Laboni looked straight into Henry's eyes, her gaze filled with unbreakable defiance and an eerie calm tightening around her throat. She tightened her grip on the belt in her hand just slightly—enough to signal, quietly but sharply, that she would not allow Henry to do what he was imagining.
Laboni (in a very low, controlled voice):
"Don't cross the line, Henry. Take me wherever you want. Do whatever you want with me. But you will not touch my daughters. You will not drag them into this filthy game."
Henry paused for a moment at her stance. He slowly withdrew his hand from the exposed part of Laboni's back, though the sly smile never left his face. Twisting a lock of her hair around his fingers, he gave it a small tug.
Henry:
"You're still threatening me, Laboni? You clearly underestimate the power of an IGP. If I wanted, I could make them disappear in a second. But… I like this brave version of you. Fine. I'll accept your condition—the girls will go home. But in return, the rest of tonight belongs to me."
At Henry's signal, his shadow-like bodyguards began pulling Sara and Rini away from the table. The girls cried and resisted, but Henry's men forcefully escorted them toward the car.
Sara:
"Mom! Don't leave us! Mom!"
Laboni felt her chest tearing apart, but she turned herself to stone. She knew that if she broke down now, her daughters would be in even greater danger.
The moment the girls disappeared from sight, Henry yanked the belt of Laboni's red dress sharply toward himself. She stumbled and fell against his chest.
Henry:
"Now we're alone, Laboni. Let's go back to my old den—the place where our story stopped halfway twenty years ago."
Laboni felt the rough fabric of Henry's black shirt consuming her again. Inside, she prepared herself for her final move.
As soon as the girls were gone, the fear inside Laboni transformed into fierce determination. When Henry tried to pull her closer again, she broke free in one sharp motion and stepped back.
Laboni (in a thunder-hard voice):
"I'm not going anywhere, Henry. Not to your dark den, not under the arrogance of your power. I won't take another step."
Henry stared at her in shock. The golden glow in his eyes froze for a second. He had never imagined that anyone would dare say "no" so directly to an IGP.
Henry (calm but cruel):
"You're disobeying me, Laboni? Don't forget—your daughters aren't completely safe yet. One gesture from me, and their car can be stopped."
Laboni:
"You won't get the chance to gesture. You thought I came here in a red dress just to become prey to your desire? I came to remind you that I was once a skilled police officer too. When you pinned me in the washroom thirty minutes ago, I lifted your ID card and cloned data from your phone."
Laboni pulled out a small chip from behind the belt of her red dress.
Laboni:
"If I press one button now, every dirty secret you've hidden behind your IGP rank will go live to the media and headquarters. Let's see how much your power can save you then."
The smile vanished from Henry's face instantly. He lunged toward her like a beast, but Laboni stood her ground.
Laboni:
"Don't take another step. If you think I'm weak, you're wrong. Today, I know how to fight for both my life and my dignity."
Henry finally lost control. He snatched the chip from her hand and threw it away. In the next instant, he roared like a tiger and grabbed a fistful of her hair.
Henry (gritting his teeth):
"You're going too far, Laboni! You thought this little toy would scare me? I am IGP Henry! I make the law—and I break it!"
The pain forced Laboni's face upward. Henry pulled his face dangerously close to hers, murder blazing in his eyes.
Henry:
"This red dress, this courage of yours—I'll grind it all into the ground. Did you think I came here alone? Look outside. My men have surrounded the entire area."
Laboni closed her eyes in pain, but a strange smile curved her lips. Still held by her hair, she spoke in a very low voice.
Laboni:
"You're right, Henry… that was just a toy. A decoy to test you."
Henry frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Laboni:
"The real chip is already inside my daughter's school bag. While they're being driven away by your men, the data transfer has already begun. The harder you pull my hair, the closer your downfall comes."
Henry froze. Laboni's audacity stunned him. In rage, he yanked the belts at the back of her red dress and crushed her closer to himself.
Henry:
"Then so be it, Laboni. If I fall, I'll drag you to hell with me. Tonight will be the last night of your life."
