Page 4 of Branches of Betrayal

“Oh, darling, I don’t need to lay a hand on Hadina to cause the type of pain I have in mind. She thinks she’s a queen, but she’s just playing dress up. No, I’m going to show her the pain of losing the person she loves most.” Standing from her chair, Demi walked over to Peyton, running her finger softly across the cheek of her daughter. “I’m going to break Hadina Adis until she’s an empty shell. And then I’m going to crush her and watch as she shatters beneath my heel.”

Pulling back, Demi crouched in front of Peyton, meeting her eye level. “But first… I think I should introduce myself properly. Let me show you the love of a mother’s touch, darling daughter.”

Peyton opened her mouth to inform her that she was her mother by genetics only, but she didn’t get the chance to say anything. Demi was quick as she backhanded her, the rings on her fingers cutting into Peyton’s skin as they connected with her cheek. The force behind the slap threw Peyton’s head back, apparently creating the perfect angle for Demi’s fist to connect with her chin.

She groaned as the chair fell backwards, her head thumping off the wooden floor. Her breath came out in a painful whimper as blood trickled from her mouth.

“Pick her up,” Demi demanded to someone. Suddenly, Peyton was being lifted—still attached to the chair by the ropes biting into her skin—by Old Smokey. The disgusting odor he emitted filled Peyton’s nostrils and made her gag.

Grabbing her by the hair, Demi pulled her head back so that she was sneering mere inches from her face. “Tell me, Peyton, am I everything you hoped I would be?”

A cruel smile spread across the woman’s face as she brought her arm back, swinging her fist into Peyton’s face again. She felt all the anger and hatred from her childhood rise to the surface again as the hits continued. A thousand vows of revenge filled her mind until unconsciousness finally blanketed her.

Chapter 3

Hadina

Hadina was filledwith a level of rage she didn’t know she possessed as she listened to one of her men make excuses down the phone. She slammed her hand down on her desk, ignoring the needles of pain that shot through her bones.

“I don’t fucking care!¡Escúchame con mucha atención!I do not give a flying fuck how difficult it is. They didn’t just disappear. Find them or I swear I will skin you al-”

"Hadina!”

Piper’s admonishment cut Hadina off in the middle of her threat. If it had been anyone else other than her little sister, she’d have contemplated using her dagger to make a point. But as it was, Piper was one of only two people who could get Hadina to do what they wanted.

But the other person was the love of her life who was probably being tortured just for being part of her life. So, Piper was treading dangerous ground because Hadina had never felt so unstable in her entire life.

“Just do what she’s asking. Next time I won’t stop her from sayingorcarrying out her threats,” Piper said before hitting to end the call. She turned to Hadina with a disappointed look on her face. “You have got to calm down, Hadina. Screaming at the people helping you isn’t going to do anything.”

Hadina glared at her sister, trying to force herself to cool down. She drummed her fingertips against the edge of her desk, but her thoughts were consumed with Peyton. Every time she allowed herself more than a second to breathe, her mind conjured images of the terrible things Peyton was enduring. While she couldn’t know for sure, she knew whatshewould be doing to a prisoner…

“Don’t tell me what to do, Piper. Please, just leave me alone.”

Piper sat in the chair across from the desk, crossing her arms as she looked at her sister. “Oh, don’t start that shit with me. And you being on your own right now is quite literally a terrible idea. Did you even hear the way you were speaking to one of the people on your own team?”

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Hadina took a steadying breath. She loved Piper, but if she didn’t stop trying to organize her like she was some sort of lost puppy, she was going to snap.

“I did, yes. Because I have been running my team for years, Piper. Remember how you didn’t want to be part of Adis & Co.? Well, it means you don’t have to get involved when I’m talking tomyteam.”

“Screw you, Hadina. I’m involved because it’s not just some randomputathat’s been taken. Peyton is one of us.¡Ella es familia!This has nothing to do with the company.”

“Of course she’s not just some girl.¡Ella es mi corazón y la amo!I’m not fucking around, Piper. I’ll handle this however I see fit!”

“What’s with all the shouting?”

Hadina rolled her eyes as Harris walked into the office, his wounded shoulder held up across his chest with a sling. He looked at Piper with a soft expression before turning to Hadina with a steely gaze. “Why are you yelling? What do you need me to do, boss?”

“She’s threatening your team and being fucking unhinged because she’s barely sleeping.”

“¡Cierra la puta boca!”

“¡Detener!Enough, Hadina! Don’t speak to her like that.”

"Adrian, I don’t know who the fuck you think you-”

Piper jumped from her chair and stormed from the room, slamming the office door behind her. Hadina sighed, resting her head in her hands. She heard Harris take a seat in the chair Piper had just vacated, letting out a small groan as he moved his arm and disturbed the wound.

“Hadina, seriously, what the fuck? I’ve never heard you speak to Piper like that and I’ve known you my entire life.”

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