[CLARIA'S P.O.V]
He climbed off me and slid into his nightwear. After a cold shower, he changed into a sleek black suit and shoes. With a press of a switch on the wall, the door swung open, and three maids rushed in.
"You called for us, sir?" they asked in unison, bowing their heads.
He ordered the maids, "When she's awake, dress her up and make sure she eats something. I'll be back for dinner." He walked out, then paused. "Also, find someone to change the bed; I want a new one."
"Okay, Don," they replied, forcing a smile.
I watched him vanish into the distance as my vision failed me. "I'll kill him," I swore, my heavy eyelids closing.
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«°•𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆•°»
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Time flew by, and evening arrived. One of the maids pleaded, "Ma'am, it's late. You need to eat before the master returns."
"I'm not coming out of here until he comes to get me," I sneered. "Take the food and throw it down the drainage or something..."
My stomach growled, and I whimpered at the sharp pain.
"Endure it; the pain will disappear before you know," the maids said with warm smiles.
"It's an honor our lord first took your dignity." One of them blurted.
I growled, "What? Are you crazy?"
The other maid calmed me down, "Don't mind her. Your food is getting cold; you need to eat before the Don returns."
I scoffed, "Or else what?"
"We'll die."Her reply sent chills down my spine.
"Really? That's funny. It reminds me of the guy who brought me here. I've been wondering why I haven't seen him since." I laughed the awkward feeling off.
"He died." She replied bluntly.
My mind went blank. "What? You're kidding, right? Is this a joke?"
Her expression was stoic. "To be precise, he was killed for being responsible for a scratch on your elbow."
I was horrified.
"What!! You can't be serious! Is this some kind of twisted joke?"
"We don't joke here!" the maid snapped.
I sighed, desperation creeping in. "I just want to go home."
"If you leave, everyone will die!"
I gritted my teeth. "Not if I kill him first."
"You can't kill Don; he doesn't die."
"Watch me do the honors." I sneered.
Just then, a low, smooth voice filled the room. "I can give you a trial."
The bathroom door swung open, and Diego strode out, a charming smile spreading across his face.
"Don!" the maid exclaimed, bowing deeply.
"Hello, hearthrob."
I spat, venom in my voice. "You devil!"
"When did you come in?" I asked, rolling my eyes.
A low chuckle rumbled from his lips, but he didn't answer my question. Instead, he raised an eyebrow. "I heard you're refusing to eat?"
I scoffed, adjusting myself in the jacuzzi. "You expect me to eat from a plate in your cursed castle?"
Diego's smirk grew wider. "You can't? Really? This is getting much more interesting."
He placed a cigar between his lips and took a long, slow puff. I winced, expecting his throat to scald from the intense heat.
He turned to the maids, his voice calm and collected. "Didn't I tell you to make sure she ate?"
"We..." the maids stammered.
His face turned beet red with rage. "DIDN'T I!!!" he thundered.
I trembled, fearing for my life. "Damn! He's a maniac!"
His gaze remained fixed on the maids.
"Don't yell at them! I rejected the meals! Okay!" I clarified, desperate to explain the situation.
"I WASN'T TALKING TO YOU!" He yelled at me, my ear drums tearing apart.
The maids cowered, whimpering. "Don... we are s... s... sorry!"
In a blink of an eye, two bullets whizzed past me, piercing the heads of the two maids beside me. Their blood mixed with my bathwater, turning the transparent liquid crimson.
"No!" I screamed, horrified.
"Diego!! Why? Why? Why did you kill them?" I wailed at the top of my lungs, tears streaming down my face.
A wide smirk spread on his face.
"You killed them, and more will die if you refuse to eat."
I felt sick.
"Why? Why go to this extent?"
His voice dropped, terror seeping into his tone. "Because you are making me..."
I screamed, my lungs burning. "Diego!!!"
He regained his composure, his mask of calmness slipping back into place.
"Now, hearthrob, if you know what's best for you—as a CIA agent trying to save lives—brace yourself and get ready for dinner."
"Diego, they were humans like me!"
He turned to leave. "I'll be downstairs."
I stuttered, fear gripping my heart. "I'm not co... coming."
He paused, his slow, deliberate strides making the situation even more worse. My lips felt heavy.
"You what?" Diego's voice taunting, his eyes fixed intently on mine.
Before I could muster a response, he loomed over me, casting a long, ominous shadow. My voice caught in my throat, but I summoned every last shred of courage and managed to whisper:
"Leave!"
My scream was ear-shattering, and Diego recoiled, backing away slowly. He let out a long, frustrated sigh.
"I'll give you two minutes... or else..." His voice trailed off.
My heart sank, and I felt a chill run down my spine. Diego's eyes seemed to gleam with a malevolent intensity as he placed the cigar between his lips once more, sucking in a deep, deadly puff.
"Your time's counting, hearthrob."
Those were the last words I heard before everything went black.
This was my first real solo mission, and now I understood why my superiors tried to stop me. As an inexperienced officer, I had underestimated the vast difference between theoretical training and real-world application.
My previous solo missions outside the government block seemed trivial in comparison.
What had I been thinking, calling those "missions"? Killing bad guys? No, this was the real deal. Those others were just child's play.
And then there was Diego....
"He's a psychopathic murderer!" I concluded.