Hearing themotion from inside, the bodyguard peeked through a small door with his special sses on. Once he confirmed Dahlia was out cold, he opened the door, walked in without a flicker of emotion, roused her, and left. And so, the cycle of torment for Dahlia


    continued.


    ...


    Back at the Jenkins family estate, Rosa wasted no time dragging both Charles and Evelyn straight to the family''s chapel.


    "Stand still," Rosa snapped at Charles with a voice as sharp as a whip itself.


    Charles got the message loud and clear, not daring to protest. He cast a nce at Evelyn as his strong, defined hands moved to unbutton his coat. He shrugged it off and handed it to Tony, who stood silently by his side. Now, just in a crisp white shirt that highlighted his broad shoulders and narrow waist, he waited.


    Rosa marched over to the shelf where the family kept their disciplinary tools. She picked up a whip and handed it to Evelyn. "Eve, don''t go easy on him. This fool needs a wake-up call."


    Rosa had been simmering with anger since she found out what happened in the basement. The memory of that sight made her wish she could knock some sense into Charles with everysh.


    Evelyn took the whip, her eyes catching Charles''. "Eve, don''t hold back," Rosa urged, worried Evelyn''s feelings for Charles might stop her from delivering the punishment he deserved.


    Evelyn nodded slightly, firmly


    gripping the ck whip handle with her uninjured right hand. She moved slowly towards Charles, her mind reying the moment he coldly brushed off her pleas, dismissed her pain with a sneer, and pushed her into a pit of despair. It had pierced her heart.


    Now, anger was all Evelyn felt. She tightened he hold on the whip, raising it high. It sliced through the air andnded on Charles'' back with a sharp crack. Evelyn poured every ounce of strength into that strike, her eyes welling up-not with pity, but with a seething fury.


    How could she not despise him? His blind faith in Dahlia and Sandy had left Evelyn powerless against them, even as they were responsible for Charlie''s death. Memories of the past paraded before Evelyn, fueling her rage and making her strikes even more relentless. "Crack!" Another whip, another blownded, each one harder than thest. There was no hesitation, no mercy-the depth of her hatred drove each stroke. This wasn''t just about her suffering in the basementst night. It was for the times Charles repeatedly hurt Charlie. What Charles owed Evelyn and Charlie couldn''t simply be paid with a fewshes. Evelyn, consumed by anger, wished she could whip him senselessly so he''d never stand up for Dahlia and Sandy again.


    Whip after whip, Evelyn''s eyes grew


    red with fury Each strike carried her resentment toward Charles, and each one was meant to leave asting mark. Charles'' white shirt quickly turned crimson, the sight of it piercing Evelyn''s heart even more, yet she couldn''t bring herself to stop.