He began dragging her violently toward the dark private cabin of the restaurant.The ground seemed to slip away from beneath Laboni's feet. Just as Henry was forcefully dragging her toward the dark cabin, her phone rang. Sara's name flashed on the screen. Henry smiled crookedly, snatched the phone from Laboni's hand, and turned on the loudspeaker.
From the other end came Sara's screams and sobs—
Sara:
"Mom! Mom! They tore open my bag and took the chip! That man in black shoved me and snatched my bag! They're taking us somewhere dark, Mom—save us!"
The call abruptly disconnected.
Henry burst into loud laughter. He yanked Laboni's hair harder and crushed her against his chest.
Henry:
"See, Laboni? Every move of yours was already in my grasp. I knew you'd hide something in the girls' bag. That's why I sent my most trusted man in their car. Now you have no proof, no weapon. All you have left is this red dress—and your helpless body."
Laboni stood frozen. Tears streamed down her face. She realized Henry was far more cunning than she had imagined. He was playing with her children's lives.
Henry (whispering near her ear):
"So tell me, Laboni—whose downfall will come first? Your daughters', or yours? Come on, let's settle our unfinished business inside the cabin."
He dragged her violently. Laboni did not resist—she felt shattered inside. Yet her fingers were still gripping the belts at the back of her red dress tightly. She remembered that inside those belts she had hidden a tiny but lethal neurotoxin needle—her last resort.
She whispered to herself,
"Henry, you touched my children… now you'll see how terrifying a mother can become when she turns into a witch."
There was no plea left in Laboni's voice now—only raw fury. Ignoring the pain in her hair, she spun around, her eyes blazing.
Laboni (screaming):
"Let me go, Henry! If a single scratch touches my daughters, I'll forget who you are—I'll slit your throat with my own hands!"
Henry laughed loudly and pulled her closer. His hand rested on the belts at the back of her dress. He jerked one sharply, making her cry out in pain.
Henry:
"Slit my throat? With these hands that are shaking in my grip? You still don't understand the situation, Laboni. Your daughters are in a place where only I can bring them back from. So stop screaming and come quietly."
He dragged her through the dark corridor. Laboni realized words were useless now. She could feel the poisoned needle hidden beneath the belt in her palm.
She decided—at the very end of the corridor, where the light was weakest, she would plunge the needle into Henry's neck. For her daughters, she would not hesitate to become a killer.
Laboni (through clenched teeth):
"You won't let them go, will you? Fine, Henry… remember this night as the last night of your life."
As Henry opened the cabin door and shoved her inside, Laboni slipped her hand out from beneath the red dress.
But Henry seemed to know her every move. Before she could pull out the needle, he clamped her wrist like iron. His eyes gleamed with demonic delight.
Henry:
"You thought you'd kill me with a toy like this? You forget, Laboni—I'm the hunter, and you're the tigress trapped in my cage!"
He slapped her hard across the face. The blow sent Laboni crashing onto the large bed. Her head spun, blood trickled from the corner of her lips, and her once-elegant red dress was now disheveled.
Before she could recover, Henry lunged at her like a beast. He grabbed the long ribbons at the back of her dress and twisted them tightly. Then he looped them around her neck and pulled with brutal force.
Laboni (gasping):
"Uhh… He… Henry… let… go…"
Her face began to turn blue. Henry pressed his knee against her throat, tightening the ribbon even more.
Henry (in a manic voice):
"Weren't you begging me to spare your daughters? Now tell me—whose life goes first? Yours, or theirs? I'll destroy you inch by inch. This red dress will be your shroud."
Laboni's limbs grew numb. Darkness closed in on her vision. The ribbon cut into her skin. At that critical moment, she felt something hard beneath the bedsheet near her hand—perhaps a vase or some heavy object.
The cabin had become a chamber of horror. The silence of the night was torn by Laboni's broken sobs, repeatedly choked off by the crushing pressure on her neck. Her regal red dress was now smeared with dust and blood. Over her cries rang Henry's triumphant laughter—the laughter of a victorious demon.
Henry (laughing):
"Crying won't save you, Laboni. There is no law here tonight, no dignity. Tonight there is only me—and my revenge."
