Chapter 264

Latisha bowed her head, fat tears plopping onto the floor. She stared at the brazier, overcome with the sudden urge to just plunge her head into the flames.

Seeing her stillness, Santino wasn't annoyed. He picked up a tablet from behind him and tapped the screen a few times. "Is this her?"

Latisha looked up. The screen showed Mrs. Dashiell lying in a hospital bed. She was awake, propped up against the headboard and talking to a nurse. There was no sound, so Latisha couldn't hear what they were saying.

She dug her nails into her palms, her gaze shifting from the screen to Santino's face. He wore the expression of a man in complete control. She bit her lip, her face a mask of internal conflict.

Finally, she lowered her eyes, her lashes concealing her expression. She placed her hands on the floor, got on her knees, and began to crawl slowly toward him. The iron chain scraped against the ground with a soft, metallic ring. She knelt before him and looked up.

Santino leaned down and lifted her chin. "See? That's better," he said with a smile. "Being obedient isn't so hard, is it?"

Latisha kept her eyes downcast as tears slid down her chin, dripping onto his hand.

Santino watched her for a moment, then let her go. "The next time you see Clifford, remember to tell him you don't want to go back."

With that, he stood up and walked out.

The moment the door closed, Latisha collapsed onto the floor, utterly defeated. Santino didn't return. The slap had left her dazed and disoriented. She curled up on the sofa and, at some point, drifted into an exhausted sleep.

...

Meanwhile, Ziven received a text from an unknown number. It contained a file. He assumed it was spam and was about to delete it, but he tapped it open by mistake. The contents made his hand tremble so violently that his phone flew out of his grasp, skittering two meters across the floor before landing with a clatter.

Ziven wiped the sweat from his forehead and cautiously picked it up. He was still in the living room of Aqua Harmony Haven. He clutched the phone, glancing upstairs Mr. Lambert was probably still awake.

After a moment of hesitation, he hurried up the stairs. Just as he was about to knock, the study door swung open.

Clifford stood there, his face as dark as a thundercloud. "What is it?"

Ziven gripped his phone tightly, stammering, "Mr. Lambert, I... I re-received a... a video."

He shakily held out the phone. But Clifford didn't even look at it. He strode past Ziven, went straight downstairs, grabbed his coat from the sofa, and walked out.

Ziven scrambled after him. “Mr. Lambert, where are you going so late? This video... is of Mrs. Lambert..."

Clifford didn't seem to hear him. He opened the car door, got in, and started the engine. The car shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.

“Mr. Lambert.....!” Ziven stood frozen, watching the Maybach disappear into the night. He looked around, suddenly at a loss.

In a hazy state between sleep and waking, Latisha felt something cool and soft on her face, like someone was stroking her cheek.

Her eyelashes fluttered as she

struggled to open her heavy eyelids. Her vision was blurry. She closed her eyes again, took a breath, and reopened them. A wave of cold washed over her, finally pulling her from her sleep.

She was still on the sofa, but the room was empty. The coals in the brazier had died

out, and a deep chill had settled in. Her hands and feet were numb with cold.

Suddenly realizing something, she

lifted her fingers to her cheek. It felt smooth with an odd, tight sensation. She brought her fingers to hermose and sniffed. They carried a light, clean fragrance, with a faint medicinal scent.