Show Me Your Remorse

I yelled, "Ella, please trust me! Cyril said that you two had an agreed signal and that you could find him no matter where he went. That's the vow you made together! You've been married for a decade. Were all those years you spent together a lie?"

Gabriella narrowed her eyes, studying my face. She thought for a moment before saying, "My game is about to reach its final peak, but I don't think 100 million dollars is enough anymore. Since you're so stubborn and won't admit that you're wrong, come to the arena and see how cruel the world is without me protecting you."

She added, "It'll give you something to tell Cyril—that lying and playing the victim will never bring me back. And he needs to stop using our past to manipulate me."

Gabriella ordered Hannah to tie me up tight. After injecting a sedative and blindfolding me, they transported me straight to a deserted island where the final game was being held.

I woke up to the deafening roar of a crowd. Suddenly, someone ripped off the cloth over my eyes. My wrists were bound behind a post at one end of the oval arena. Below me were eager crowds of desperate people with murderous gleams in their eyes, holding various bloody weapons and sizing me up like prey.

Gabriella cleared her throat, and the entire venue immediately fell silent. "We're raising the stakes for this final round. Whoever wins not only gets the 100-million-dollar grand prize but also gets to spend the night with Vance."

The eruption of cheers was like a tidal wave, shaking me to my core.

Freddie stepped forward and announced, "The rules are simple. Whoever slices that man's head off first wins!"

Only then did I notice the man tied up on the high platform at the other end of the field. His face was covered, but his white shirt was drenched in blood, and his body trembled weakly.

I recognized the shirt immediately. It was Cyril's.

My heart skipped a beat, and I struggled violently, my eyes wide in horror. However, my mouth had been stuffed with cloth, blocking off every scream.

Hannah, who was watching over me, warned me to stay quiet. She said, "It's too late to admit your mistake now. Gabriella has already decided to give you away as a prize as an apology to Mr. Morgan for today's farce."

With the sound of a whistle, the game began. I watched in despair as the bloodthirsty players scrambled up the platform, their blades randomly slashing hundreds of cuts across Cyril's body.

Before long, blood poured from the platform like a waterfall, staining everything crimson as the metallic smell filled the entire venue.

I desperately looked toward Gabriella, hoping she would quickly realize that the man tied on the platform was the one she'd known since childhood and married.

However, Freddie was so excited that he could barely contain himself. He passionately kissed Gabriella and exclaimed, "Ms. Rutherfurd, I've had such a wonderful time this holiday. Thank you for spending it with me!"

Gabriella leaned lovingly against the man's shoulder and took his hand. "A man as wonderful as you deserves the whole world."

From beginning to end, she only focused on Freddie's emotions and never once looked toward the platform.

"The winner is Contestant 461!" With the cold, mechanical announcement, a severed head rolled down from the platform and landed at Gabriella's feet.

The blood-soaked cloth that once covered the face had already been torn off during the struggle, revealing a pale, lifeless face that was all too familiar.