Estelle could no longer understand the way Hector Nightwood's mind worked. A gaping bullet wound now marked the man's stomach. Although he looked pale, his expression showed neither pain nor concern. Even Mattheo gave a rough sigh when he saw his master injured, as if he were bored by the scene in front of him.
"Again?"
"That's how it is," Hector replied casually as he stepped out of the bathroom, one hand gripping the wound on his stomach.
"Next time, could you be a little more careful?" Mattheo said with a tired expression.
Hector only chuckled as he slowly walked over to look at the bodies of the men who had attacked him. Behind him, Estelle immediately covered her mouth. Her stomach churned at the sight of the blood-soaked corpses and the metallic scent that filled the air. Her small body trembled.
Turning his head, Hector glanced at Estelle for a moment before shifting his body to block her view of the bodies. Mattheo, who understood his master's intention perfectly, immediately ordered his men to cover the corpses.
"If you want to kill me, you should at least get used to scenes like this," Hector said.
Pressing her lips into a thin line, Estelle looked away. Until recently, she had been nothing more than an ordinary college student with a very normal life. How could she not be shaken after witnessing the aftermath of a massacre?
This was the second time she had witnessed the cruelty of Hector Nightwood, a name feared throughout the entire city. Even now, Estelle still couldn't believe she hadn't been executed on the spot by him, considering that attempted murder was far from a trivial crime.
"It would be better if you and the young lady moved to another room for treatment," Mattheo said while swiping across his tablet screen.
"Report the details to me later," Hector replied as he wrapped an arm around Estelle's waist.
"Yes, sir," Mattheo answered without lifting his gaze.
Without any warning, Hector suddenly lifted Estelle in a bridal carry. The girl gasped in shock and instinctively grabbed onto the collar of his shirt for support. Hector smiled in satisfaction after seeing the adorable reaction from the girl in his arms.
"Hold on tight, Little Lioness," Hector whispered into Estelle's ear.
Estelle snapped out of her surprise and shot him a sharp glare.
"Put me down," she hissed.
Ignoring her demand, Hector simply smiled as he walked out of the room.
"I said put me down! Are you deaf?!" Estelle shouted as she struggled in his arms.
Hector didn't respond. Instead, he quickened his pace and let Estelle continue to struggle, until she suddenly felt the fabric of her nightgown grow wet. When she looked toward the hem of her dress, the once-white fabric had turned red.
Her eyes widened as she turned to Hector. Only then did she notice that his breathing had become heavy, and cold sweat was running down his temples.
Falling silent, Estelle weighed her options. In a condition like this, Hector's physical abilities must have dropped drastically. If she strangled him now, her chances of successfully killing him would be high.
Various methods of killing Hector raced through her mind. Before she knew it, they had arrived at the temporary room. Hector laid Estelle down on the bed before his own body collapsed beside her.
Sitting up, Estelle saw that the man's body was soaked in blood. Hector's once-powerful frame had gone limp, and the sharp eyes that always watched her so intently were now closed.
Still filled with resentment, Estelle placed her hand around Hector's neck.
This was the perfect opportunity to execute him. To end everything. All the nightmares. All the injustice she had suffered.
Pressing her fingers against his throat, Estelle looked at him with pure hatred.
Die.
Hector Nightwood had to die.
If he did…
She would finally be free.
Suddenly, her hand felt something cold. Estelle's eyes widened when Hector grabbed her wrist. He was still conscious.
"I wouldn't mind dying by your hand," Hector whispered. "But not right now."
In an instant, Estelle's body was flipped over. She landed flat on her back on the bed with Hector looming over her. Somehow, the man still had enough strength left to move.
Slowly, her white gown turned red as Hector closed the distance between their bodies.
"Isn't it a little cruel to treat someone who just saved your life like this?" Hector murmured as he buried his face in the crook of Estelle's neck.
"I never asked you to save me," Estelle replied coldly. "Their target wasn't me in the first place, but you."
