Chapter 57

He looked at the other man in panic, looking like he wanted to shit his pants.
“He never said anything about weakening her to carry though” the one with a scar across his face said. He looked deeply into my eyes before the gun connected to my temple.
Black dots filled my vision as the world around started to spin.
Was this it?
Was this how I go?
Damn, ‘dad is so going to be worried’ I thought of my grand dad. ‘Did not even get a chance to see him since my birthday.
‘mum’ I thought as I closed my eyes. ‘Please, be happy’

**
A throbbing pain pulsed at the back of my head, dragging me from the depths of unconsciousness. My eyelids felt like they weighed a ton, but I forced them open, wincing as the dim light hit my eyes. Everything was blurry at first, . It took a few moments for the room to come into focus—a bare, cold space with concrete walls.

I was lying on a hard surface, the chill from the floor seeping into my bones. The taste of blood lingered in my mouth, and as I slowly lifted a hand to my head, I felt the tender spot where I’d been hit. The memory rushed back in a flood—the men at the bar, the gun, the fear that had gripped me as they led me outside. And then nothing. A sharp pain, darkness, and now… this.

I tried to sit up, but my body protested, every muscle aching. As I struggled to prop myself up on my elbows, I heard voices—muffled at first, but growing clearer as I became more aware of my surroundings.

“I gave you a direct order!” a voice shouted, the sound sharp and angry, echoing off the walls. It was a voice I knew well, one that carried both power and authority, even in its current state of rage.

Hades.

My heart skipped a beat, a mixture of relief and anxiety washing over me. Relief because he was here, and that meant I wasn’t alone in this. But anxiety because if he was here, then did he do this?????
I pushed myself up further, my head swimming with the effort. The voices grew louder, and I turned my head in the direction they were coming from. There was a door a few feet away, slightly ajar, and through the crack, I could see the shadowy outlines of several figures.

“You were supposed to bring her here unharmed,” Hades continued, his voice laced with fury. “And what do you do? You knock her out like she’s some kind of animal!”

One of the men—probably one of the ones who had grabbed me—spoke up, his voice nervous and defensive. “She was struggling, sir. We didn’t have a choice. She was going to make a scene—”

“So you hit her?” Hades interrupted, his tone dangerously low. “That’s your solution? To knock her unconscious?”

There was a tense silence.
“s..Sir, I am innocent in this, I warned him... he did not listen, please spare me!” even though I could not see his face, I could feel the fear. ‘what a snitch’ I snorted but was met with a banging headache.
I heard sniffling sounds "at least if you take the fall, take it together, I despise snitches" he said in a little bored tone.


I managed to sit up fully, resting my back against the cold wall. The dizziness was starting to fade, but the pain in my head was still sharp, “whose Idea was it to put her in that room?” he said still sounding more irritated than I have ever heard him, then again, we have met only twice.


There was another tense silence, broken only by the shuffling of feet as the men shifted uncomfortably. I could imagine them standing there, heads bowed, trying to avoid Hades’ wrath.


“We’re sorry, sir,” one of them finally muttered, his voice barely audible. “you ordered for us to take her, we just thought maybe she is another one that needed...” I sucked in a breath. A lot was not making sense.
Was I in danger?
Was it going to be like in the novels where the woman feel in love with a psychopath and then he killed everyone she loved silently so she could love only him???
Was I going to die???

Hades let out a harsh breath, the sound more like a growl than a sigh and then a thud.
That sounded to heavy that the only explanation was a body was dropped to the floor.
“get out”
The men didn’t need to be told twice. I heard the scuffle of feet as they hurried away, the door closing behind them with a loud bang. And then, for a moment, there was silence—heavy, oppressive, the kind that made the air feel thick and hard to breathe.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. I didn’t know what was going to happen next, but I knew I needed to be ready. If he thought he was going to get me easily then he was mistaken, .

I heard him take a step towards the door, his movements slow and deliberate. Then, the door creaked open, and he stepped into the room, his gaze immediately locking onto mine.

His expression was a cold, I could barely see what he was thinking. his eyes scanning over me as if checking for more injuries

“Valerie,” he said, his voice showing no emotion at all.

I looked at him, annoyed. “Why? Does it ruin your fun that you aren’t the one to do all the damage? I know your type, you damned psychopaths!” I gritted my teeth.
He said nothing as he made his way behind me, removing the rope that tied me
“come with me” he muttered, me barely able to hear what he said, save for the fact that I was right beside him.
he made his way out of the room, barely looking to see if I was following.

"bastard."