Arlo stared at Camilla, a chill creeping up from his heels.
"Aren’t you afraid Fanny will find out how you’re treating me?"
His voice was hoarse, trembling slightly as if struggling to suppress his fear.
"You know she loves me.
If she discovers what you’ve done, she’ll never forgive you."
Never in his wildest dreams had Arlo imagined this woman could be so ruthless.
Now, fear has truly taken hold of him.
He had to find a way to make Camilla back off.
Camilla’s beautiful eyes narrowed, her gaze icy.
"Is that your excuse for deceiving and hurting her without remorse?"
Even now, he was still trying to use Fanny as a shield.
"She fell for me on her own—she chose to give everything to me," Arlo stammered, sensing the murderous aura thickening around Camilla.
Desperate, he scrambled to distance himself from blame, his mind racing for excuses.
"Besides, I didn’t actually lie to her about any "Good.
Camilla’s languid voice cut through Arlo’s words like a knife.
"Guards," she commanded, her beautiful eyes narrowing into icy slits, her voice dripping with a cruelty that sent chills down the spine.
"Smash every last one of his lying teeth."
She paused, then added with terrifying calm, "And make sure he swallows them all."
Arlo’s words died in his throat, his eyes bulging in horror as he stared at her—as if she were some unspeakable demon risen from hell.
Luke gave a curt nod and glanced behind him.
Two burly mercenaries immediately stepped forward, their heavy boots thudding against the floor as they advanced toward Arlo.
Arlo writhed like a trapped silkworm, his body convulsing in a futile attempt to escape.
But in that moment, no amount of struggle could save him.
A mercenary yanked Arlo up and forced him back onto his knees, locking his head in a vise-like grip with one arm.
Another man slipped on a pair of reinforced gloves, raised his fist, and drove it straight into Arlo’s mouth.
"No—please, no—" Arlo shook his head desperately, his face drained of all color.
The dull impact shattered nearly half the teeth in his mouth.
The mercenary clamped a hand over Arlo’s mouth, stifling his scream, then wrenched his jaw upward, forcing him to swallow the broken fragments.
Crimson blood seeped between the mercenary’s fingers and trickled down Arlo’s chin.
Agony tore through him like a blade.
Gasping like a fish out of water, he fixed Camilla with a pleading stare—
He’d say anything now!
But Camilla remained unmoved, sipping her tea with icy detachment, as if she couldn’t—or wouldn’t—read the desperation in his eyes.
The mercenary’s fist struck again.
Arlo’s remaining teeth shattered once more, forced down his throat along with the metallic tang of blood.
His eyes burned crimson, his entire body trembling violently.
Was it from the pain?
His mouth, now a ruin, held barely any teeth left.
Yet the mercenary’s fists never relented.
Blood sprayed, brutality unrestrained.
Only when not a single tooth remained in Arlo’s mouth did they finally let him drop.
Kneeling on the ground, Arlo retched violently. "I’d advise against vomiting," Camilla set down her cup, her voice smooth as ice.
"Unless you’d like to swallow it all again."
"Mm— mm—" Clamping a hand over his mouth, Arlo choked down the shattered fragments, forcing them back with a shudder of revulsion.
His face had gone completely numb from the pain, and the excruciating agony radiating through his limbs felt amplified beyond endurance.
"Please... I’ll talk... I’ll tell you everything," Arlo stammered, his body trembling uncontrollably as he stared up at Camilla.
"Just promise to let me go...
I’ll give you whatever information you want."
Camilla arched a delicate brow, her gaze icy as it bore into him. Arlo nodded frantically.
"Pity," she sighed, rising gracefully from the sofa.
Her beautiful eyes glinted with frosty disdain.
"It’s getting late, and I’ve lost patience for your games."
She flicked a dismissive hand.
"Throw him into the serpent chamber.
Let him reflect on his choices."
The man’s groveling disgusted her beyond measure.
By the time she returned to the parlor, someone was already waiting for her on the couch.
"Camilla," The moment Tiffany spotted Camilla, her previously dull eyes instantly lit up.
"Fanny," Camilla walked over, her gaze filled with concern as she took in her friend’s pale yet delicate face.
"Why aren’t you resting more?"
"I’m perfectly fine—no need to lounge around all day," Tiffany forced a casual smile.
"Camilla," She opened her mouth as if to say something, then hesitated, clearly unsure how to phrase it.
"Are you wondering about Arlo?"
Camilla sat beside Tiffany, her voice gentle. "He’s in the basement. I just gave him a good talking-to.
"No," The image of Arlo chasing her with a dagger flashed through Tiffany’s mind, her face etched with exhaustion and despair.
"I don’t want to see him," she said solemnly, gripping Camilla’s hand as she voiced her thoughts.
"Camilla, I suspect the person who ordered Arlo to kidnap me... their real target might be you.
You have to be careful!"
With her grandmother gone and her father remarried, the people Tiffany truly cared about in this world could be counted on one hand.
Now, with Arlo out of the picture, only Camilla remained.
She couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to her best friend.
Camilla’s heart clenched at the worry in Tiffany’s eyes.
Even after everything—the trauma, the fear—Tiffany was still more concerned about her safety.
"Don’t worry," she replied firmly, squeezing Tiffany’s hand, her voice steady and resolute.
"I won’t let them lay a finger on me."
Or anyone else I love—anyone who loves me.
"That’s good to hear."
Tiffany’s lips curved into a faint smile as she took in Camilla’s resolute expression, finally allowing herself to relax.
She lifted the teacup in front of her but hesitated, holding it without taking a sip.
Camilla’s beautiful eyes flickered with understanding.
A long silence stretched between them before Tiffany finally spoke, her voice quiet and heavy.
"Camilla... he wasn’t before."
Arlo had once been the only light in her otherwise bleak world.
How could he have changed so suddenly, becoming someone so unrecognizable?
Camilla’s voice softened, laced with warmth and empathy as she sensed the sorrow radiating from her friend.
"Fanny, if you need to cry, then cry.
Some things... once you let the tears fall, they’ll finally be behind you."
Her words carried a quiet strength, the kind that made you want to lean on her and believe in every syllable.
"And don’t forget—I’m right here with you."