Page 103 of Hunter

She narrows her eyes at me, but I press on, my words pouring out like they’ve been bottled up for years.

“You have no idea what it’s like to not have your parents’ affection, Jenny. You don’t know what it feels like to be alone, to feel like you don’t matter. You may not have had Dad’s attention, but what he didn’t give you, Mom more than made up for. All I got were scraps from her and some pathetic crumbs of attention from Dad.” I pause, my chest tightening as I see her eyes soften for a split second. “And on top of that, there was you—your constant bullying, your boyfriend, your friends—the family. If anyone has the right to be angry, it’s me. Not you.” I feel the tears welling up but force myself to hold them back. This isn’t the time for weakness.

“I’m sorry the father you thought was yours wasn’t. I’m sorry you didn’t have a relationship with your real father. But that’s not an excuse to take it all out on me,” I snap, the anger flowing freely now.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Maxim moving his hands, desperately struggling against the ropes. He’s trying to break free. I can’t see exactly what he’s using—maybe a knife? I don’t know. But I continue to talk, keeping Jenny’s attention on me. This is the only chance I have to finally say everything I’ve kept inside for so long.

“I did nothing to you, Jenny. When we were younger, I looked up to you,” I say, my voice shaking with the weight of the confession. “But you had to tear me down, didn’t you? Youhad to hate me. You pulled away from me, and then you had someone kidnap me.”

Her eyes widen, a flicker of guilt crossing her face. I don’t give her a chance to respond.

“Do you have any idea what they did to me, Jennifer?” My voice is sharp now, cutting through the tension like a knife.

She stares at me, her lips parted in shock, but no words come out.

“They tried to rape me, Jenny.” My chest tightens at the words, but I force them out. I want her to understand what her actions did, what her choices led to.

Jenny’s face goes pale. She blinks rapidly, her eyes searching mine, as if trying to process the enormity of what I just said.

“I—I didn’t know,” she stammers, her voice cracking.

“You didn’t know? You hired them to kidnap me. What did you think was going to happen?” I’m practically shaking with the force of my anger now. “Did you honestly think they would just tie me up and leave me alone? Is that really what you thought?”

She takes a step back, but I don’t let up.

“Of course, they didn’t just follow orders, Jenny. They tried to do things to me. And where were you? Sitting in your fancy little world while I was being tortured. Do you even care?”

Jenny’s face twists with conflicting emotions—regret, guilt, maybe even shame, but I don’t care. I’m done holding back.

“I’m trying to wrap my mind around all of this,” I continue, my voice thick with frustration. “But I still don’t get what you’re hoping to achieve here. You’re not going to take over Maxim’s life. He won’t let that happen.” I lean forward slightly, my eyes locked on hers. “That’s his world, not yours. And those people you think are on your side? They’ll use you until they don’t need you anymore, and then they’ll kill you.”

I see a flicker of something in her eyes—fear, maybe—but she quickly masks it, her face hardening once again.

“You have kids, Jenny,” I add softly, my voice almost pleading now. “You need to stay alive for them. Do you even think about them? Do you realize what you’re doing to their future?”

For a brief moment, her expression falters, the icy veneer she has built around herself cracking. But then, just as quickly, it snaps back into place.

“I am doing this for my kids!” she snaps, her voice filled with sudden fury. “They’re the only ones who matter now. Not you. Not Maxim. Just them.”

I shake my head, disbelieving. “You think they’ll be safe in that world? You think they’re better off with you dragging them into this mess?”

Her eyes widen, a split second of vulnerability crossing her face before she blurts out, “You think they’re safe now?”

My breath catches in my chest. “What do you mean by that?” I whisper, my mind racing. “What the hell are you talking about?”

She opens her mouth to say something but freezes as Maxim suddenly appears behind her, his hand clamping over her mouth, his gun pressed firmly to her temple. His presence is like a wall of ice.

“Where are the men you supposedly have under your control, big sister?” Maxim growls, his voice like gravel. He looks around the room with a mock smile. “Where are they? Show me.” His tone is dripping with contempt as he adds, “You’re in my world now, Jennifer.”

Jenny stiffens, but Maxim doesn’t let up. He drags her backward out of the circle of light, his grip unyielding.

“Maxim!” I scream, my heart racing. “Stop. Let her go.”

His head swivels to meet my gaze, his expression a mixture of disbelief and anger.

“I need answers,” I say, my voice trembling slightly. “Please. Don’t make this worse.”

Maxim hesitates for a moment, but his eyes never leave me. I can see the battle in his mind, the conflict between his anger and his trust in me. Finally, he relaxes his grip on Jenny, but just barely.

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