Mike's efforts paid off as he managed to arrange for a doctor to visit their home daily to tend to Lily's wound. The next day, after ensuring Lily was comfortable, they made their way to the hospital to check up on Leslie.
Upon reaching Leslie's room, they found her resting peacefully in a private ward. Not wanting to disturb her, they quietly checked on her condition before leaving the hospital.
Descending to the hospital's car park, they approached Lily's Lamborghini, a sleek gift from her stepdad upon securing her job. Mike helped Lily fasten her seatbelt before driving them home.
Their home, a lavish villa gifted by Lily's biological father after their engagement, welcomed them with open arms. Mike assisted Lily as they made their way inside, where their faithful companion, Hunter, awaited them.
Hunter, a sleek black Geoffrey's cat they had adopted together, greeted them eagerly. It scampered down the stairs, its tail swishing with excitement as it sought attention from Lily. Mike scooped up the affectionate feline, stroking its fur gently, while Lily settled onto the sofa, relieved to be back in the comfort of their own home.
"Hunter, be a good boy. Mummy is hurt and can't play with you," Mike coaxed the cat gently as he placed it down. Hunter seemed to register Mike's words with surprise before turning to Lily, assessing her with narrowed eyes as if trying to discern the truth.
"I'm going to get you some food," Mike announced before heading out of the house. Despite their spacious villa lacking maids or servants, Lily typically handled the cooking. However, with her current injury, Mike took on the responsibility to ensure they were both fed.
As soon as Mike departed, Lily stretched her arms, a subtle gesture revealing that her wound didn't affect ovements. Hunter's reaction was priceless; his jaw seemed to drop in disbelief. Lily rolled her eyes at the feline's comical response.
Taking advantage of Mike's absence, Lily retrieved her secret phone from the hidden compartment in her bag. With a calculated air of secrecy, she powered it on and began texting a contact labeled "Sweetheart 1." "I hope our guest is still alive," Lily sent, her tone cool and collected.
The reply came swiftly, "Yes, mistress." Lily couldn't suppress a smirk. "Keep it that way. He must die in my presence," she instructed before powering off her phone and stowing it away once more.
Mike returned shortly after, carrying purchased food. Lily and he sat at the table, enjoying their meal together. Despite the facade of normalcy, Lily harbored secrets beneath the surface, carefully orchestrating events to suit her clandestine agenda.
---
In a dimly lit room shrouded in darkness, a black-haired man with an eerie pallor and obsidian eyes leaned against the wall, engrossed in the message displayed on his phone. A faint smile crept onto his lips, casting a chilling aura around him.
"S-Sir, is there any order from the boss?" queried one of his underlings cautiously, breaking the silence that enveloped the room.
The black-haired man glanced up from his phone, the screen displaying the ominous directive: "Keep it that way. He must die in my presence." His expression remained inscrutable as he contemplated the message.
Turning his attention to a colossal window embedded in the wall, the man peered through the transparent barrier. On the other side lay a figure shrouded in bandages from head to toe, leaving only small apertures for breathing and sustenance. Despite the concealment, traces of burns marred the exposed skin around the man's mouth, a testament to his suffering.
The bandaged figure groaned in agony, each breath a laborious effort. Yet, there was no hint of compassion in the black-haired man's gaze as he regarded the tortured soul lying helplessly before him.
"Keep him alive," the man, identified as Ben, commanded dismissively before turning away, his attention drifting elsewhere as sinister intentions loomed in the shadows of his mind.
---
Leslie's breath caught in her throat as she cowered within the confines of the box, her eyes fixated on the harrowing scene unfolding before her. The sight sent shivers down her spine, her skin blanching at the gruesome sight.
"Please, spare me," pleaded a familiar voice, resonating with fear and desperation. It was Danny, a former acquaintance from Leslie's high school days, battered and bloodied, his features contorted in agony.
A soft, yet chillingly composed female voice cut through the tension, sending a wave of dread through Leslie's trembling form. It was Lily's voice, unmistakable and haunting in its calm demeanor.
"You're making me look like the bad guy," Lily's voice continued, its eerie tranquility sending shivers down Leslie's spine.
Danny's plea echoed in the dimly lit space, hope lingering in his voice as he begged for forgiveness. Lily, encircled by armed men who appeared to be under her command, advanced with a deceptive smile, her presence exuding an aura of sinister tranquility.
