"No... Please... Don't do this..." he whimpered, his entire body trembling with fear.
Maya stepped closer, the iron hammer in her right hand gleaming under the dim light. "Every blow, Tony, is for Aisha... for every tear she shed because of you."
Maya swung the hammer with full force, striking Tony's leg. His scream echoed throughout the room, shaking the walls of the silent warehouse. He writhed, but the ropes binding him were too tight. Maya didn't stop, the hammer swung again with brutal strength, crushing Tony's other knee.
"This is for my daughter!" Maya shouted, each swing fueled by boiling rage. "This is for all her suffering!"
Tony screamed again and again, his body writhing in agony. But Maya continued her assault, paying no attention to his cries or sobs. She wanted Tony to feel unimaginable pain, just like Aisha had.
Finally, Maya stopped, panting, her body trembling from the overflow of emotions. Tony lay helpless on the floor, bloodied and wounded. His voice was gone, only faint groans escaping his lips.
Maya looked at Tony, barely conscious. The hammer slipped from her hand, clanging loudly against the floor, shattering the silence. "This is only the beginning, Tony," she said coldly, without emotion. "It's not over yet."
Without looking back, Maya turned and walked out of the warehouse, leaving Tony in his misery.
Two hours after the unbearable torment, Tony was still slumped weakly in his chair. The pain from his shattered bones and torn flesh made his body shake uncontrollably. His eyes half-opened, struggling to stay conscious, though the searing pain tearing through every nerve in his body made him teeter on the edge of unconsciousness.
Suddenly, a splash of foul water doused his face, forcing him back to full awareness. The rancid smell immediately filled his nose, causing Tony to gag, his eyes wide in panic. He gasped for breath, his mind slowly waking to the horrifying reality around him.
"It hurts, doesn't it?" Maya's voice cut through the air, cold and filled with hatred, as if relishing Tony's suffering. She stood a few feet away, her eyes burning with deep-seated loathing.
Tony couldn't respond, only managing a weak groan. The pain from his shattered legs consumed his entire body, choking every word in his throat. His legs, now immobile, looked horrifying. The bandages Maya had applied might have stopped the bleeding, but they did nothing to quell the unbearable pain.
"Answer me, Tony!" Maya's voice suddenly erupted, her cold tone giving way to an explosion of emotion. "How does it feel now, huh? When you can't run, when the pain paralyzes you!?"
Tony could only groan louder, unable to form a single word. His body shook, weak and powerless before the woman who now controlled his fate.
Maya looked at Tony with seething rage. Without warning, she raised her boot and slammed it into Tony's face. The kick knocked him backward, fresh blood immediately flowing from his nose. He groaned in pain, unable to move. The pain made every fiber of his body feel like it was burning.
"I said, answer me!" Maya screamed again, her anger growing. She took a deep breath, trying to contain the surge of emotions that had reached their peak.
Tony sobbed, his tears mixing with the blood streaming down his face. "I... I'm sorry... Please, Maya... I didn't mean to do it... It was an accident..."
Maya laughed, but it wasn't a laugh of humor—it was filled with deep hatred. "An accident? You call that an accident?" The laugh abruptly stopped, replaced by a cold stare. "Do you remember when my daughter begged for mercy? When she crawled, pleading for you to stop? What did you and your friends do, Tony? You laughed at her. And now you call that an accident?"
Tony cried harder, tears streaming down his face. "I... I panicked at the time! I... I didn't want her to report it... I didn't know what to do..." his voice trailed off, full of fear and regret.
Maya clenched her fists, fighting the urge to destroy Tony faster than she had planned. "You were afraid she'd report it, huh?" she whispered with venom. "That's why you threw rocks at her legs, why you smashed them, making sure she couldn't run. You caused all of this, Tony." Maya stared at him for a moment, then leaned closer to his face. "And now, I'm going to make sure you pay for it."
Tony could say no more, only sobs of fear escaping his mouth. "Please... I'll do anything for you... Please don't hurt me anymore..."
Maya stood up, looking down at Tony with a gaze full of contempt. "You think begging will make it all better?" Maya crouched down, bringing her face closer to Tony's bloodied one. "You want me to stop? You think I'll give in to your pleas?"
"This is only the beginning, Tony. I want you to feel every second of this suffering. Because the pain you inflicted on my daughter... will now be your burden."
Without looking back, Maya began walking out of the room, leaving Tony still sobbing in agony. The sound of her footsteps slowly faded, leaving Tony alone in the darkness and unbearable pain. His mind was filled with dread—this wasn't over. Maya would return, and Tony knew his torment had only just begun.
---
In a luxurious living room, with sparkling crystal chandeliers, Daniel paced nervously. His breaths were heavy with each step on the marble floor. In the corner of the room, Dexter, Liam, and Rafa sat with grim faces. They had all tried contacting Tony since morning, but there had been no answer. It had been almost 24 hours since they last saw him at the party the night before. Now, not only was Tony missing, but Anton had also been gone for several days.
Finally, Daniel stopped pacing and looked at his friends, his face full of worry. "We can't just let this go, guys. Anton is still missing, and now Tony's gone too. Could it be... related to the threatening message Tony got a few days ago?"
Liam, sitting tensely in the corner, stared at Daniel. "The message you thought was from Anton?" he asked, his voice low but clear. "What exactly did it say again?"
Daniel ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "Tony said someone threatened him. The message was just one sentence: 'Tony is next.' But Tony just laughed it off, said it was probably a prank. But now, I'm not so sure..."
Dexter, who had been silently sitting on the leather couch, finally spoke up. "Maybe it's just a coincidence, Dan."
But Liam suddenly cut him off. "Do you guys remember Aisha?"