Page 15 of Seeds of Sorrow

Tuning out the shrieking from the flailing meat suit of a man before her, Hadina held out her hand to Harris. He placed a six-inch serrated knife in her open palm, the cool metal of the handle stinging against her hot skin. Torture and murder weren’t easy; she always ended up sweaty, overheated, and covered in blood that wasn’t her own. Hadina’s punishments were as vicious as the actions her targets carried out against the weak and vulnerable, so when the weight of the knife connected with her hand, she didn’t hesitate to rip open Henrik’s pants and run the jagged edge across the base of his dick.

“Please, don’t! Please! I’ll give you what you want if you stop.Please!”

Hadina glared at her latest target, disgusted by his patheticness. Blood spurted and gushed, covering her hands and face, but her assault continued until Henrik’s member lay discarded in his lap, a broken tool for a useless man. His blood continued to pour out of him, pooling beneath the chair like a hellish halo. Hadina made her way back to Piper’s desk, sitting in her seat and kicking her bloodied feet up on the table. She watched on with a contented smile on her face as another man on her list bled out in front of her, the world now rid of one more diseased rat.

Vengeance for the innocent felt so fucking good, Hadina thought to herself as the life drained out of Henrik’s body.So fucking good.

Chapter11

PEYTON

“Peyton, tell me what’s wrong,”Don asked, sipping from his coffee.

They’d decided to have lunch outside after a long morning of gardening. Peyton had remained silent the entire time, finding comfort in the narcissus bulbs she was planting. Her mind had constantly been replaying the heated interaction she’d had with Hadina last week. No matter what she did, she could feel her fingers wrapped around her throat. She was simultaneously terrified and intrigued, and she didn’t know what to do about either reaction.

She knew that finding out the truth of what Hadina was up to, what Peyton had gotten herself involved in by agreeing to take this job, was the most important thing. She would never be able to forgive herself if someone, anyone, got hurt and she could have stopped it. But Peyton had spent her life feeling trapped so all she wanted to do was run. Run far away from Hadina, her fucked-up hobbies, and the rest of the Adis family.

Peyton shook her head and smiled at Don. “I’m okay. Just tired.”

Don sighed, setting his mug on the table between them. “This is about the theatrics of my daughters last week, isn’t it? I’m so profoundly sorry for how they acted—how they treated you that night,cariño.”

“Truly, it’s fine, Don.”

She didn’t want to talk about it. Don had been apologizing daily since that night, but Peyton didn’t have the energy to deal with any of it. Besides, she could hardly talk to him honestly, considering it was his damn daughter who had her so fucked up.

Hadina hadn’t been around the house in days. Peyton was almost sure that her boss was avoiding her, though she could admit that it seemed a bit out of character for Hadina to avoid anyone. The woman oozed power and respect, capturing the attention of every room she was in—there was no way that she cared about how she had scared Peyton to her core.

There was a small part of her that was almost disappointed that Hadina hadn’t been at the house. If she were to find out what was really going on, get herself some leverage over the ice queen, Peyton needed Hadina to be around more often. She had tried to come up with plan after plan, finally caving when she realized that she would just have to follow Hadina and spy on her. If she could uncoversomething, Peyton could blackmail Hadina into giving her the freedom she wanted. She would promise to forget everything she witnessed, if she were allowed to leave without repercussions.

But she had to actually witness something first.

Peyton was suddenly struck with an idea steeped in cunning and curiosity. She turned her attention back to Don. “Can I ask you a question?”

“You can ask me anything you’d like, Peyton,” Don said affectionately.

“Why did you decide to stop working altogether? I’m sorry if that seems intrusive, but I just don’t think you seem old enough and you certainly haven’t lost all your faculties. You could still work for the firm as an advisor or something, right?”

Don’s eyes slid to hers. It was the first time Peyton had ever seen him look uncomfortable. “The work just became a bit too much for an old man like myself to handle. I’m fortunate enough to be in a position to do so, which is a first in my family. My parents worked themselves to the bone until I was earning enough to take care of them. But I’m tired and retiring was an option I could afford to take. It seemed better to leave it to the girls.”

“You must be proud of them,” Peyton commented. She could feel the tension hanging in the air but she couldn’t stop herself from prying further. “I mean, both Zellie and Hadina becoming lawyers and following in your footsteps? That’s pretty impressive.”

“They’re smart girls—that’s for sure. I wanted them to be successful and work hard, just like I did, but seeing them excel fills me with pride.” He smiled to himself, running a weathered hand across his jaw. “Piper is doing well on her own too. It wasn’t a surprise that she decided against joining the family business; she was always the creative, gentle one.”

Peyton eyed Don curiously. Something seemed off but she couldn’t put her finger on what it was. She had met Piper, and while she seemed like a sweetheart, Peyton had a feeling that she could be just as headstrong as her sisters. Being a lawyer had to be stressful, but she didn’t think that was the reason Piper had decided to branch off on her own.

“Besides,” Don continued, his voice breaking Peyton from her thoughts, “I rather like being at home all the time. Just look at how beautiful this garden is! I didn’t have time for anything when I was working.”

“I’m glad you hired me, Don. Meeting you was a strange streak of luck that I’m extremely grateful for.” The lie caught in the back of her throat, making Peyton queasy.

Don took a long drink from his mug. “That it was,cariño. But I’m very glad I hired you too. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I need a shower and a nap. All that gardening tired me out.”

Peyton watched Don’s retreating figure hurry off inside. There was something weird going on with the entire family she was stuck working for, and she would find out what it was. Even if it killed her.

Peyton Dimitra was no fool, and she wouldn’t allow herself to be swept up in whatever fucked-up shit was happening here.

Chapter12

HADINA

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