♥ Chapter 34♥

Caterina Vossini. 

18:20 ''Catherine's House'' Room ''Valdoria.

Axel has finally fallen asleep, the soft, rhythmic sound of his breathing tells me he is, at least for now, at peace. I allow myself to stay a few more minutes next to him, feeling the heat of his body and recording in my mind the sound of his heart beating. But I know that my task is far from over.

I get out of bed carefully so as not to wake him. I move with precision and lightness, ensuring that he continues the peaceful sleep he so deserves. After getting out of bed, I walk to my closet, where I quickly change into clothes that are more appropriate for what I need to do. A black shirt, tight leather pants, and equally black boots. The leather of the glove glides across my skin when I put it on, fitting it perfectly to my hand. The night is still young, and there is work to be done.

I descend the stairs in silence, but every step I take is filled with anger. Bóris is waiting outside, as always. His eyes meet mine, and he doesn't need words to understand. He just opens the car door, and I get in.

The car takes us to the warehouse, where the bastards are. The place is isolated, far from the mansion and the city—the kind of place where screams can echo without anyone coming to help. I can produce illegal weapons and drugs, and no one will find out. As soon as we arrive, Bóris opens the warehouse door and nods. I enter.

All my henchmen, when they see me, lower their heads, saluting me. I always love being exalted, but I don't have time for that right now, I need to torture some motherfuckers. 

I go down to the basement. The air inside the basement is thick and filled with fear and sweat. Axel's former colleagues are all tied to metal chairs, their faces showing a mix of terror and confusion. I walk slowly through the space, my boot heels echoing on the concrete floor. The sound is deafening in the silence of the room, like a clock ticking time until the inevitable moment.

I stop in front of Chloe, the bastard who had the audacity to hurt my little one. Her eyes are wide, and her mouth is trembling. I realize that, finally, fear begins to overwhelm her. I kneel in front of her, grabbing her chin tightly to force her to look me in the eyes.

'' Remember me? '' I ask, my voice cold and calculated.

She doesn't respond, but I see tears starting to form in her eyes. This only makes my anger increase. I smile cruelly and lean closer to his ear.

'' You should remember. ''My voice is a poisonous whisper. ''Because I will make sure you never forget.

I get up and grab a hunting knife from the table next to me. The gleam of steel in the dim basement light reflects the absolute terror in Chloe's eyes.

'' Let's get started, shall we? '' I murmur, running the blade lightly across his arm, enough to make a superficial cut but no less painful. Chloe lets out a pained groan and tries to pull away, but there's nowhere to go.

'' Please...'' she begs, her voice barely audible.

'' Please? '' I repeat, pretending to think. ''Did you ask, please, when you humiliated my little one? When did it destroy your self-esteem? 

I press the blade harder, cutting deeply into his skin. The blood begins to flow, and the sound of her scream fills the warehouse.

'' I'll ask again'' I say, my voice darker. ''Did any of you feel remorse when you made him feel like crap? When did they take everything from him? '' I run the knife along Chloe's arm slowly as she screams in pain.

The others are frozen in terror, seeing what I'm doing to her.

'' No, you didn't feel it. “The anger in my voice is palpable. “Because you are all worms. And I will make sure you never have the chance to do that to anyone again.

'' No, you didn't feel it. “The anger in my voice is palpable. “Because you are all worms. And I will make sure you never have the chance to do that to anyone again.

Holding the knife firmly, I slowly run the blade down Chloe's arm, deepening the cut until the blood begins to flow at a steady pace. The scream that comes from his throat is music to my ears, and I see the terror in the others' eyes intensify. But that's not enough. I want to see total despair.

I head to the tool table, this time choosing a hammer.  I aim for the knee of the boy who dared to laugh at Axel. The blow is accurate, crushing the kneecap with a sickening sound of bones breaking. He howls in pain, the scream reverberating through the warehouse walls. I keep hitting until I see the concrete floor stained by the blood dripping from the wounds.

'' You know, the sound of bones breaking is almost poetic'' I mutter, with a dark smile, as I bend down before him, watching despair take over his face. “You guys should have thought twice before messing with my little one. Now all that's left for you is pain.

I move on to the next one, one of the cowards who hid behind the others throughout the confrontation. He's already shaking so much that he can barely speak, but the fear isn't enough. I want them to feel what Axel felt. With the knife in one hand and the hammer in the other, I begin meticulous work, cutting and breaking, taking my time, and enjoying every second of their screams.

Chloe is already covered in blood, her face is a mask of pain and despair. I pull her hair once again, forcing her to look at me.

'' You know, even though you destroyed my little one's self-esteem, I have to thank you'' I say, with an ironic tone. ''Because of you, he came to my city, where he fell into my arms. ''I smile—the smile of someone who is about to deal the final blow.

She tries to mumble something, but the pain and fear make her choke. I take the knife and start cutting off the tips of his fingers, one by one, each cut precise, each scream ripped from his throat like a symphony.

'' You turned his life into hell, where he carries these traumas for the rest of his life, and now it's my turn to return the favor. '' I lower myself until my face is mere inches from hers. ''And I guarantee that the hell I will create for you will be far worse than anything you have ever imagined.

I kneel beside her, holding her arm tightly as I run the knife across the tendon in her wrist, severing it completely. Chloe screams again, and the sound is delicious, a reminder of the power I hold over these vermin.

'' Remember when he declared himself to you? When did he, with all the courage he had, try to show his love? '' I speak, my voice soft, almost affectionate, as I continue to mutilate his arm. “You rejected him and mocked him. It made him feel less than nothing. Now, see where that got you.

She sobs, tears of pure despair streaming down her face, but I don't stop. I keep cutting and destroying every piece of her, like she tried to destroy Axel. With each movement of the knife and each blow of the hammer, I feel the anger inside me transform into sadistic pleasure.

After a while, the pain is so unbearable that she starts to lose consciousness, but I bring her back with a hard slap to the face.

'' Don't you dare pass out. '' I say, my voice hard. “I'm not finished yet.

The others are in shock, but I don't care. They will suffer in the same way. I move from one to the other meticulously, ensuring that each of them feels the same kind of pain and humiliation that they inflicted on Axel. I don't let any of them escape, every scream and every plea is ignored as I continue with my mission.

Finally, when everyone is reduced to a shadow of their former selves, shaking, crying, and broken, I stand up. My body is covered in blood, but my mind is calm and content.

'' You guys might have taken something from him'' I say, my voice sharp. “But in the end, he gained something much more valuable. He won me. And I will never allow anyone to hurt you again.

Still holding the bloody knife, I head to a nearby table, where an assortment of torture tools are meticulously arranged. Each one is hand-picked to inflict as much pain as possible. I grab a pair of pliers and turn to one of the boys, who are shaking on the floor. He tries to get away, but he has nowhere to run.