Page 63 of Painter's Obsession

“I told you I’d punish you,” he sneers, his voice cold and calm, as if this is routine.

My pants cling to my skin, damp and sticky, the stench curling up my nose and choking me with shame. I want the earth to split open and swallow me whole, to take me away from this humiliation. But I know better. Ren mumbles something under his breath, and for a fleeting second, I smile—a bitter, twisted smile. If nothing else, this is my moment. My humiliation might be the spark I need.

Ren crosses the room, bare feet silent on the wooden floor, retrieving a key from his nightstand. He holds it up, the faint light gleaming off the metal. His smirk is sharp, predatory.

“Remember, good boys…get rewarded. Try anything, and your sister receives your punishment.”

Gabriela’s face flashes in my mind, her wide, terrified eyes staring back at me, her voice breaking as she screamed my name. The image cuts deeper than any knife.

Ren crouches beside me, close enough for his breath to fan against my skin. His onyx eyes gleam, dark and endless, as if they could swallow me whole. “Words,” he says softly, his tone a silk noose tightening around my throat. “Tell me you understand.”

Before unlocking the cuff, he undoes the IV from my arm, leaving the butterfly line taped to my skin. His fingers move with deliberate slowness, savoring every second of control.

“I understand,” I bite out, my voice hoarse and raw. The adrenaline surges in my veins, my heart pounding like a war drum.

The cuff clicks open. My hand is free.

I don’t hesitate. My fist flies, connecting hard with his jaw. Ren staggers, crashing into the wall. He groans, one hand flying to his face, but the smirk doesn’t leave.

“Oh, you’re in for it now,” he sneers, his tone thick with amusement, as if my defiance is just foreplay.

I don’t stick around to hear more. I lunge for the door, throwing it open; the cool air from the hallway slaps me in the face.

The storm rages outside, thunder shaking the walls, rain hammering the windows with relentless fury. My bare feet slap against the cold floor, each step sending sharp jolts of pain through my body.

The stairs.

I spot them to my right and sprint, my legs trembling beneath me. I don’t know where I’m going, but anywhere—anywhere—is better than here.

Behind me, Ren’s footsteps are slow, unhurried, a predator savoring the hunt.

My foot catches on the edge of a step, sending me tumbling. Pain erupts in my side as I hit the landing, gasping; the world spins and tilts around me.

“Oh, yes run,” Ren’s voice calls out, smooth and taunting, cutting through the storm like a blade. “It’ll be fun when I catch you.”

The words send a shiver racing down my spine, but I force myself up, my body screaming in protest. My bare feet hit the ground, and I bolt for the front door.

The cold greets me first. It bites at my skin as I burst outside, the rain slamming against my body like shards of ice. My chest heaves as I look around, disoriented and desperate.

The trees.

I pump my legs harder, the mud sucking at my feet with every step. My breath comes in sharp, ragged gasps, but Gabriela’s face keeps me moving. She’s waiting for me. She needs me.

Thunder cracks, illuminating the clearing ahead. Relief surges through me—I’m close.

But then I see him.

Ren.

He stands in the middle of the clearing, soaked to the bone, a dark silhouette against the violent storm. In his hand, he holds something long and slender, glinting in the lightning like a weapon.

“You’re making this too easy, Thorn,” he says, his voice calm, almost bored.

The rain drips from his hair, plastering it to his forehead. His smirk cuts through the darkness, cruel and sharp.

“Run.”

The cold greets me like a slap, soaking into my skin and stealing my breath as I bolt through the rain. It pounds relentlessly, soaking me to the bone, but I don’t stop. My bare feet slap against the wet grass, each step sending pain shooting up my legs. My chest burns, every breath sharp and ragged, but I keep running.

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