The moment I met her eyes, full of calculation and triumph, I understood. Clarissa had stolen credit for what I'd done.

Hubert wrapped his arm around Clarissa's slim waist, his voice tender. "What are you doing out of bed? The doctor said you need rest."

Clarissa leaned into him, her voice a syrupy whine. "I missed you. And it looks like she still hasn't realized what she did wrong. Maybe you should toss something in there with her. I hear people confess to anything when they're scared enough."

Hubert gave her an approving glance, then turned to the bodyguards. "You two. Go put my pets in there."

The word pets sent ice through my veins.

Hubert had a particular hobby. He kept centipedes, spiders, and snakes. Cold-blooded creatures, all of them.

The first time I'd seen them, I'd asked him, "They won't bite me, will they?"

Back then, Hubert had looked me in the eye and promised, with every appearance of sincerity: "Don't worry. As long as I'm here, I will never let them hurt you. I won't let anyone hurt you."

I never imagined this day would come so soon.

When the centipedes and spiders were released into the basement, my scalp went numb. They moved as if drawn to me, locking onto my position with terrible precision, swarming up my body in a crawling, writhing mass.

Tiny, sharp stabs of pain, over and over, until I could barely think.

Hubert's expression wavered.

Clarissa pressed her fingertips to her temple, her voice going faint. "Oh no, Mr. Stephens, I think I'm feeling a little unwell…"

Without a word, Hubert scooped her into his arms and walked away.

I lifted my head just in time to catch Clarissa peering back over his shoulder. Our eyes met. She mouthed the words silently: You deserve this, you worthless tramp.

I clenched my jaw and slammed my hands down on the insects, crushing every one I could reach.

Only one thought kept me alive: I am not dying here.

When I came to again, the sharp sting of antiseptic filled my nostrils. I frowned, the smell alone enough to make my stomach turn.

I struggled to sit up, but Hubert's voice cut through the silence before I could manage it. "You're hurt. Rest. What are you squirming around for?" A pause, then a sigh heavy with irritation. "You never make anything easy."

I clenched my fingers into the bedsheet. "And whose fault is it that I ended up like this?"