Free Web NovelChapter 177: Chapter 177
Ethan’s POV
It’s been three days since this torture. freeweɓnøvel.com
They did not stop after that.
Wendy gave a small nod, and that was all the permission they needed to go further. One of the men stepped behind me and grabbed my hair, forcing my head up so I couldn’t even try to look down or avoid anything that was coming next. The other one picked up the metal rod again, this time gripping it tighter like he was done holding back.
The first strike came down hard across my chest.
I felt it immediately, not just on the surface but deep under my skin, like the impact went straight into my bones. My body jerked forward against the chains I was bound with, and for a second my vision blurred, but I forced my eyes open again.
I was not giving them the satisfaction of seeing me lose awareness.
The second hit came lower, right across my ribs, and this time I heard something crack clearly.
A sharp pain shot through my side, making it harder to breathe properly, but I adjusted fast, pulling in shorter breaths instead of deeper ones so I wouldn’t choke on the pain.
"That one landed," I muttered, my voice rough but still steady.
One of the men frowned slightly like he wasn’t sure how to react to that.
The third hit came faster than the others, this time across my shoulder, and the force of it sent a shock through my arm, making my fingers twitch even though they were restrained. The man behind me tightened his grip in my hair when I moved, forcing my head back again.
"You’re still talking," he said, almost annoyed.
"What do you want me to do?" I replied, spitting blood to the side before lifting my head again. "You’re not exactly doing anything new."
That pissed them off.
Good.
Because when they got angry, they got careless, and careless people made mistakes.
The next few hits came without any rhythm or pause, just pure frustration driving them. The rod struck my side again, then my back, then my thigh, each impact building on the last. My body reacted every time whether I wanted it to or not, muscles tightening, breath catching, chains rattling as I shifted against them.
I wasn’t some unfeeling machine.
I felt everything.
My ribs ached with every breath, my shoulder throbbed, and I could already feel bruises forming under my skin.
But I wasn’t going to start screaming or begging.
Not for them.
Wendy stepped closer again, watching everything carefully like she wanted to see exactly how much I could take.
"This is only the beginning," she said, her voice controlled but cold. "You will not get to walk away from everything you’ve done." She said as if I’m the only dangerous one in the game.
I let out a low breath, adjusting my posture as much as the chains allowed so I could look at her properly.
She motioned again at the men.
This time, one of the men set the rod aside and reached for something else.
A blade.
Not too big, not too small, just sharp enough to do damage without killing me quickly.
He stepped in front of me, grabbed my arm, and dragged the blade across my skin slowly.
Not deep enough to end it but just enough to open it.
I felt the sting first, then the warmth as blood started to run down my arm.
He didn’t rush.
That was the point.
They wanted this to last.
"Does that feel familiar?" Wendy asked.
I tilted my head slightly, looking at the cut like it was nothing special.
"Not really," I replied. "You’ll have to be more specific."
Her jaw tightened.
"You think this is a joke," she said.
"I think you’re trying too hard," I answered.
The man holding the blade pressed it harder this time, dragging it a little deeper across my skin. My body reacted instantly, muscles tightening again, breath hitching for just a second before I forced it back under control.
Pain like that wasn’t something you ignored.
You managed it.
You worked around it.
"You killed her," Wendy said again, her voice quieter now but more dangerous. "You stood there and killed our mother like she meant nothing."
I looked at her.
"She didn’t mean anything," I said calmly. "She just didn’t mind her damn business"
That was honest.
And it hit harder than anything else I could have said.
Her hand moved before she could stop herself, slapping me across the face again, harder than before.
My head snapped to the side, and I felt more blood fill my mouth, but I didn’t react the way she wanted.
I just turned back and looked at her again.
"You keep expecting a different answer," I said. "You’re not going to get one."
Her breathing changed slightly, like she was trying to keep herself under control.
"You’re sick," she said.
"I’ve heard that before," I replied.
"And you’re proud of it," she added.
"I don’t waste time pretending I’m something else," I said. "That’s the difference between us."
She shook her head slightly, like she couldn’t even stand looking at me for too long.
"Continue," she ordered again.
This time, they didn’t hold back at all.
They switched between hitting and cutting, making sure there was no pattern I could adjust to. The rod came back into play, slamming into my already injured ribs, making it harder to breathe properly. The blade followed, opening new cuts across my arms and side, not deep enough to kill me but enough to keep the pain constant and fresh.
At one point, one of them kicked my leg out from under me, and if the chains hadn’t been holding me up, I would have dropped to the ground completely.
Instead, I just hung there for a second, my weight pulling against my wrists, pain shooting through my arms as I forced myself back up again.
"You can stop this," Wendy said suddenly.
I let out a quiet breath, lifting my head again even though it took more effort now.
"Why would I?" I asked.
"All you have to do is admit it," she said. "Admit that what you did was wrong."
I stared at her. Then I laughed, enough for her to hear it clearly.
"You really think that’s going to happen?" I asked.
Her expression went cold again.
"Then you deserve everything you’re getting," she said.
"Probably," I replied. "But that doesn’t mean I’m going to lie for you."
That answer clearly wasn’t what she wanted.
She turned away slightly, frustration written all over her face, but she didn’t stop them.
They kept going.
And this time, it dragged.
They slowed it down on purpose, spacing out the hits just enough that I didn’t pass out too quickly. Every time my body started to go numb, they did something new to pull me back, another hit, another cut, something sharp enough to keep me aware.
Time became hard to track.
At some point, I felt my head drop forward slightly.
"Stay awake," one of them said, grabbing my face and forcing me to look up again.
I blinked slowly, my vision taking a second to adjust before I focused again.
"I am awake," I muttered.
"Not for long," he replied.
"We’ll see," I said.
Even now.
Even like this. I wasn’t going to give them what they wanted.
Just then—a knock sounds on the door loudly.
The room went quiet almost immediately.
One of the men stepped in, glancing at Wendy for instructions.
"What is it?" she asked, not turning around yet.
The door opened slightly.
"There’s someone here to see you," the man said.
Her brows pulled together."Who?"
Before he could answer—
A voice came from the doorway.
"I think it’s better if I come in myself." ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
Everyone turned.
And then she stepped inside.
Daphne.
