Echoes Of a Forsaken Heart

Chapter 228 The Old Mansion.

Basement dungeon.

Calling it a warehouse was a bit of a misnomer because, in reality, it was a cell.

One wall of the cell was adorned with a variety of torture devices.

Hamilton entered, a look of discomfort briefly crossing his face. He stifled the wave of nausea rising in his throat and stepped into one of the cells.

Victor was restrained in the center of the cell.

His torso was bare, marked with streaks of blood.

As soon as Hamilton walked in, Victor managed a laugh.

"Hamilton, I gotta say, I didn't think you'd be this protective of her!" Hamilton's face remained expressionless.

He glanced at Victor, then walked over to a wall, picked up a whip, and dipped it into a nearby bucket before Victor could react. With a swift motion, he lashed out with the whip! The first strike tore open the skin.

Victor screamed in pain.

"Hamilton, you son of a " Before he could finish his sentence, another lash cut through the air.

Victor's screams echoed through the basement dungeon.

When Ronin and Killian arrived, Victor was a bloody mess.

Ronin choked on his own breath for a moment, then turned aside to retch.

Hamilton glanced him, then tossed the whip aside.

He signaled Killian with a look, "Wake him up." Killian nodded and splashed a bucket of ice water over Victor.

Victor cto, his eyes filled with sheer terror.

"Hamilton, for the love of our years of camaraderie, spare me, will you? I'll never touch her again, I swear!" Hamilton lit a cigarette and simply stood there, watching him.

For the first time, Victor truly understood the meaning of ruthless.

It was also the first the realized he never really knew his so-called brother.

"Hamilton, aren't you afraid of crossing the Henkel family?" Hamilton chuckled, "After all these years, you think you're just getting to know me?" With that, he picked up the whip again and aimed for Victor's lower half this time.

Screams filled the air once more.

After Victor had passed out again, Hamilton dropped the whip and walked out with a heavy gaze.

"Get Mr. Henkel a doctor, don't let him die. From now on, take care of Mr. Henkel daily." Killian quickly agreed.

Ronin stumbled after Hamilton, his upbringing under Mason's protective wing having shielded him from such brutality.

It wasn't until they were outside that he finally managed to stop his retching.

Hamilton sneered, "Is this what Mr. Joyner called handling Victor?" With his face pale, Ronin fought down the bile rising in his throat.

"Can't I just take care of him in business?" Hamilton's eyes turned colder.

"In business? The face of Ron Group is Natalia right now. Ronin, don't drag her into this." Ronin, furious but without a comeback, glared at Hamilton before finally asking, "Where's Natalia? What have you done to her?" Hamilton's gaze darkened.

"Mr. Joyner should worry less about others." Ronin scoffed, "Hamilton, you think I don't know about the matchmaking your old man forced on you in the hospital? Can you really offer her a future?" Hamilton's expression turned even more grim, "That's none of Mr. Joyner's business!" After saying that, he stepped into his car.

Natalia had already woken up in her room, sitting on the edge of the bed, her face pale as a sheet.

The memories of the previous night were a blur, a torment.

She remembered being pinned down by Victor, then Hamilton seemed to have arrived.

And after that? Trembling, Natalia lifted the covers to find her body covered in bruises, the pain and soreness unmistakable.

The trash can filled with used condoms was a sight that nearly broke her.

Was it Hamilton? The door suddenly opened, and Natalia froze, tears instantly streaming down her cheeks.

Scarlett entered, her eyes brimming with sympathy.

"How are you feeling? Are you okay?" Natalia's voice was barely a whisper, "Scarlett, I—" Scarlett rushed to embrace her, "Don't be scared, it's all over now." Natalia's tears flowed uncontrollably, the memory of Victor enough to haunt her dreams.

It took a long while for her to calm down enough to ask, "How did you get here?" Silence hung in the air before Scarlett replied, "Hamilton called me." Natalia tensed, gripping the sheets tighter.

So, it was Hamilton last night? Her tears resumed, now mixing relief with distress.

She had begun to soften towards Hamilton, but this wasn't how she wanted their relationship to progress.

"Did you and Hamilton..." Scarlett ventured carefully.

Natalia fought the bitterness rising in her throat and wiped away her tears.

"Scarlett, I just want to go back and rest." Scarlett nodded understandingly, "Okay, let's get you home." Handing Natalia her clothes, they left the hotel for the sanctuary of home, where Natalia immediately retreated to her room.

Scarlett thought at first it was just a bad mood. After all, forced intimacy is something that would unsettle om anyone, no matter who they are. But when she walked in with a bowl of chicken soup, hoping to offer scomfort, she realized it might be more than that. Natalia had crashed hard, sleeping for two days straight, even running a fever at one point. Scarlett was beside herself with worry, taking care of her and trying to cheer her up with light-hearted stories.

Natalia, cradling the soup bowl, listened blankly until Scarlett finished, then said, "I'm okay, Scarlett." Scarlett's heart ached even more. "Why don't you rest smore?" Natalia nodded and fell back asleep.

As Scarlett was leaving the room, her phone suddenly rang. Natalia had lost hers during the incident, hadn't had the chand they yet.

to replace it So, these past few days, anyone trying to reach Natalia ended up calling Scarlett. The caller ID showed a complex mix of feelings flash across Scarlett's eyes. Hamilton's voice cthrough, "How's Natalia?" Scarlett had mixed feelings about Hamilton. He had indeed saved Natalia but wasn't entirely blameless either.

Glancing towards Natalia's room, her voice was tinged with concern, "Not great. She's still running a fever." Hamilton furrowed his brows, "A fever? Why?" "Probably stress." There was a pause before Hamilton spoke, "Then please, take good care of her. I'll send our family doctor over to check on her." "There's no need, Hamilton. I've got it under control. She probably wouldn't want to see anyone associated with you right now." Hamilton chuckled, "Alright then, Dr. Scarlett, I'll leave her in your capable hands." With that, he hung up.

Hamilton stared at the upstairs window for a long moment before turning to leave.

He had barely gotten into his car when Alden's call cthrough.

"Bro, the Henkel family is knocking at our door again. What's the plan?"