Page 153 of Monster in Disguise

"You did it on purpose, didn't you? You wanted me to punish you."

"Master..." She moans.

What seemed an erotic dance suddenly turns gruesome as he grabs her by her neck and smashes her face against the floor. A whooshing sound escapes her lips, her eyes rolling back in herhead. The man seems disappointed by that, so he kicks her in the stomach with his foot.

"You must excuse me." He turns to me, shaking his head in disgust at Allegra's pitiful form on the ground. "Where are my manners?" He dusts the sleeves of his suit before regaling me with a smile.

"Long time no see, Catalina. Let me introduce myself."

Marcello

As I slowly awaken, my eyes flutter open to the blinding brightness of a hospital room. My head throbs and my body is heavy with exhaustion.

Where am I?

Slowly turning my head, I take in my surroundings. The sterile white walls and beeping machines confirm my suspicion—I'm in a hospital. A sharp pain shoots through my thigh, causing me to wince and notice the IV drip attached to my arm.

"Officer, there seems to be a misunderstanding. He didn't mean to harm himself. The mirror shattered and he accidentally got injured," I hear Sisi's voice arguing with someone outside my room. Still groggy, I struggle to sit up, the pain in my leg intensifying.

Peering down at my thigh, I see a clean white bandage covering a wound. It takes me a moment to remember how it got there.

She left.

Watching her walk away had sent me spiraling into a dark mindset. All I could think about was making the pain stop. I never intended to commit suicide, but in that moment, all Iwanted was peace—even if it meant inflicting physical pain on myself.

Surrounded by broken shards of glass, I acted impulsively—grabbing a large piece and plunging it into my thigh. Closing my eyes and leaning back against the wall, I relished in the agony, letting it consume me and block out everything else—including her horrified expression.

I remained there among the shards for what felt like hours, each stab of pain bringing me closer to the numbness I craved. Eventually, I pulled out the glass and waited for the cold air to make the sting even more potent.

With a deep breath, I wake up to my reality. Catalina is gone. Claudia is gone.

"Marcello?" Assisi calls my name, noticing I'm awake.

"I'm fine," I croak, my throat dry.

"What happened?" Her brows are drawn together in a frown as she looks at my leg. I don't answer. What can I tell her? How despicable I am? She probably suspects anyway.

A nurse stops by to check on the IV, and she mentions how lucky I'd been that my sister had called the ambulance on time because I'd lost a lot of blood. Eyes blank, I stare into nothingness, an empty void forming inside my chest.

I'm alive—again. And she's gone—again.

The nurse keeps talking, but I register nothing. It's only when she reaches for my wound, probably to redress it, that I snap out of it.

My body recoils at the touch of the nurse, my voice echoing through the room as I yell for her to stop. Sisi quickly steps in, apologizing before directing her attention back to me.

"Mr. Lastra, I need to check your wound," the nurse insists, but I can only shake my head, disoriented and desperate for an escape. My eyes scan the room for a way out, my heart pounding with fear and urgency.

With my one good hand, I pull the IV from my arm, feeling a sharp sting as I jump out of bed. Gasps fill the air as I rush towards the exit, ignoring all attempts to stop me. Shouts and cries follow me as I stumble and push through anyone in my way.

I vaguely register someone calling for security, and then I see Vlad's face.

He raises an eyebrow at me with a hint of disappointment before shaking his head. My legs give out beneath me and I fall to my knees, feeling blood trickling down my thigh. Vlad's gaze flickers momentarily, but he holds up a hand in a firm stop gesture.

"Please kill me," I rasp out, overwhelmed by agonizing emotions clawing at my chest.

"Now, Marcello, what did I tell you before?" Vlad's voice is calm and collected as he kneels in front of me. He glances over my shoulder and nods.

Despite my pleas for death and escape from this Tartarian torment of my own making, I cannot help but feel a tinge of guilt and regret. With every fiber of my being, I knew that marrying her would lead to this moment—her betrayal and hatred towards me once she found out. But in a moment of selfishness and desire for something just for myself, I had chosen to ignore the consequences. And now here it is—the reckoning; and like a coward, I am unable to bear the inferno that I myself ignited.

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