NovelXXXChapter 384 As Monica rounded the corner, the sharp crack of a whip echoed down the hallway, each lash punctuated by muffled grunts of pain and the sickening sound of flesh splitting open.
In the Saunders family, her aunt's violent outbursts were nothing new. Monica had grown up with them-yet, no matter how many times she witnessed these scenes, the fear never truly left her.
She swallowed hard, forcing her legs to move forward, steeling herself.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"Aunt Hilda." Monica kept her head bowed, her voice barely above a whisper.
At twenty-six, she was long past childhood, but the icy fear she felt in front of her aunt was bone-deep- something she'd never shaken off.
Hilda Saunders looked every bit the queen of her empire. Reclining on a sleek black leather sofa, one leg crossed elegantly over the other, she exuded authority and effortless style. Her crimson lips curled around a slim cigarette, smoke drifting lazily in the air, messy waves of dark hair tumbling over her shoulders. No one would ever guess she was thirty-eight; her allure was striking, ageless, and impossible to ignore.
Monica had seen her aunt countless times, but still, every encounter left her a little awestruck.
As Monica spoke, Hilda's eyes turned glacial, her tone edged with biting impatience. "Who told you to cdown here without my say-so?" "Did you already forget what I told you?" Without waiting for an answer, she tightened her grip on the whip and swung it hard, the lash whistling through the air before it struck Monica's exposed arm.
Hilda's blows were merciless. Monica's skin split open, pain searing through her nerves. She staggered to the floor, biting back a cry, but even then she managed a shaky apology. "I'm sorry, Aunt Hilda." Hilda didn't even bother to look at her, only sneering, "Useless. Have you forgotten everything I taught you?" Gritting her teeth, Monica forced herself up, and only then did she see the man crumpled on the floor beside her. He was a bloody mess, every inch of exposed skin battered and torn, barely clinging to consciousness.
Monica's eyes widened in alarm. She dropped to her knees, pleading, "Aunt Hilda, please you can't keep doing this. If you go on, Wade Saunders will die." "He'll live," Hilda replied coolly, not sparing her nephew a glance.
Wade, barely conscious, managed to lift his head at Monica's words. Through split lips, he muttered, "Monica, don't. I deserve this. Aunt Hilda's right to punish me." Hilda let out a cold laugh, but said nothing more.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmMonica recognized the warning signs-her aunt's silence was always more dangerous than her words. She didn't dare push her luck further.
The Saunders family tree stretched back generations. Monica's grandfather, Herschel, and grandmother, Inez, had three sons-Mack, Levi, and Nigel-and one daughter, Hilda. Even as a child, Hilda outshone her brothers in intelligence, a prodigy destined for more. As she grew, her talent for business becimpossible to ignore. Herschel and Inez adored their daughter, and when it ctto choose the next head of the family, they entrusted everything to her.
It was a decision they never regretted. The moment Hilda took control, she transformed the m Saunders legacy, cementing their place at the top of Crestwood society. Under her leadership, their business empire flourished, and in the eyes of the city, the Saunders family beca dynasty-untouchable, unshakable.
Hilda was the matriarch now, the unquestioned authority. Not even her aging parents dared to challenge her anymore. In part the lenge her pitied her-she'd lost her own child, and their hearts ached for her-so they turned a blind eye, never interfering in her decisions, whether in business or in her personal life. Monica glanced at her aunt, noticing the familiar arch of her brow-the sstubborn line she'd seen in the mirror.
She took a deep breath, summoning her courage. "Aunt Hilda, I think I've found my little sister." The words hit like a thunderclap. Hilda's face went white, the whip slipping from her grasp to land in a pool of blood on the floor.
Wade, battered and barely conscious, jerked upright at the sound. His voice the sound His voice trembled with hope and disbelief. "You mean... she's alive?"
Visit our social media platform to read fascinating stories every day and connect with the community!