Hector let out a chuckle as he opened his mouth and sank his teeth into Estelle's neck.
"Ahh! What are you doing?!" Estelle cried out, annoyed.
He left a possessive bite mark on the girl's neck. A little blood seeped from the wound Hector had made. A stinging, throbbing pain spread across Estelle's neck, but Hector didn't care. The man was proud of his handiwork, marking the girl's body as his own.
"Your neck looks prettier now," Hector praised. "A little payback for trying to choke me."
"You—Mpphh!!"
Without warning, the man's lips devoured Estelle's thin lips greedily. His tongue traced every corner before slipping into her mouth, tangling with hers in a heated dance that made Hector's sanity waver.
Estelle tried to resist, her small hands pushing against the broad chest that pressing her down, but it was useless. When their lips finally parted, a thin strand of saliva connected them. Hector smirked before claiming her lips again.
"S-stop! Mmmmhh!"
Both of them were breathing heavily now, their faces flushed from the intense heat that clouded their minds.
"If this is the end of my life, wouldn't it be better if I enjoy the little time I have left?"
Hector removed the shirt that clinging to his body, ignoring the wound in his abdomen that still bled heavily.
It was the first time Estelle had ever seen a man's body. She froze. Not because of its beauty, but because of the countless scars carved into his flesh.
No.
Those were not ordinary scars from accidents. They were intentionally inflicted wounds. Most striking of all was a large scar across his left wrist, followed by several others running along his forearm and up his arm.
Almost everyone knew what scars on the wrist meant.
And yet, Estelle's mind grew restless. What could have driven someone like Hector Nightwood to once consider ending his own life?
She couldn't deny it. Curiosity surged within her.
"Are you scared? Or disgusted?" Hector whispered as he kissed one of Estelle's eyes. "Do you regret that your first man doesn't have a beautiful body?"
"Beautiful or not won't matter much to a future corpse," Estelle replied sharply.
Hector's laughter echoed through the room.
"Don't you think your virginity would be the most beautiful gift for this future corpse?"
Estelle frowned, finding Hector's vulgar words utterly absurd. Even so, her mind began calculating the possibilities depending on how she responded.
Something felt wrong.
Something about this situation bothered her.
In his condition, an ordinary person would have collapsed already. But Hector Nightwood was still conscious, acting as if he hadn't been injured at all.
Her gaze shifted to his abdomen. Fresh blood was still flowing from the wound. It was already a miracle that he could still move and maintain control over himself.
But the question was, how long could he last?
"I know you're desperately fighting to stay conscious," Estelle said.
"That's correct," Hector admitted without hesitation.
"Tell me," Estelle continued as her hand touched his scarred chest, "if your energy runs out… how likely are you to die?"
He smiled meaningfully.
"Why don't you find out for yourself?"
Estelle fell silent, considering his words.
No. With a wound like that, recovering fully in a short time was almost impossible. If she could push him into a critical state or even a coma, then sacrificing her virginity wouldn't be such a bad trade.
Besides, the longer he kept moving, the more blood he would lose. And the higher the chance that Hector would die from blood loss.
Estelle had made her decision.
Without hesitation, she began removing her clothes. She showed Hector the body that no man had ever seen before.
"Then I'll give you a beautiful ending to your life," Estelle said as she placed Hector's hand on her breast. "Satisfy me until you die."
A grin spread across Hector's face. He looked at her like a predator that had just found its prey.
"How generous," Hector chuckled. "Dying in the arms of a beautiful girl doesn't sound so bad."
Lowering his head, Hector licked the valley between Estelle's breasts with visible delight. Even in his critical condition, his lower body still responded to her provocation.
It was no wonder Estelle questioned how Hector's mind worked. The man was completely insane, something no sane person could ever truly understand.
"I hope you won't regret this."
"Make sure you die or fall into a coma after this," Estelle replied coldly, "so I won't regret it."
***