Chapter 150 An Eye for an Eye
Lauren turned toward Felix.
The light hit him just right, tracing the sharp lines of his tall, powerful frame.
Seeing him defend her like that made him feel invincible.
Her eyes began to sting, and a knot of emotion rose in her chest-part gratitude, part dependence, and a deep, unfamiliar sense of safety she never knew she needed.
The entire banquet hall was locked in eerie silence. Everyone held their breath, too afraid to even shift in their seats, terrified that any sound might draw Felix''s attention.
e room.
Only the man''s heavy breathing and his wife''s heart-wrenching sobs echoed through the tense
"I''m going to count to three, Felix said, his voice slicing through the air like a de. If you don''t do it by then, your chance is gone."
Three... The word hit like a gunshot-cold, brutal, final.
The man''s whole body jerked. His face began to twitch, every muscle clenching with panic.
Two
He bit down hard, jaw locked tight. His face twisted with pain, fear, and something close to madness. His eyes were red and wild-like a trapped animal.
"One..
He snapped
With one brutal motion, he raised the knife and brought it down-severing his wife''s thumb.
Her scream was so raw, so shrill, it pierced the room like a siren.
She convulsed, then went limp, dropping straight to the ground, knocked out cold from the pain.
The guards didn''t hesitate. One grabbed a bucket of ice water and dumped it right over her face.
The freezing water shocked her awake. She gasped and looked down-aw her hand, the blood, the missing finger-and wailed again, her scream echoing off the walls.
П
The man dropped the bloodied knife with a loud ng.
He was shaking all over. His knees buckled, and he copsed, sobbing uncontrobly as tears streamed down his face.
The crowd looked like they''d seen a horror moviee to life. Faces turned ghost-white,
Some
covered their mouths, afraid to even breathe.
Some of the men couldn''t bear the sight and looked
away.
Friends of the couple-people who''d onceughed and dined with them-quietly stepped back, doing anything they could to avoid getting dragged into the chaos.
The other three couples were so terrified it was obvious they were on the verge ofpletely losing it.
Felix stared at the man still kneeling in front of him. His expression was t, his eyes like ice. "Next."
The other husbands stumbled backward, barely able to stand. Their faces were pale as paper, their legs like jelly.
Their wives copsed into pleading.
When Felix didn''t budge, they turned to Lauren, desperation all over their tear- streaked faces.
11:42 AM
Chapter 150 An Eye for an Eye
"Ms. Bet, we were wrong. Please forgive us."
"We''ll do anything-just don''t let this happen to us."
"Please. We''re begging you."
Lauren stared at their panic-stricken faces and felt nothing. No pity. No forgiveness.
The only reason I can stand here and face them now is because Mr. Brooker stood up for me. If he hadn''t everything I went through-the beatings, the shame- would''ve stayed buried in the dark forever.
And the next time I ran into these women? They''d do it all over again. Laugh, p me around, treat me like dirt.
So why should I be the one to forgive? Why should their begging turn me into some kind of saint?
She slowly bent down and picked up the bloodied knife from the floor. Drops of red slid down the de and hit the ground. sttering into small, vivid bursts.
She handed the knife to one of the men, her smile faint but cold. "What they did to me shouldn''t be swept under the rug. right sir!"
The man stared back at her in pure fear. She looked delicate, like she''d break if you breathed on her too hard-but in her eyes was something hard.
Unshakable.
Dangerous.
It was clear she wasn''t walking away from this quietly.
When he didn''t take the knife fast enough, Lauren''s expression darkened. Her smile was all ice. I''m done ying nice."
Her voice was cold enough to make him flinch. His body jolted like a shock ran through him.
With shaking hands, the man picked up the knife. He clenched his jaw, forced himself forward-and like the one before him, brought it down and cut off his wife''s thumb.
What followed was wave after wave of screaming
Each of the four women lost their right thumb. Their clothes were ripped away, leaving them in nothing but their undergarments.
They werepletely exposed under the harsh lights and the stares of everyone around. The shame and agony in their cries echoed through the room like sirens.
The bodyguards grabbed them by the arms and dragged them out of the hall, still sobbing and screaming.
By 6 p.m. the streets were packed with traffic and pedestrians.
The four women were tossed right outside the hotel''s entrance-and the chaos hit instantly.
Crowds gathered in a sh, people staring in disbelief. Some whispered, some took photos. Shock, curiosity, and a flicker of sympathy filled their eyes.
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