He Buried Me But I Painted My Own Resurrection novel Chapter 71

Cillian's fingers tightened violently.

Sienna's breath caught in her throat, and she let out a sharp, muffled gasp.

But she didn't struggle, nor did she beg for mercy.

Her eyes locked straight onto his, completely devoid of fear or panic.

Instead, they held a strange, almost apathetic calmness.

It was as if he weren't threatening her life, but rather holding something completely inconsequential.

Cillian's thumb pressed against the side of her neck, feeling her pulse. It wasn't racing; in fact, it was eerily steady.

For someone on the brink of suffocation, her heartbeat was far too calm.

The realization made him pause.

He had seen countless people cower and beg for their lives, their ugly desperation laid bare in the face of death.

The frail woman in front of him—someone he could crush with one hand—had turned pale from lack of air, instinctive tears pooling in the corners of her eyes as her lips took on a purplish hue.

Yet, she remained utterly unafraid.

Or perhaps she simply didn't care if she died right here and now.

"You... aren't afraid of dying?" Cillian's tone shifted, carrying a trace of genuine curiosity he didn't even notice.

Sienna actually managed a faint, upward curve of her lips as her voice squeezed out in broken gasps.

"Kill me... you take a life... but you lose your entire empire," she forced the words out syllable by syllable. "Either way... I have nothing to lose. It just depends on what you're willing to sacrifice."

Cillian stared at her, neither loosening nor tightening his grip.

They remained locked in a tense standoff.

The casino's dim lights flickered, the metallic scent of Laird's fresh blood hanging heavy in the air. Everyone held their breath, terrified to make a single move.

Just then, the sound of urgent footsteps echoed from the far end of the corridor.

"You can let the three of them go now, right?"

Her tone lacked any real concern or care; she asked the question as if simply checking a box.

Cillian gave a slight nod, and two of his men stepped forward, dragging the paralyzed, dead-weight Sawyer family up from the floor.

Sienna didn't look back again, turning on her heel to leave.

She walked at a measured pace, the angry red marks on her neck glaring under the harsh fluorescent lights. With every step she took, her heart finally began to pound.

It wasn't that she hadn't been scared earlier; it was that fear wouldn't have saved her.

Watching her retreating figure, Cillian's deep gaze betrayed zero emotion.

Just as she was about to disappear from sight, he called out with cryptic intent, "Sienna, until next time."

Sienna faltered for a fraction of a second but quickly resumed her stride, never once looking back.