CHAPTER 48: CHAPTER 48: PERVERTED KIDNAPPER

Stella Grant struggled to open her eyes, her head spinning, possibly due to the recent car crash.

A mild concussion! Her stomach churned intensely, the nausea rising straight to her throat.

Her hands and feet were securely tied, her right ankle throbbing with pain, as she sat on the ground, her mouth tightly sealed with tape.

The room was not large but tidily kept.

Two cameras were set up nearby.

One directed at her.

One on her left side.

The lenses were like dark voids, resembling two peeping eyes.

The flower-patterned curtains covered a small window, letting in hardly any light, barely allowing recognition that this seemed like a farmhouse, with the occasional sound of a dog’s bark.

The air was also laced with a rank animal odor.

The door opened.

A man walked in, with long hair and a scruffy beard, very tall, at least 190 cm.

His eyes were sunken and intense, carrying a certain air of a desolate artist when silent.

He squatted in front of her, his voice hoarse.

"Don’t scream, I’ll tear off the tape,"

Stella’s eyes widened, nodding vigorously.

The man reached out, not exactly rough, but pulling the tape off still stung her skin.

She couldn’t care about the pain and immediately began to speak, her voice trembling due to nervousness.

"Did Corinne Kensington tell you to tie me up? What do you want?"

"As long as you don’t hurt me, call my family, any amount can be negotiated, they can wire it to you right away!"

The long-haired man tugged at the corner of his mouth, showing an expression that barely counted as a smile.

"Tsk."

He sized her up.

"Indeed pretty, quick-witted too, but unfortunately, offended someone you shouldn’t have."

He stood up, dusting off his pants.

"Money?"

"That thing holds no interest for me."

"You cooperate with me, I assure you, you won’t be truly harmed."

Cooperate?

Cooperate with what?

Stella’s heart sank with a vague sense of unease!

The man walked to the camera, fiddled with it, adjusting the angle and focus.

Then he returned, squatting in front of her again.

He reached out, the rough fingers brushing against her cheek.

The touch carried a bizarre admiration.

"Don’t touch me!" Stella tensed up, goosebumps rising instantly.

"Now, we’ll shoot a little play. Don’t worry, it’s not pornography, such vulgar stuff could hardly be called art?"

The man’s tone was bland, as if discussing the weather.

"I’ve already thought of a title, ’Beauty in the Animal Kingdom’."

He said, abruptly uncovering a cloth on the ground beside him.

Under the cloth was a cage stuffed with things.

A writhing lizard, a bloated toad, and a few skittering gray rats.

All sorts of slimy, slippery, furry little creatures crowded together.

The visual impact was intense.

Stella only took a glance, her scalp exploding, her stomach churning even more.

No.

Can’t panic, absolutely can’t panic.

She told herself, the more afraid she was, the more pleased he would be.

The man seemed very satisfied with her reaction.

He reached directly into the cage, quick and precise, grabbing a slippery lizard.

The lizard struggled and squirmed in his hand.

The man, however, was indifferent, holding it up to Stella’s face.

"Act One, starting now."

He gently placed the lizard on Stella’s leg.

The cool sensation seeped through the thin fabric, making Stella’s body tremble violently.

Her teeth bit her lower lip fiercely, almost drawing blood.

She wanted to scream, wanted to struggle, but restrained by the bonds, she could not move.

She abruptly shut her eyes, daring not to look.

The cold, living thing started to slowly crawl upward, traversing her calf, thigh, waist...

Each inch it moved made her hair stand on end, nerves stretched to the limit.

She could clearly feel the scales rubbing against her skin.

Slimy, wet, cold.

This monster!

He’s not after money, nor lust.

He aims to utterly destroy her mentally!

Drive her to breakdown, drive her insane.

Once a person’s mental defenses crumble, they truly become a walking corpse.

The man watched her performance, low laughter echoing near her ear.

"Very good, very good, you’re more enduring than I thought."

"Honestly, you’re the strongest woman I’ve encountered. Not like other women, who scream and wail, truly deafening, I usually cut off their tongues to feed to my treasures."

The man spoke nonchalantly, yet it was clear he was a bloodthirsty psychopath.

"Keep it up, as long as you perform well, I said I won’t harm you."

Stella gritted her teeth, forcing herself not to think of the crawling sensation.

She worked on adjusting her breathing.

Inhale...

Exhale...

Attempting to relax the tense muscles, then, she began to brainwash herself internally.

Lizard, just a gecko, not venomous.

It doesn’t bite, just looks disgusting.

Nothing to fear, nothing to fear...

Over and over.

Perhaps it was her psychological build-up working, or maybe the lizard was merely crawling aimlessly.

It crept along her arm, climbed to her shoulder.

Paused for a moment.

Then slid down the other side of her arm, fell to the ground, quickly sneaking into the corner.

Stella’s tense body relaxed slightly.

But her heart was still pounding wildly, like it was about to explode.

The smile on the man’s face faded a bit, showing slight surprise.

He stared at Stella.

"Not crying? Not screaming either?"

"Tsk tsk, really interesting! I’m starting to like you more and more!"

He stood up, pulled out a dagger from his waistband.

The blade gleamed coldly in the dim light.

He held the dagger, squatted down, pressed the cold blade against Stella’s cheek.

Lightly sliding.

"Seems like the previous one wasn’t thrilling enough for you."

"So shall we... play something more exciting?"

The cold touch and the man’s dangerous tone made Stella’s psychological defenses collapse once more.

"What do you want?"

She exclaimed in a lost voice, sharp and filled with uncontrollable fear.

The man expertly sliced down with the dagger, severing the buttons on her shirt, one, two... pink lace trim came into view.

Upon seeing the half-exposed, voluptuous curves, it was nothing short of a grand visual feast.

The man paused briefly, ready to make a horizontal cut across the chest, but suddenly hesitated.

"Cutting here might be a waste."

He pondered for a few seconds!

Then quickly sliced through the fabric on her left arm with his sharp dagger, exposing her snow-white lotus arm.

"You... don’t touch me!" Stella’s voice quivered, her eyes wide open, shifting slightly back.

Shh!

The man took the tape and sealed her mouth again.

Then gripped her shoulder, swiftly cutting down.

Stella felt a sharp pain, a twenty-centimeter-long gash immediately gushing crimson blood...

Blood flowed like a spring down her forearm.

The man nodded in satisfaction, then turned to search for another bloodsucking creature...