Despite her logic, which stated that everything she was doing was part of a beneficial exchange, her heart rejected the touch she was receiving. She remained silent, not moving or making a sound as Hector pressed kisses against her neck and chest, which were now partially exposed.
"Wouldn't it be better if you played along with this little game?" Hector whispered before biting Estelle's collarbone.
The girl hissed softly and turned her head away.
"Just do whatever you want. Stop talking," Estelle replied sharply.
A chuckle escaped Hector. "I won't last long anyway. How about we skip straight to the main event?"
"Do whatever you like."
Hector smirked as he positioned himself between Estelle's legs. Estelle closed her eyes, unwilling to see the victorious look that would surely appear on Hector's face as he took her body.
"I'll make sure you won't regret this," Hector murmured softly.
Estelle did not respond. Her eyes remained shut until the core of her body felt a warm bulge rubbing against her most sensitive spot. Even though they were still fully clothed, Estelle knew exactly what was teasing the center of her body.
Hector leaned closer again, his body covering Estelle's small frame.
"Can you feel it? Just looking at you made me like this," he whispered.
No. She would not be provoked by Hector's vulgar words. Unlike him, Estelle felt nothing at all.
The sound of a zipper echoed through the room. Estelle knew what would happen next. Keeping her eyes shut, she hoped everything happening to her was nothing more than a terrible nightmare. As something more aggressive rubbed against the delicate lips of her core, Estelle felt her heart begin to pound.
"Darling, I'm going to put it in now," Hector whispered before biting Estelle's earlobe.
Her brows furrowed as Estelle tightly gripped the bloodstained bedsheet beneath her. Down below, something was forcing its way into a narrow place that had never been touched before.
It hurts.
Estelle pressed her lips together, cursing silently as the pain felt as if it were tearing her apart.
"Relax. That's only the head," Hector whispered. "I'll just imme—"
The rest of Hector's words never came out because the man suddenly collapsed on top of Estelle's small body. Her eyes flew open in shock. His body felt unbearably heavy, making it hard for her to even breathe.
"Ack! What the—"
Estelle stopped mid-sentence when she saw a man in a doctor's coat standing beside them. His caramel-colored hair was messy. Dark circles were visible beneath his eyes, and in his hand was an empty syringe.
"Sorry for interrupting your fun," he said before turning Hector over so Estelle could move freely.
As Hector lay on his back beside her, the man immediately looked away and removed his doctor's coat.
"Use this to cover yourself, Miss," he said.
Estelle quickly took the coat and wrapped it around her body. Her cheeks flushed when she realized the doctor had seen most of her exposed skin.
The man, however, seemed completely unfazed by Estelle's disheveled appearance. He moved to the other side and checked Hector's pulse.
"This crazy man. Even in critical condition, he still has time to think about sex," the doctor grumbled while fixing Hector's clothes. "You all, hurry and take this lunatic to the operating room!"
Several male nurses rushed in with a stretcher. They moved quickly to bring Hector in for emergency treatment. Meanwhile, the doctor returned to Estelle's side and observed her carefully.
"It didn't go all the way in, right?" he asked.
Estelle's face immediately turned bright red. Damn it, this was embarrassing.
"Even if it wasn't fully inside, there's usually a risk of infection for someone who has never had intercourse before," the doctor said while writing something in his notebook. After checking it again, he tore the page and handed it to Estelle.
"Give this to Mattheo. He'll provide the medicine later," the doctor said before leaving.
"Th-thank you," Estelle replied.
The man simply waved his hand without even bothering to look back.
Once everyone had left, Estelle finally felt the burning pain in her lower body. Damn it. Even though the man had not gone all the way, it already hurt so much. The pain, combined with the shock of seeing a dead body covered in blood, caused the wall of strength she had built to collapse.
Estelle curled up as her body trembled violently. Her body began to grow hot, and eventually she lost consciousness.
***
When she woke up, the first thing she saw was a white ceiling and an IV stand beside her bed. Turning her head, Estelle found no one else in the room. It looked like a VIP hospital room, complete with luxurious furniture.
Her memories slowly returned. After that traumatic incident, she had lost consciousness. Did Hector's men bring her to the hospital? If so, then her chances of escaping might be greater.
Unfortunately, her hope shattered the moment Hector's assistant walked through the door. The man smiled politely before sitting beside her bed.
"Miss Estelle, it's good to see that you've regained consciousness," Mattheo greeted politely. "Even though I know you're not fully stable yet, I would like to explain a few things before Master Hector wakes up."
Hearing that, Estelle smiled faintly. Hector was still unconscious. That was a pleasant fact for her. Deep down, she prayed that the man would never wake up again.
Of course, Estelle's expression did not escape Mattheo's notice.
"Ah, even though Master Hector hasn't woken up yet, he is perfectly fine. So there is no need to worry."
The smile on Estelle's lips immediately disappeared, replaced by a gloomy expression as she silently cursed.
"So, I'll return to the purpose of my visit," Mattheo said as he handed a brown envelope to Estelle. "I believe this will help with your concerns."
Taking the envelope, Estelle looked at Mattheo with confusion.
"What is this?"
"A case file," Mattheo answered. "You insisted on accusing Master Hector as a suspect, so I am presenting this defense to you."
Estelle's eyes widened as she read every word written inside, processing information she had never known before.
"Two witnesses have had their status raised," Mattheo explained. "Master Hector became a person of interest. And another witness upgraded to suspect."
Estelle's heart pounded violently when she discovered a name she had long refused to associate with her parents' murder case.
"It is someone you know very well," Mattheo whispered.
Swallowing hard, Estelle turned the page and found a very familiar name written there.
Suspect: Lucille Andersen.
At that very moment, Estelle froze. Her body trembled, rejecting all the evidence in front of her.
"So I suggest you investigate the people closest to you before suspecting Master Hector," Mattheo said.
***