Unlike others who used torture as a means to an end, the Butcher approached it differently. To him, people were no different from livestock. Anything that bled was something he could carve into.Rodrigo had given the prisoner a chance, a way out, but he had refused it. Now, whatever came next would be entirely on him.*******Elsewhere, Harry and Melissa found themselves in a conversation that circled around Rhiannon. They talked, but nothing was truly resolved. If anything, the discussion left things even more uncertain than before.Melissa never clearly told Harry that he should pursue Rhiannon, but she also did not forbid it. Her feelings were complicated.She cared deeply about her best friend. She knew how fragile things could be, how easily someone like Rhiannon could get hurt by the wrong person. The thought of that happening was unbearable.At the same time, she trusted Harry. Out of all the men she knew, he was the last person she believed would intentionally harm Rhiannon.A

Alicia’s life was clearly moving upward, gaining momentum with every passing day. She had begun attending press conferences and participating in various interviews, all of which contributed to expanding her visibility and strengthening her presence in the public eye. Each appearance added to her growing reputation, allowing her to reach wider audiences and establish herself more firmly. There was no denying the effect she had on people. Her beauty was striking, almost hypnotic. Anyone who looked at her found themselves captivated, as if caught in a spell. It was not quite like the myth of Medusa turning people to stone, but there was a different kind of paralysis at play. The reactions she provoked were more primal, more physical, especially among the men who watched her. Alicia understood this very well. She knew exactly how to use her appearance to her advantage. She was not naive about it. Instead, she deliberately leaned into her allure, presenting herself in ways that would

Harry guided both Melissa and Anna through the house, showing them each part of it in detail. As they moved from one area to another, Melissa found herself thinking more deeply about his intentions. She was not entirely sure what he ultimately wanted from all of this. One thing she did know, however, was that she had no desire to take on the added responsibility that came with raising children. That concern lingered in her mind until she finally heard the full story behind Anna and everything she had been through. Once Harry explained the situation, something shifted within Melissa. Her perspective changed almost immediately. If anything, her respect for Harry grew even stronger. He had no obligation to involve himself in Anna’s life the way he was doing, yet he chose to step in. It was not for personal gain, nor was he expecting anything in return. His actions were rooted in genuine compassion, and that alone made a lasting impression on her. “Do you think you’ll be ready to m

After their meeting, Harry and Rhiannon went their separate ways. Before leaving, however, Harry handed her a key, making it clear that she could come by whenever she felt the timing was right.In truth, allowing her that level of access was not something he needed to do. It was not a strategic move or part of some larger plan. It came from something much simpler. Harry needed someone he could talk to.The weight he was carrying had started to build up, and even though he had shared parts of it with Carmen, it was not enough. There were still things he kept to himself. Letting Rhiannon in was, in a way, an experiment. He wanted to see how she would respond to everything.To his surprise, she handled it better than he expected.Not long after they parted ways, Harry’s phone rang. The caller was Rodrigo. Harry did not particularly enjoy being in constant contact with people like him. Maintaining too much communication could blur lines, and Harry had no intention of letting Rodrigo or an

Harry’s eyes remained fixed on Rhiannon, and just as she showed no embarrassment about being seen dressed like that, Harry also felt no shame over the obvious erection straining against his clothes. There was not much he could do about it anyway. A man’s body naturally reacted to a sight like hers. That was normal. The important part was whether or not he acted on those urges, and that was a completely different matter. “Are you planning to keep staring at me forever?” Rhiannon asked, shifting her attention back to his face since none of this was exactly unfamiliar territory to her. “Well, look who actually showed up,” Harry replied, sounding genuinely surprised because he had not expected her to make up her mind so quickly. “You’re welcome,” Rhiannon shot back immediately. Harry laughed softly under his breath because he already knew the real reason she came. “What exactly is so funny?” she asked, raising a brow suspiciously. “Don’t tell me you came here because you got scared