CHAPTER 152: CHAPTER 152

At that moment, Oliver’s jaw clenched so hard inside his car that his teeth almost ground together. The rage boiling in his chest made his grip on the steering wheel tighten until the leather groaned under his fingers. Even the frame of the driver’s seat creaked as though it might snap from the pressure of his grip.

His breathing was sharp, his eyes dark with fury. That bastard. That worthless fool. Samuel had the audacity to go after Cora for revenge, and Oliver knew that whatever Samuel had planned, it wasn’t going to be anything good. The thought of what might be happening right now made his stomach twist.

Where could she be? What was going on? His mind raced in a thousand directions before one memory struck him like lightning Cora’s voice on the phone, the one thing she managed to get out before the line went dead.

’I’m at home.’

Without another thought, Oliver wrenched the steering wheel, making a full, sharp 360-degree turn that sent his tires screaming across the asphalt. The car shot forward, engine roaring as he floored the accelerator. He wasn’t far from her house, five minutes, maybe less if he pushed the car to its limits. And right now, there was no such thing as speed limits for him.

His focus was locked on one thing only, getting to Cora before it was too late.

Meanwhile, inside Cora’s home, the struggle continued. Her hands twisted and pushed against the men restraining her, their palms crushing her mouth to stop her from calling for help. She jerked her head, her muffled sounds of protest filled with pure defiance. But no matter how she fought, their grip was like iron, refusing to loosen.

Samuel stood a few steps away, his lips curling into a twisted smile as he watched her fight. "You should just stop struggling, Cora," he said coldly. "No one’s coming for you. Not now. Not ever. And what I’m about to do to you... you won’t recover from it."

His voice dropped lower, his tone dripping with malice. "First, I’m going to make sure the world sees you for what I want them to see. I’ll leak a note to the public... and a safe tip. Let everyone have a nice show."

Then, without hesitation, he turned his head slightly toward one of his men.

"Go get the cameras and everything ready."

At that moment, hearing what Samuel just said, Cora’s eyes burned with fury, her voice rising in a sharp, trembling shout. "What the hell are you trying to do, Samuel?! What’s wrong with you?!" Her tone was filled with both rage and disbelief, her body tense as she glared at him.

However Samuel didn’t flinch. His expression twisted into something dark and venomous. "What am I trying to do?" he sneered. "Exactly what you’re thinking, Cora. That’s exactly what I’m going to do. Did you think I was just going to sit back, fold my hands, and watch you destroy me without striking back? No... I’m going to destroy you completely. You’ve taken your shot at me, now it’s my turn. And trust me, I’m going to make it count."

Cora’s stomach tightened. She knew in that instant, if they succeeded in whatever they were planning she was finished. There would be no coming back from it. A surge of adrenaline kicked in and she prepared to fight back with every ounce of strength she had left.

But before she could even make a move, one of the men lunged forward, his hand clamping around her arm like a vice. She tried to yank free, but she barely had a second before she felt the sharp, icy sting of a needle piercing the side of her neck.

Immediately her breath hitched. A cold burn spread under her skin, and within moments, a heavy wave of dizziness washed over her. The room began to spin, the walls seeming to tilt and sway in her vision. Her legs weakened beneath her, and she collapsed back onto the couch, unable to steady herself.

Samuel stepped forward, his eyes sweeping over her with a chilling satisfaction. He lowered himself beside her, leaning in close, and began stroking her head with mock gentleness. His fingers trailed through her hair in a way that made her skin crawl. "You know, I tried to talk to you before," he murmured, his voice low and oily. "I gave you a chance to see me as someone worth your time. But you didn’t. You thought I wasn’t worthy... Now I’ll show you what happens when you reject me, and you didn’t just stop, just went further to destroy me completely."

His smile deepened into something cruel. "I’m going to enjoy this, Cora. And when I’m done, whatever happens to you afterwards won’t matter to me. This... all of this... is your fault. So, why don’t you try to enjoy it too? After all, you are extremely beautiful."

Cora’s lips parted, her throat straining to form words, but nothing came out. The dizziness was so intense she could barely focus her eyes. Her body felt heavy and unresponsive, her mind screaming for her to move, but she couldn’t.

Samuel’s voice cut through the haze again, smooth and deliberate. "Ah... don’t worry. The drug they gave you... it’s not going to make you faint or lose consciousness. No, no. You’ll be very much awake, very much aware. I want you to see everything for yourself. I want your eyes open and your body moving when the video is released, when the pictures are sent out... so no one will think for a second that you were drugged."

At that moment, the cameraman followed. Without wasting time, they began setting it up, adjusting the height, fixing the lighting to cast away shadows, and checking the angles to make sure everything would be captured clearly. The soft clicks of the camera settings being fine-tuned only deepened the sickening anticipation in the air.

Samuel stood a few steps away, his breathing steady but his eyes sharp with purpose. He reached for the black cloth bag sitting on the table beside him. The coarse fabric slid between his fingers before he pulled it over his head, tightening it securely so not a single feature of his face was visible. The mask was simple yet suffocating, meant for one reason only, concealment.

"Alright," Samuel said in a cold, measured tone, turning his head toward the group of men lingering nearby. "You... all of you... out. Give me privacy. I only need the cameraman here."