Page 103 of Petals and Fangs

“You won't get away with this,” I manage to say through gritted teeth.

“Oh, but I already have. "And once you're out of the way, I'll take everything you've ever cared about,” Perry replies with a triumphant grin.

As Perry turns to leave, I muster every ounce of strength left in me. I am even too weak to read his mind.

“Perry. When I get out of here—and I will get out—you won't have a place to hide. Not from me, and not from those who will come after you,” I call out, my voice steady and cold.

“Good luck with that, Ethan. You will need it,” Perry pauses at the door, glancing back with a smug smile.

“Perry, wait. There is something that you don’t know,” I say, and it makes Perry stop in his tracks and glare at me.

I slowly manage to loosen one of my hands and slowly work on the other without Perry noticing. I just need to distract him.

“You can have the company, Perry. Just let me go.”

“Oh, yes. Yes, I will. I will have it, Ethan. And with you out of the picture, the board will have no choice but to follow my lead. You're just a relic of the past. It's time for a new era,” Perry says dismissively, as he walks back towards me.

This is what I want. I want him blinded by ego and hatred so that he does not predict my actions and his downfall soon.

I suddenly free myself and lunge at Perry with supernatural speed. He stumbles back, eyes wide with fear.

“How did you-”

“You underestimated me, Perry. That's your first mistake,” I snarl at him and grab him by the throat, lifting him off the ground. He struggles, but I am too furious right now to let him go.

“Ethan-” he begins to speak, but I tighten my grip around his neck.

“You betrayed me. You threatened my life, my company, and everything that matters to me. And for that, there’s only one consequence,” I say. Perry tries to break free, but my grip tightens even more.

“Ethan. Please,” he pleads.

“Goodbye, Perry.”

With a swift, lethal motion, I bite Perry's neck, ripping out his throat, and let his body drop to the floor. I stand over him, breathing heavily, the rage slowly increasing. He is still moving.

“It didn't have to be this way,” I whisper to myself as I grab the bottle of chloroform that he used to drug me. I empty it in his mouth and watch him struggle to move.

I straighten up, regaining my composure. I need to get out of here. Suddenly, I hear a familiar male voice.

“For God's sake.”

This is not over yet, is it?

Chapter 23

Lily

Imust get out of here. It was not a good idea to come here in the very first place. Why was Nick treating me that way? I have never seen him act so animalistic. I don't know how to describe it; he looked like a madman. A monster.

I try to call Ethan again, but it keeps taking me to his voicemail. Where can he be? This is driving me crazy. It is not only that I miss him, but I am dying to know whether he is okay or not.

“Ethan. Are you getting any of this? Please, pick up,” I send another voice message.

I desperately try to call him, but even when the call picks up, all I can hear is static on the line. It has been like that since I left the building, and it is making my head race with unwanted thoughts. Unpleasant ones.

I get in my car and drive as fast as I can to the destination that Alfred urged me to. The key is engraved with 'Forevermore.' The place doesn't exist on the maps. I have no idea what the engraved title refers to, or why it is relevant to finding Ethan. But I am still going there.

When I pull over in front of the building, I can't help but feel a shiver running down my spine. It is a morgue, an ancient one. The place is dilapidated, and its architecture looks like something from the medieval ages.

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