The Heiress Revived from the Ashes (Lauren Bennett) novel Chapter 150

Chapter 150 An Eye for an Eye

Lauren turned toward Felix.

The light hit him just right, tracing the sharp lines of his tall, powerful frame.

Seeing him defend her like that made him feel invincible.

Her eyes began to sting, and a knot of emotion rose in her chest–part gratitude, part dependence, and a deep, unfamiliar sense of safety she never knew she needed.

The entire banquet hall was locked in eerie silence. Everyone held their breath, too afraid to even shift in their seats, terrified that any sound might draw Felix’s attention.

e room.

Only the man’s heavy breathing and his wife’s heart–wrenching sobs echoed through the tense

“I’m going to count to three, Felix said, his voice slicing through the air like a blade. If you don’t do it by then, your chance is gone.”

Three… The word hit like a gunshot–cold, brutal, final.

The man’s whole body jerked. His face began to twitch, every muscle clenching with panic.

Two

He bit down hard, jaw locked tight. His face twisted with pain, fear, and something close to madness. His eyes were red and wild–like a trapped animal.

“One..

He snapped

With one brutal motion, he raised the knife and brought it down–severing his wife’s thumb.

Her scream was so raw, so shrill, it pierced the room like a siren.

She convulsed, then went limp, dropping straight to the ground, knocked out cold from the pain.

The guards didn’t hesitate. One grabbed a bucket of ice water and dumped it right over her face.

The freezing water shocked her awake. She gasped and looked down–aw her hand, the blood, the missing finger–and wailed again, her scream echoing off the walls.

Π

The man dropped the bloodied knife with a loud clang.

He was shaking all over. His knees buckled, and he collapsed, sobbing uncontrollably as tears streamed down his face.

The crowd looked like they’d seen a horror movie come to life. