Liana suddenly jerked her head backward, thennged forward, smashing her forehead against Chris’s with a sickening thud.

“Damn!” Chris stumbled back, head tinging, momentarily seeing stars, Wisen his vision cleared, he bsaw /bLiana fighting back tears, her forehead red band /balready swelling, but her eyes still dent.

“You little psycho,” he muttered, touching his own throbbing forehead.

“Threaten me all you want,” Liana spat, her voice trembling despite her bravado. “I’m not afraid of you!”

“No rush,” Chris bsaid/b, regaining hisposure. “See all those torture devices on the wall? They’re one, I’ll feed you to the snakes.”

At the word “snakes,” Liana’s body gave an involuntary shudder.

“You wouldn’t bdare/b,” she hissed. “My father and my family will hunt you down.”

all

for you.

Once I’ve used every single

Chris let out a humorlessugh. “Really? In Suriname, your uncle Kane was ready to bkill /byou. If I bhadn’t /bsaved you, you’d be dead already.b” /b

Liana fell silent, unable to

ble to counter this truth.

“Your family is rotten

-10

the core,” Chris continued. “No empathy, killing each other for personal gain. Only a psychopath

like you could

live in bthat /bdelusion.b” /b

Chris noticed tears gathering in Liana’s eyes. He bent closer, wary of another headbutt.

still

ying the victim?” b

he sneered.

Liana red up at himb, /bher tears making tracks through the dirt on her face.

bChris /bpicked up the bread and took Liana’s bwhip /bdifferent.”

from the btable/b. “I’m in a good mood today, so you get ba /bpass. Next time might be

He turned to leave, nning to find Jade. Looking through the small window, he saw Jade and Eleanor talking animatedly in the living room. Without a word, he turned and walked away.

Later that evening, ba /bsecurity guard approached Chris in the hallway,

“Sir,” the man said, bkeeping /bhis voice low, “your father left instructions before going out. He wants you to dispose of the Scorpio girl.”

Chris’s expression hardened. “I’ll bhandle /bit.”

Minutester, he burst into the secure room to find one of his father’s men pointing a gun at bLiana’s /bhead. Her eyes were wide with terror, but bshe /bremained bsilent/b, her chin lifted in defiance.

“What the hell are byou /bdoing? Chris demanded, striding forward band /bwrenching the bgun /bbfrom /bthe man’s hand.

b1/2 /b

“Following orders, sir, the guard replied stiffly.

:

Chris checked the gun–loadedb, /bsafety off. “Get out,” he ordered. Til handle this myself.”

The guard hesitated. “Sir, your father specifically-

“I said get out!” Chris’s bvoice /bechoed off the concrete walls. This is my responsibility. Tell my father I’m taking care of it.”

After the guard left, Chris exhaled slowly, turning to face Liana. Her eyes followed his every movement, calcting, wary

“Looks like your time’s running out, Chris said, setting a water bottle on the table. “No salt.”

Liana turned her face away.

Chris grabbed her jaw, forcing her mouth open. “Drink it. You need to stay alive a little longer.”

As soon as the bwater /btouched her lips, Liana gathered it and bspat /bdirectly into Chris’s bface/b. In the same motion, bshe /bblunged /bforward, sinking her teeth into his handb. /b

Chris cursed, bjerking /bbback/b. The door burst open as a guard rushed in, drawn by themotion.

“Sir, do you need-

“Get out!” Chris snapped, cradling his injured hand. When they were balone /bagain, he looked at bLiana /bwith resigned exasperation. really are a little psycho.”

He picked up the water bottle, wincing at the pain in his bhand/b. “Fine. Don’t drink, Your choice.”

“You

Without another word,

Chris left, closing the door firmly behind him.

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