Page 91 of Corrupted

It’s uncanny how close his mansion is to the palace. It underlines his connections to Aram. There aren’t a lot of houses in this area of Katantia. Whoever lives here has made it to the top of the food chain on this island.

And then there are the sex stores—in this case, one of the most famous Hole Stores on Katantia.

Behind it, almost in its shadow, Hugh’s driveway begins.

I pull into it.

Do I care that cameras record my car driving to Hugh’s house? No. We’ve invested enough money in our country’s security that outside sources cannot surveil us without us knowing. We have drones set to stalk our citizens from foreign agencies, but those focus on the city center, our banks, and hotels.

That’s where the juicy stuff happens.

Meanwhile, at Hugh’s mansion, kids get abused, and these foreign agencies don’t give a damn.

If they won’t, I will.

I’ve been blinded by Ivy. I know everything there is to know about her. I’ve known about Hugh Abbott and his tendencies to be a fucking creep. It was none of my concern, and I believed he was just another old man who wanted himself some forbidden pussy in the form of his adopted daughter.

When I faced Ivy, she didn’t seem like a victim of anything more than that. For years, she’s been a strong and professional young woman. It’s my mistake that I didn’t believe there could be more in her.

I’ve certainly seen that in the aftermath of my family dinner with her.

I can understand where she stands mentally when she clings unto me like I’ll betray her trust. She’s my needy little doe, and fuck, I want nothing but to be her hero.

Tonight, I’ll do just that.

Hugh’s mansion is hidden by old trees that must have seen it all.

I park my car in front of the house’s entrance, and I kill the motor. He must have heard me coming, and if he didn’t, he’s a naïve piece of shit. Grabbing the plastic bottle of death and my mask, I break and enter.

No alarm goes off.

Another sign of gullibility. Aram used to think he was impenetrable because nobody would dare to hurt him, and then his people revolted, trashing his palace while Fylox murdered him in his very office. That’s when Kamila became queen. That’s when I evolved the palace’s security system, adding my magic to it so that now, nobody can enter without being vetted by us.

Men like Hugh don’t care. It’s like he’s waving his bullshit in front of my face.

I focus, and I hear hushed whispers and frail steps from upstairs. It’s a cold place, and there’s almost no decoration whatsoever. Why would there be? Hugh comes here to fuck, doesn’t he? No need for comfort when all you want is sex.

I hold my mask and the bottle while I climb up the stairs. I want him to see my face before I kill him.

The further up I go, the more I hear frantic breaths. The entire place stinks of bergamot, a scent my doe despises because it reminds her ofhim.

I hear Hugh from inside one of the rooms, and I follow my instincts. The tightness in my chest returns, swindling me. I can’t afford to blackout as much as I’d enjoy ripping this mansion apart. There must be a kid in here somewhere, and I must remove her from the situation before I kill him.

“Pee on the stick,” Hugh demands, his voice a beacon that’s drawing me in. He wants me to hear this. “Do it now.”

“I don’t want to!” The kid. A ferocious young girl. Fuck.

A loud thud stops me in my tracks. Then, sobs erupt. I rush where I assume I’ll find Hugh, shoving the door open. It’s a bathroom of white marble.

I’m stunned, speechless at what my eyes take in.

Hugh’s in one of his tailor-made suits, the ones with the silk pocket squares folded inside of the suit jacket’s pocket. It has a striped pattern, navy, and white. He stands above a crumbled girl with dyed black hair. Her entire body is shaking, and despite not wanting to look, I must. She’s undressed but physically unharmed.

Although Hugh hit her, and she crashed against the floor. She’s in the midst of a panic attack, and I don’t blame her. Hugh is poking her side with a stick, a pregnancy test. He’s enamored and distracted by the naked body beneath him, so he doesn’t notice when I whack him with my bottle of death until he loses his senses. I almost break his nose, too.

The girl gulps. Hugh is unconscious and on the verge of falling on top of her. I grab his suit jacket, and I shove him out of her way.

“Carey Jean?” I ask. “Is that you?”

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