Angela's voice cut through the thick, charged air like a blade. "What is this lady's name?" she demanded, her tone sharp, her grip on my arm tightening as if staking her claim.

Walter's wife raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, her full lips curling into a smirk as she glanced at Max standing beside her. She didn't seem threatened.

If anything, she looked amused. "Nathalie," she said, her voice smooth as aged whiskey, her gaze flicking back to me with a slow, deliberate sweep.

Angela's jaw clenched, her fingers digging into my skin, but before she could retort, a choked, desperate sound echoed from the hallway. "Mother—!"

Nathalie's breath caught in her throat as the hospital bed rolled into view, her body freezing mid-sentence. The sight of Tyler—her son, her baby—reduced to a trembling, broken mess on that bed hit her like a physical blow. His face was a mask of terror, his cheeks streaked with tears and snot, his hospital gown clinging to his sweat-slicked skin.

The stench of urine and fear filled the air, thick and suffocating. "Tyler?!" she gasped, her voice cracking as she stumbled forward, her high heels clicking frantically against the marble floor. Her hands flew to her mouth, her perfectly manicured nails digging into her lips as if to hold back a scream.

Tyler's body convulsed with sobs, his fingers clawing at the sheets, his entire frame shaking violently. "Mother!" he wailed, his voice breaking into a high-pitched, desperate cry. "Mother, please—!" His eyes were wide, bloodshot, and wild with terror as they locked onto hers.

"They're going to kill me! They killed Father! They killed him, Mother! Please!" His breath came in ragged, panicked gasps, his chest heaving as if he were drowning.

"Don't let them take me! Don't let them—!" His voice dissolved into a choked sob, his body curling in on itself like a wounded animal.

Nathalie's composure was shattered. "Tyler!" she cried, her voice raw with panic as she rushed to his side. Her hands gripped the railing of the bed, her knuckles turning white as she took in the full horror of his state.

"Oh, Tyler, baby—" Her voice broke, her eyes filling with tears as she reached out, her fingers trembling as they brushed against his damp hair. "What did they do to you?!" she demanded, her voice a mix of fury and despair. "What did you animals do to my son?!"

Tyler's breath hitched, his body jerking as if he were being electrocuted. "They're devils, Mother!" he sobbed, his voice cracking.

"They're not human! The man—he laughed—he laughed while he—" His words dissolved into a keening wail, his hands clutching at her wrists like a drowning man. "He's going to kill me! Please, Mother! Please don't let him—!"

Nathalie's face twisted in agony, her tears spilling over as she pressed her forehead to his. "Shhh, mon amour(my love)," she whispered, her voice trembling.

"I'm here. I'm here. No one's going to hurt you. I promise—" But her voice faltered as she glanced up, her eyes meeting mine. The raw terror in her gaze was almost palpable—the realization that she was powerless, that she couldn't protect him, that the monsters standing in her home were beyond anything she'd ever faced.

Tyler's sobs grew louder, his body shaking so violently the bed rattled. "Mother, please!" he begged, his voice breaking.

"He's coming—! He's right there—!" His eyes darted to me, his entire body seizing in terror. "Don't let him touch me! Please! I don't want to die! I don't want to die—!"

Nathalie's breath came in sharp, panicked gasps. She turned to me, her face a mask of desperation.

"You bastard," she snarled, her voice raw with fury. "You sick, twisted bastard—!" Her hands clenched into fists, her body trembling with the urge to lunge at me, to fight—but she was frozen, trapped between her son's terror and her own helplessness.

I didn't move. I didn't speak.

I just watched.

And in that silence, Tyler's screams filled the room, a sound so raw, so broken, it was almost beautiful. "Mother! Mother—!" His voice shattered, his body collapsing into violent sobs as Nathalie pulled him against her, her own tears mixing with his.

Nathalie clutched Tyler to her chest, her fingers tangled in his damp hair as his body shook violently against hers. "I'm here, baby," she whispered again, her voice breaking under the weight of her own fear.

"I'm here—" But her words were swallowed by Tyler's hysterical sobs, his breath coming in ragged, panicked gasps as he clawed at her arms. His entire world had just collapsed, and she could do nothing but hold him as he shattered.

And then there was me.

I didn't move. I didn't speak.

I just smiled—slow, dark, and deliberate.

Angela didn't show an ounce of sympathy. She stepped forward, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor, her presence cutting through the room like a blade.

She stopped in front of Nathalie and Tyler, her gaze cold and unyielding. "Now you know how to be afraid," she said, her voice a venomous whisper. "Now you understand."

Nathalie's head snapped up, her eyes burning with fury, but Angela didn't flinch. "What happened when you came to harass me daily?" Angela's voice was low, trembling with barely contained rage.

"When you and your father killed my husband? Destroyed my family?" Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, her knuckles turning white. "Did you ever think about me? About my daughter? About the life you stole from us?"

Nathalie's breath hitched, her grip on Tyler tightening as if she could shield him from the storm of Angela's wrath. But there was no shield. Not anymore.

Angela's gaze swept over the room, landing on Max and the other soldiers standing frozen in place. "You," she said, her voice sharp with command. "Go outside. Guard the house. Nobody is allowed in without my order."

Max hesitated, his eyes flicking to me for confirmation. I gave him a single, slow nod—permission, approval, a silent promise of what would happen if he failed.

That was all he needed.

"Yes, ma'am!" Max barked, snapping into action. He motioned to the others, and within seconds, the room emptied, the heavy doors swinging shut behind them. The mansion was ours now. The power had shifted.

And Nathalie?

She was trapped.

Tyler's sobs filled the silence, his body still trembling against his mother's, his breath coming in ragged, desperate gasps. "Mother—" he whimpered, his voice breaking. "Please—don't let them—"

Angela didn't look at him. She didn't look at Nathalie.

She looked at me.

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