part of this! Please, I’ll do anything. Just don’t hurt him.”

Joyread Your dream seu of Emergency calls only 11:26 But Bruce’s resolve was unshaken. “It’s too late for bargains. You should’ve thought about that before you crossed me.”

Tears welled in my eyes as I turned to Stella, clutching onto a sliver of hope. “Stella, you know you care about Timothy, at least you did once. You’re just angry, you wouldn’t really let anything happen to him.”

Stella’s laughter echoed coldly through the room, devoid of any warmth. “I think you’re mistaken, Evie. I feel nothing for Timothy anymore. He’s inconsequential.”

The chill in her words pierced through me, extinguishing the faint glimmer of hope I’d clung to. Panic clawed at my chest as I nearly collapsed as Bruce hauled me up from the couch.

“What are you planning?” I demanded, my voice trembling. “Where are you taking me?”

Stella’s smirk sent a chill down my spine. “You’ll see soon enough. Bruce, take her down to the basement. It’s time to begin our little show.”

“Please, tell me what you’re going to do,” I cried, attempting to shake myself from Bruce’s grasp. My limbs were still to weak.

Stella’s response was chillingly cryptic. “Just wait and see, Evie.”

My heart raced as Bruce tugged me forward, dragging me toward a door. Panic and helplessness consumed me as I struggled against his grip, but his strength was overwhelming.

“Let me go!” I screamed, my voice echoing through the hallway.

But Bruce remained unyielding, his grip tightening as he led me down the stairs.

The chilling descent into Stella’s basement felt like a descent into the heart of darkness itself. Each step I took carried the weight of impending doom, the oppressive silence engulfing me as we reached the threshold of a white–walled room.

My eyes widened in dread as I took in the sight–a setup filled with cameras and an array of ominous tools laid out on a table, a stark contrast against the sterile white walls. Fear clawed at my insides as I stumbled backward, a desperate attempt to evade the sinister display laid out before me.

“What… what is this?” I stammered, my voice quivering with unease.

Joyread Emergency calls only 097% 11:26 Bruce’s firm grip tightened around my arms, forcing me into a chair with a menacing force. “Sit down and don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”

My heart raced, panic seizing me as Stella flicked on the blindingly bright lights. The starkness of the room felt suffocating, an unspoken threat lingering in the air.

“What are you planning to do?” I demanded, trying to conceal the tremor in my voice.

Stella’s voice was cold and detached. “Oh, just a little show for our audience.”

My pulse quickened at her cryptic response. “Audience? What are you talking about?”

Bruce’s cold smirk sent chills down my spine. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

My eyes darted around the room, panic rising within me as I realized the gravity of my situation.

Cameras pointed at me, their tiny lenses dilating.

“Please, don’t do this,” I pleaded, my voice cracking with desperation. “Whatever your plan is, it doesn’t have to be this way.”

Stella’s indifferent demeanor sent a shiver down my spine. “We’ll be doing whatever it is that we please. Suck it 1.

I shook my head violently. “No… I won’t do this.”

But Bruce’s grip tightened, his cold gaze locking onto mine. “You don’t have a choice.”

I felt a rising sense of helplessness, when I felt a line of thick rope wrap around my limp arms. The center camera’s red light flickered on, a wave of terror washed over me.

Stella tapped it with her nail, eyeing me closely. “Smile for the camera, Evie. You are now live for all to see.”