CHAPTER FIVE: SHATTERED AND BOUND

Gabriella’s POV

I had no idea who he was, but the aura he exuded felt dark and dangerous. My heart pounded against my ribcage, my breath hitching in my throat. The hairs on my neck rose as a shiver crept down my spine.

The man, clad in a carton-colored suit, his dark eyes gleaming with something twisted, stepped into the room. His slicked-back hair made him appear even more calculated. As his gaze swept over me, his nose scrunched in disgust, as if I were nothing more than filth beneath his expensive shoes.

“Hello, sweetheart,” he murmured, his voice dripping with sweetness that seemed fake.

Hunter followed closely behind him, running his mouth as always. But this time, his words made my stomach twist in pain and disgust. “She’s perfect. With the baby, we’re gonna make a fortune.”

Panic clawed at my throat. They were selling me. Selling me and my child like livestock. The moon goddess. She's watching this, isn't she?

My fingers folded into fists, my nails biting into my palms as I fought the bile threatening to rise out of my throat. I couldn’t afford to be weak now. If i don't fight, If I showed weakness, they’d tear me apart faster. But it was hard to maintain composure when your ex-boyfriend was planning to sell you piece by piece.

The man in the suit took a slow step toward me, staring as if he was scrutinising me. “She looks fragile. Too fragile for my liking,” he murmured, tilting his head as if I were some specimen under a glass in a biology lab. Then, amusement spread across his face. “But I suppose that just adds to the appeal. Isn’t she the one who belongs to Jax?”

Hunter laughed, slapping the man on the back like they were old friends. The man turned to glare coldly at him, and Hunter quickly pulled back, chuckling nervously. “She’ll fetch a high price, Mr Flynn. She’s fresh, and with the baby… well, that just makes her even more valuable.”

Revulsion curled in my stomach. They saw me as nothing more than a transaction. A commodity. But I wasn’t going to let them break me. Not without a fight. For my baby, if not for nothing else.

I lifted my chin, forcing my voice to stay steady despite the dread growing inside me. “You think you own me?” I spat, trying to hide the shakiness in my tone.

The man smirked, shaking his head. “Oh, sweetheart, I don’t think so. I know. You’re already in our grasp.” He stepped closer, lifting his fingers to brush against my cheek. I jerked away, but his grin only widened. “Maybe, if you’re good, I’ll do you the honor of ending this quickly.”

Hunter leaned in close, his breath hot against my ear. “You better start accepting it, Gabriella. The sooner you do, the easier this will be.”

Rage boiled in my veins and I wanted to say something, but before I could, a phone rang, sharp and abrupt, cutting through the tense air.

The man in the suit whose name was Flynn as I realized, straightened and pulled out his phone. His expression darkened as he answered. “Talk.”

I watched him carefully, my pulse hammering.

His lips curled into a smirk. “Perfect,” he murmured, ending the call.

Flynn slid his phone back into his pocket and turned toward Hunter. “Jax and his brother are closing in. Right on schedule.”

A slow, satisfied grin spread across his face as he strode across the room, his shoes clicking against the concrete. “Everything is falling into place,” he mused. “Hunter, get the car ready. We’re leaving.”

Hunter nodded and turned to go, but I barely noticed. My attention had shifted to something glinting on the ground. A knife that Hunter had likely dropped in carelessness.

A plan formed in my mind in an instant.

Maybe the moon goddess hadn't entirely abandoned me.

Flynn’s back was turned, his attention on Hunter they muttered things in hushed voices. I worked fast, twisting my wrists, ignoring the sting as the rope bit into my skin. My fingers trembled, but I forced them to move. Inch by inch, I loosened the binds around my wrists.

Then finally, I was free. But I didn't have enough time to celebrate my small victory.

I didn’t want to hesitate. In a fluid movement, I snatched the knife and pushed myself up, my legs shaky, screaming in protest as I quickly moved. I darted toward Flynn, raising the blade, aiming for his side.

Maybe if I got the mastermind, I'll be—

A sharp pain tore through my back as Hunter tackled me to the ground.

The knife fell out of my grip, spinning across the floor. My vision blurred as Hunter straddled me, pinning me beneath his weight. His breath was ragged, his eyes dark with fury. “You stupid, stupid girl.”

A tiny whimper escaped my eyes as I bit my lips, wanting to hold it in.

His first punch landed across my face. My head snapped to the side, the taste of blood bursting in my mouth.

Then came another. And another.

Pain exploded through my body, and a sharp cry erupted from my throat, my body trembling.

Hunter pulled out a knife, his eyes gleaming with something almost manic. Without hesitation, he plunged the blade into my arm.

A loud scream left my lips.

And then he drove the knife again.

And again.

And again.

Searing pain ripped through me as he carved into my flesh, my blood spilling across the floor. My body trembled, agony consuming me, but Hunter didn’t stop. He cut, he tore, he destroyed, my upper arm, his rage spilling out with every slash of the knife.

And Flynn… he watched. Amused. Even laughed.

Another phone call interrupted the sick spectacle. Flynn answered with a sigh. His expression tensed. Then he dropped the phone and turned to us.

“Play time is over,  Hunter. Jax and his brother are too close. We need to move.”

Hunter, still panting, still seething, grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked me up. My body was weak, my limbs barely obeying, but the pain kept me grounded in reality.

“Look at that,” Flynn mused, glancing down at the pool of blood beneath me. “Might as well put it to use.”

“Exactly. Put it a little warning to…her pathetic mates,” Flynn laughed.

With a sick smile, Hunter dipped his fingers into my blood and pressed them against the wall, dragging them across the surface in jagged, smeared letters. A message. To Jax.

Then he lifted his fist and it connected to the side of my head.

My vision flickered, blurring.

He did it again, and again.

Darkness crept into my vision, overtaking the light in my vision.

The last thing I saw was the crimson-stained message on the wall before my body gave in to the exhaustion, pain and weakness.

And then, everything went black.