Chapter 1535 A Gaze of Darkness and Desire
"Mr. Smith, there are over a hundred thousand wires here," the technician explained. "We've considered cutting them one by one, but..."
"What's the problem?" Richard asked.
"There's a one-in-a-hundred-thousand chance that if we cut the wrong wire, Ms. Hope will be electrocuted."
Richard trembled with rage. Whoever had designed this trap was playing a diabolical game.
Cutting the wires was clearly not an option. They would have to study the basement's structure instead.
He took a deep breath. "I'll send more people over. Find a solution as quickly as possible."
"Yes, sir."
Meanwhile, just as the engineering team had suspected, someone was indeed watching everything through the surveillance cameras.
This observer sipped red wine while savoring a perfectly plated steak. Mealtime had become a ritual for him—watching Octavia's face always improved his appetite.
His eyes revealed a disturbing cocktail of disgust, obsession, and sadistic pleasure. Any outsider would have immediately recognized him as deranged.
On the screen, Octavia sat quietly on her bed. Those trying to help her didn't dare touch her—exactly as he had conditioned her.
Manuel recalled his initial training methods. Daily, he would send five unwashed men into her underground cell. He relished watching her struggle and rage as they stripped her clothes, then he would threaten that if she allowed anyone to touch her, he would let these men take turns with her.
Octavia's mental strength had proven far greater than he'd anticipated. It took three months of this torment before she developed her fear of physical contact.
Just when the experiment was nearing success, he had replaced those men himself.
He had raped her.
To Manuel, Octavia was merely a pet—one he had trained according to his preferences. Having imprisoned her, he felt entitled to do whatever he pleased.
His violation had broken the last of her resistance. It reinforced the message: touch led to rape.
When she had attempted suicide, Manuel prevented it by strategically dropping information about her daughter.
"That little girl is growing up so pretty—I wonder how she'd fare servicing men," he would taunt. "Don't think I don't know where she is. No matter how well you hide her, I can find her."
In truth, Manuel rarely bothered investigating Selena's whereabouts. Initially, Octavia had hidden her daughter well in Ridgefield, a place with limited transportation in those days.
Having captured Octavia, he saw little point in pursuing Selena.
After years of conditioning, Octavia had become perfectly obedient. His only disappointment was that she had removed her own uterus after Selena's birth. Otherwise, he would have forced her to bear more children—as many as possible.
Now, seeing his perfect pet under others' watchful eyes irritated him, though he still maintained his ritual of watching her during meals. It was the only thing that truly pleased him.
His lips curled into a smile as he finished his steak and reached for his wine, only to be interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Mr. Barnett, Donny is here," his assistant announced.
Just yesterday, Manuel had boasted about obtaining the Jellyfish Seal—a symbol that commanded absolute obedience within the organization.
Yet Efrain and Donny remained stubbornly loyal to Octavia, faithfully awaiting her return.
Whenever Manuel attended organizational meetings and witnessed these elders' unwavering devotion to Octavia, he found it laughable.
After such meetings, he would inevitably visit Octavia to vent his frustrations. The thought that the woman these men revered was beneath him, gasping like a dying animal, filled him with perverse satisfaction.
She had chosen not to be with him years ago—this was her punishment! He had given her a chance, and she had squandered it!
His cold smile returned. He had already formed an alliance with K and his brother, and with the Jellyfish Seal in his possession, the organization largely supported them—except for Efrain and Donny. Efrain was already captured and undergoing torture.
So why would Donny come to his door now?
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