"Of course, I forgive you. That's why I won't punish your wife and kids," Lily declared with a deceptive sweetness, her words dripping with malice.
Danny's expression contorted in despair as he reached out, seeking absolution from Lily, only to be met with a swift kick to the head from a dark-haired man standing at Lily's side. The force of the blow sent Danny reeling backwards, restrained by two burly men while another swiftly bound him in restraints, sealing his fate in the depths of Lily's dark scheme.
The black-haired man uncorked a gallon container, the pungent scent of diesel filling the air, mingling with the acrid tang of fear that permeated the dimly lit room. Leslie's senses were assaulted by the overpowering odor, her heart pounding in her chest as she realized the grim reality of what was about to unfold before her eyes.
With growing horror, Leslie watched as Danny, his cries of desperation reverberating off the walls, recoiled in terror at the sight of the flammable liquid cascading over him. Tears streamed down his face as he pleaded for mercy, his voice a haunting melody of despair and anguish.
Paralyzed by fear, Leslie remained rooted to her hiding spot, her body trembling uncontrollably as she bore witness to the unfolding nightmare. Lily, her once-friend now transformed into a figure of terror, turned in Leslie's direction with eyes that seemed to pierce through the darkness, glowing with an otherworldly intensity that sent shivers down Leslie's spine.
A gasp escaped Leslie's lips as Lily's gaze locked onto hers, a silent acknowledgment passing between them that sent a chill coursing through Leslie's veins. In that moment, she felt as though Lily could see right through her, peering into the depths of her soul with an unnerving clarity.
"Burn him alive," Lily's voice, laced with an icy command, echoed through the room, sending a jolt of terror coursing through Leslie's trembling form. As Lily advanced toward her, Leslie's world spun in a dizzying whirl of fear and disbelief, her mind unable to comprehend the horrors unfolding before her.
With a sharp gasp, Leslie jolted awake, her heart pounding in her chest as she struggled to catch her breath. Sweat dampened her brow as she clung to the fleeting remnants of the nightmare, the echoes of Lily's chilling command lingering in her mind like a haunting melody.
Trembling uncontrollably, Leslie sat on the hospital bed, her thoughts consumed by the harrowing vision that had gripped her in its icy embrace. In the depths of her soul, she prayed fervently that it was nothing more than a nightmare, a figment of her imagination born from the depths of her darkest fears. Yet, deep down, a lingering sense of dread gnawed at her, whispering of horrors yet to come.
---
Mike bowed his head in shame, his heart heavy with regret and self-reproach. Last night had been a blur of passion and desire, and now he found himself grappling with the consequences of his actions. He should have held back, shown restraint, but in the throes of passion, he had succumbed to the irresistible allure of his wife's beauty, losing himself in a moment of reckless abandon.
Rubbing his face in frustration, Mike cursed his own weakness. Why did his wife have to be so utterly captivating, so intoxicatingly beautiful? It was as though she held a power over him, a power that rendered him powerless in her presence.
"Hubby, could you please come help me?" Lily's voice floated from their bedroom, interrupting Mike's tumultuous thoughts.
"Are you decent?" Mike called back, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
"Michael, are you serious?" Lily's incredulous tone cut through the air, punctuating the tension between them.
"I'm not trusting you again, you seductress," Mike shot back, his words laden with a mixture of frustration and desire.
A pang of guilt tugged at Mike's conscience as Lily's next words pierced through his defenses. "Fine, I'll just bleed out and die because my husband refused to help me."
Fear surged through Mike's veins at the thought of his wife in pain, her life hanging in the balance. With a heavy sigh, he pushed aside his inner turmoil and emerged from the bathroom, steeling himself against the temptation that awaited him.
Entering their bedroom, Mike found Lily seated before the vanity, her delicate fingers delicately tending to the reopened stab wound that marred her skin. Swallowing his pride, Mike focused on the task at hand, swiftly bandaging her wound with gentle care.
Avoiding her gaze, Mike fought to suppress the stirrings of desire that threatened to consume him once more. He couldn't afford to lose himself in her beauty again, not when there were more pressing matters at hand.
Lily's laughter broke through the tension, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she observed her husband's adorable reaction. Gulping down a birth control pill with a sip of water, she offered Mike a tender smile, her love for him evident in every glance and gesture.