Theodore’s eyes sharpened as soon as those words landed in his ears. "Stop!" he commanded.
The guards immediately stepped back, and the buzzing of the power saw ceased. A heavy silence descended upon the room, punctuated only by Marcus’s low groans of pain and fear.
Theodore squatted down, grabbing Marcus by the collar, and pulling him close. "Speak," he hissed, his eyes blazing with intensity.
Marcus gasped, recalling the incident from some months before. He remembered the searing rage he felt after losing yet another game to Theodore. His frequent defeat had caused others to mock and humiliate him.
Marcus had been angry with himself and Theodore. In a desperate bid to escape his frustration, he had drowned his sorrows at a bar, drinking heavily. It was there, in his stupor, that he overheard a conversation about a plan to murder Theodore.
The words had shocked him, but he had remained silent. He reasoned that fate had taken retribution on him. With Theodore out of the way, Marcus believed he would finally win the championship.
Then came the accident. Instead of feeling sorry for him, Marcus felt a twisted sense of satisfaction.
With Theodore sidelined, he quickly rose to the top, relishing his newfound dominance over the other competitors. For a time, he had reveled in the glory he had long craved.
But now, facing the very real threat of death, all of Marcus’s dreams, resentments, and vengeful thoughts melted away. His only desire was to leave the den alive.
"Why are you silent now? Speak!" Theodore shook him violently, yanking him back to reality.
"I was drunk that night," Marcus stammered. "Someone was plotting to kill you. He was talking about tampering with your car. I-I couldn’t see his face properly. I was... drunk."
Infuriated, Theodore clenched his fist and delivered a resounding punch to Marcus’ face, eliciting a pained groan and subsequent drizzle of blood flowing from his nostril.
"Why did you hit me?" Marcus whined. "I told you what I knew."
Undeterred by his protest, Theodore snarled, "Do you think this fragmentary account will be enough to let you go? Absolutely not! For lying to me and wasting my time, I’ll chop your legs too."
"En? No..." Panic swept over Marcus as he scrambled to justify his credibility. "Don’t hurt me. I am not lying to you. There were two men that night. You can check the surveillance footage of the Moonlit bar... They were just sitting at the next table to me." He huffed, hoping this would be enough to buy his freedom.
Theodore would definitely check the footage, but he wouldn’t release Marcus until he confirmed the truth of his story. Rising to his feet, he looked down at Marcus with cold determination.
He had long suspected Franklin’s involvement in his accident but had lacked the evidence to act. If the surveillance footage provided a clue, he would have the leverage he needed to file a lawsuit against Franklin, kick him out of the Reid family, and seize all his assets.
The room remained tense, the only sound was Marcus’s labored breathing. Theodore’s mind raced as he turned to leave. He would get to the bottom of this, and when he did, there would be no mercy for those who had wronged him.
Marcus cried out, "Hey, Theodore, where are you going? You... Aren’t you going to release me?"
"Forget about leaving this place," Theodore said gruffly, glancing at him. "If I find you are lying, you will die here." He directed his fiery glares at the guards and commanded, "Keep an eye on him. He shouldn’t escape."
"Yes, boss." All the guards exclaimed in unison.
With that, he stormed out, Hugo following behind. He paused right beside the car and turned to face Hugo. "Go to the Moonlit bar and check the surveillance footage. I want the updates as soon as possible."
"Sure, sir." Hugo nodded curtly.
Theodore got into the car and signaled the driver to drive. The engine roared the next moment, and the car sped away.
Several minutes later, Theodore arrived home. The house was quiet, the night’s events still lingering in his mind. As he entered his bedroom, he heard faint groans, followed by Bella’s muffled cries. Alerted, he moved quickly toward the bed.
Bella was tossing and turning, caught in the throes of a nightmare. A sheen of sweat covered her forehead, her eyebrows tightly creased. Restlessness was evident on her face, her chest heaving with uneven breaths. She mumbled incoherently, her voice trembling.
Theodore leaned down, straining to hear her whispered words.
"No...don’t...you bastard...don’t touch me."
Theodore’s eyes widened as he realized the incident at the club had left a lasting scar on Bella. His fists clenched, rage flaring up once more. He couldn’t let Marcus go unpunished. The thought of severing his hands crossed Theodore’s mind, but the information Marcus had provided about the accident made him reconsider.
He quickly dialed Hugo and commanded, "Tell the guards to break Marcus’s hands. No bones should remain intact."
"Got it, sir."
The call ended with that. Theodore stood by Bella’s side. His thoughts were a storm of anger and determination. Marcus would pay dearly for his actions.
He gently sat on the edge of the bed, his hand softly brushing her hair from her forehead. "Bella, wake up. It’s okay. You’re safe," he whispered, hoping to soothe her.
"No, no...Let me go." Bella’s mumbles continued her fear palpable even in sleep.
"Bella!" Theodore carefully took her hand in his, his thumb gently rubbing circles on her skin. "I’m here. No one will hurt you."
"Leave me alone." Bella’s mumble turned louder. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺
"Wake up." Theodore shook her.
With a gasp, her eyes flew open, wide and frantic. The terrifying nightmare began to fade, replaced by the familiar contours of their room and the comforting presence of Theodore.
Relief washed over her in a tidal wave. She wasn’t there. She wasn’t with him. With trembling hands, Bella threw her arms around Theodore’s neck, sobs racking her body.
He held her tightly, his voice a soft murmur, "Relax. It’s just a nightmare. You are safe with me."
Slowly, the tempest within her began to subside as she felt the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against her ear. Security enveloped her.
Bella clung to him, feeling secure in his embrace. His words and warmth gradually calmed her, her sobs subsiding slowly. The fear that had gripped her heart loosened its hold, replaced by the comfort of knowing Theodore was there to protect her.
Back to the underground den, two burly guards advanced towards Marcus, each armed with daunting baseball bats. Paralyzing fear coursed through Marcus’ veins.
"What are you going to do?" Marcus exclaimed. "Look, I have already shared essential intel with Theodore about his accident." Defenseless and petrified, tears pooled in his eyes. "Don’t hurt me, please...I am begging you."
Disregarding his appeals, the guards exchanged sinister smiles. "You dared to touch our boss’s wife," one of them barked. "Do you think your hands should remain intact? Our boss wanted to chop your hands, feeding them to hungry hounds. You are lucky that he has changed his mind. Now, he wants to break your hands."
Before Marcus could utter another word, the first swing of the bat landed with a sickening thud. Marcus’s cry of pain echoed through the dimly lit den. Blow after blow rained down on him, each strike accompanied by agonized screams that pierced the air.
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