Outside the cabin, two constables stood guard in the corridor. They could clearly hear the struggle and Laboni's screams. One of them, a young officer, grew uneasy.
Young Officer (whispering):
"Sir… I can hear a woman crying inside. It sounds serious. Shouldn't we check?"
The experienced officer smirked and adjusted his cap. He knew who was inside. He also knew that interfering with the IGP's 'entertainment' meant losing his job—or worse.
Senior Officer:
"Stop thinking too much. Don't you understand what kind of noise that is? It's the sound of power and desire. Big men indulge sometimes. Do your duty and block your ears if you want to stay alive."
The young officer lowered his head. He understood—tonight, this cabin stood above the law. Uniformed police guarded the outside, while inside, the guardian of the law had become the greatest predator.
Inside, Henry tightened the ribbon another loop around Laboni's neck. Her eyes began to glaze over, but her left hand slowly reached toward the heavy object under the bed.
Laboni thought,
"Desire? You call this desire? This is a wolf's feast. And tonight, I will end this wolf."
Her strength finally gave out. Before her fingers could reach the object, her body went limp. Her long struggle, her dignity, her last attempt to save her children—everything was crushed beneath the pull of the red ribbon. Only Laboni's broken groans and Henry's frantic breathing echoed in the silent room.
When Henry finally completed his monstrous victory, he collapsed beside Laboni's motionless body, panting. His body was drenched in sweat, his black shirt clinging to his skin. Though desire had won, his aging body reminded him he was no longer young.
Henry (gasping):
"Huh… see… Laboni… in the end… I won…"
Suddenly, Henry's chest began to convulse. His long-standing asthma flared up under the extreme exertion. Air refused to enter his lungs. Gasping desperately, he reached into his pocket for his inhaler.
Laboni, lying in a corner of the bed with dry tears and vacant eyes, saw Henry struggling for breath. His hands trembled as he pulled out the inhaler, but it slipped from his grasp and fell into the darkness beneath the bed.
Henry (gurgling):
"Inhaler… La… Laboni… give it… I can't breathe…"
Laboni slowly sat up. Dark bruises ringed her neck from the ribbon. She saw the once-powerful IGP Henry now lying at her feet like a helpless creature. His rolled-up sleeves trembled as he searched for something to cling to.
Laboni bent down and picked up the inhaler—but she didn't give it to him. She held it tightly in her fist and brought it close to his face.
Laboni (cold, low, vengeful):
"So your desire is satisfied, Henry. Now you crave air? You wanted to steal my breath, didn't you? Look—now every breath you take rests in my hand."
Henry reached out with both hands, trying to grab hers, but Laboni stepped back. Outside, the police still believed a 'festival of desire' was happening—inside, death's chill had settled.
Laboni's chest twisted painfully. Despite all the torture and humiliation, the compassionate part of her had not completely died. After all, this was the man with whom some of her most beautiful memories were once intertwined—her longtime husband.
Unable to stay still as Henry struggled, Laboni moved closer and sat beside him.
Laboni (soft, trembling):
"Don't struggle like this… take off your shirt. You're having trouble breathing. Let me see…"
With shaking hands, she unbuttoned Henry's black shirt. His chest heaved like a bellows. Laboni pressed the inhaler to his mouth.
Laboni:
"Take it… breathe deeply… calm down, Henry."
After a few breaths, the suffocation slowly eased. His body relaxed. Returning from the edge of death, Henry seemed like a different man. His arrogance and brutality faded for a moment. He stared blankly at Laboni—the red ribbon marks still vivid on her neck.
He couldn't speak. Guilt and exhaustion clouded his eyes. Weakly, he rested his head on Laboni's lap. She flinched at first, then gently placed a hand on his head.
Outside, the policemen still laughed crudely. Inside this dark room, an eerie scene unfolded—the man who moments ago tried to destroy Laboni now lay peacefully in her lap.
Henry (in a faint voice):
"Why did you save me, Laboni? After what I did… I deserved to die."
Laboni did not answer. She stared out the window at the night sky, tears streaming down her face. She didn't know what this mercy would lead to—but she knew one thing: the silence of this moment was heavier than revenge.