Chapter Fourteen

~Mel~

The world felt frozen, like I was caught in a dream—no, a nightmare. The room was empty now, except for Carmine and me. My heart thundered in my chest, each beat echoing in my ears as I stood there, blood staining my skin, my dress, my very soul. Russo’s body was still on the floor, lifeless and cold, yet the memory of his death clung to the air like the sharp scent of iron. The reality of it was suffocating, and my breath hitched as I struggled to comprehend what had just happened.

I couldn’t move. My legs felt like they weren’t my own, too heavy to obey, too frozen in terror. Every inch of me screamed to run, but there was nowhere to go. His grip on my wrist was firm—too firm. There was no escape.

“Lie on the table and spread your legs.”

His words echoed in my mind, cold and commanding, sending a jolt of fear straight through me. My body trembled, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. I was trapped. Bound by a promise I had agreed to in desperation, by the power he wielded ove