Can't Win Me Back

Lauren's gaze locked onto Betty's hideous face, her eyes now ablaze with defiance. The lifelessness that had marred her eyes after the torture was replaced with a fierce emotion that only fueled Betty's anger further.

"Don't you dare look at me like that, you stupid bitch!" Betty spat, her eyes flashing with fury, eager to deliver another kick to Lauren before Zoe intervened.

"That's enough. Save your anger for later," Zoe admonished Betty, halting her aggression.

Mason let out a lazy yawn, breaking the tension. "Zoe, what's the point of dragging us all the way to this godforsaken place from different corners of the world? Couldn't you have chosen a more decent venue for our reunion?"

Freddy shot him a cold glance. "Could you have witnessed this anywhere else? After all these years, you still sound like a spoiled brat."

"Damn it, you little piece of—"

Mason wanted to cuss Freddy out, but the woman in the red dress stopped him with a shake of her head.

While the Hodgsons had gained power in the political scene in Solana City, these wealthy individuals lacked any semblance of moral integrity; all they knew was to ingratiate.

"Zoe, enough with the games. Why did you bring us here?" the man in the blue suit queried impatiently.

Zoe ignored him, her movements deliberate as she approached a dusty piano in the corner. Lifting the lid, she revealed keys that looked as pristine as the day they were made. She then ran her fingers across the keys, eliciting an eerie melody that echoed through the empty room.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

Lauren, her body wracked with tremors, curled into a fetal position. Tears streamed down her face, a mask of terror and despair contorting her features. She bit down on her lip so hard it bled, but the horrific memories flooded back with a vengeance.

Lauren was often bullied by the group in the abandoned music room in the past, and Zoe would play the piano to accompany the cruel act with music. The physical and mental abuse had deeply traumatized Lauren, exacerbating her psychological condition and even causing her to feel an inexplicable fear whenever she heard a piano piece.

"I gathered you all here because it's been too long since we've seen each other. I've missed you guys," Zoe declared, flicking her tidy brown curls and offering a fake smile as she charmingly addressed the group. "But I also have another reason for bringing you here—to find out which one of you made the mistake of betraying me."

Her words sent a ripple of confusion through the group.

The woman in the red dress laughed incredulously. "Zoe, where on earth did you hear such nonsense?"

With a scoff, Zoe retrieved her phone and played a video from ten years ago, showing her cornering Lauren and slapping her continuously while laughing; this was the video Preston used to threaten her.

"I remember all of you being there, so I suggest you'd better come clean now." However, silence filled the room.

Zoe's lips curled into a smile, though her eyes gleamed with malice as she swept her gaze across the group. "Well, if you don't want to confess, that's fine. But I expect the woman to slap the dumbo while the men take their turn with her.

"I'll record it all on my phone. This way, we both have something on each other. We'll call it even, and I'll drop the issue."

Lauren's head spun with dread, feeling as though she was being dragged further into an abyss of despair.

The two men present were dumbfounded, even Freddy. Previously promised Lauren as his sole prize, why was he now expected to share her with the others?

"Zoe, have you lost your fucking mind? We'll all end up in jail for this!" Mason exclaimed, his malicious intent overridden by fear.

Turning to leave, Mason said, "I'm not doing it! I have women lined up! No need to risk jail time. Find whoever wronged you and deal with them! I'm leaving!"

"You're not going anywhere." Zoe's eyes darkened. "I've had the villa sealed shut. Anyone who tries to leave will meet their end.

"It's easy to handle a dead body in such a desolate place like here. I'll just find a lonely grave, a quiet corner of nowhere, and tuck you neatly away. Imagine your parents' grief and despair."

Panic seized the group, their bodies drenched in sweat.