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CHAPTER 70
Ricardo stared at his daughter's corrupted hand, the grayish-black discoloration that seemed to pulse with malevolent life. "What is this? What kind of poison does this?"Diego's voice was heavy with dread. "It's called the Devil's Hand. One of the most feared substances in the ancient texts. I only know about it because Master Chen showed me warnings in his forbidden manuscripts—texts he kept locked away because the knowledge itself was considered dangerous.""Devil's Hand?" Ricardo's face paled. "That sounds like—""A myth? I wish it was." Diego moved closer to Esperanza's bed, his eyes never leaving the spreading corruption. "The name comes from what it does to its victims. The discoloration you're seeing now—that grayish-black spreading across her skin—that's just the beginning.""What do you mean 'the beginning'?""In a few hours, maybe less, the discoloration will turn red. Vivid, blood red. Terrifying red streaks that will cover both her hands like she's been branded by fire."
CHAPTER 69 PART 2
He poured more energy into her system, burning through his reserves, trying everything Master Chen had taught him.Nothing worked.The blackness continued spreading, inexorable and unstoppable.Ricardo Vega arrived at the Continental Villa three hours later, having chartered a helicopter the moment he received the call. He burst into the medical suite they'd converted from a guest room, his face a mask of controlled panic."Where is she? Where's my daughter?"Diego stood from the chair beside Esperanza's bed, his appearance shocking even to Ricardo. The normally composed healer looked haggard—face pale, eyes sunken with exhaustion, hands trembling slightly."She's stable for now," Diego said quietly. "But—""But nothing!" Ricardo moved to Esperanza's bedside, taking in her unconscious form, the medical monitors tracking her weakening vitals. "You saved her before. You can do it again.""Ricardo—""No! I don't want to hear excuses!" Ricardo's voice rose with the desperation of a father
CHAPTER 69 PART 1
Diego's fist was a millisecond from delivering the killing blow—fingers positioned perfectly to stop Alejandro's heart with a single precise strike—when movement in his peripheral vision made his blood freeze.Esperanza's unconscious body tilting sideways, falling toward the pool.Time seemed to slow as she hit the water, her limp form immediately sinking like a stone, no reflexive movements to keep her afloat."NO!" Diego's roar of rage and frustration tore from his throat.He abandoned Alejandro completely, spinning and diving into the pool in one fluid motion. The water closed over his head, and immediately he felt it.Wrong. Everything about the water was wrong.Negative energy so dense it was almost physical—a malevolent presence that pressed against his consciousness, trying to disorient him, to make him lose focus and direction.The cursed poison. Even diluted in thousands of gallons of water, it was potent enough to affect him.Diego shook off the disorientation through sheer
Chapter 68
Esperanza stared at her hand in horror, her mind unable to process what she was seeing.The black discoloration wasn't just spreading—it was moving. Writhing. She could see things beneath her skin, shapes that shouldn't exist, movement that defied logic.Worms.Hundreds of tiny worms crawling through her flesh, eating her alive from the inside out. She could feel them—cold, wriggling, burrowing deeper with each passing second.Her hand was rotting. Decaying. The skin sloughing off in patches to reveal blackened muscle beneath, and below that, glimpses of bone already being consumed."NO! NO NO NO!" Esperanza's scream was primal, inhuman. She stumbled backward, trying to get away from her own corrupted flesh.But the hand followed her, still attached, still spreading its horror up her arm.She fell to her knees on the pool deck, shrieking in terror as the worms reached her shoulder, thousands of them now, eating through her body like acid through paper.In reality, her hand showed only
Chapter 67
Esperanza floated on her back in the crystal-clear pool, letting the mountain water wash away the stress of the past weeks. No meetings, no contracts, no decisions requiring her attention. Just silence, sunlight, and the gentle ripple of water.This was freedom.She'd dismissed most of her security detail for the afternoon—kept them stationed at the pool entrance but out of sight. The constant presence of guards made relaxation impossible, and here, in this private resort, she wanted to pretend she was just a normal woman enjoying her honeymoon.After thirty minutes of swimming, she realized Diego still hadn't joined her. Probably still on edge, she thought with a mixture of affection and frustration. The man couldn't relax even when they were hundreds of miles from the city.Esperanza swam to the ladder and began climbing out, water streaming from her swimsuit.A figure approached—pool maintenance uniform, carrying cleaning supplies. She barely glanced at him."Let me help you, ma'am
Chapter 66
Alejandro moved through the Continental Villa's corridors with practiced ease, his server uniform granting him invisibility among the staff. He'd been watching Esperanza all day, waiting for an opportunity, but she was constantly surrounded—security guards shadowing her movements, resort staff attending to her every need.Getting close enough to deploy the poison seemed impossible.Then he overheard a conversation between two housekeepers."Mrs. Herrera requested the pool be cleaned before her swim this afternoon.""Again? We just cleaned it yesterday.""She wants it spotless. You know how these wealthy types are."Alejandro's heart raced. The pool. Esperanza would be there, likely with minimal security since it was a private area. And pool maintenance staff could get close without raising suspicion.This was his chance.He rushed back to the locker room, his mind already planning the execution. Get the poison, approach as a pool cleaner, one touch would be enough—The smell hit him b
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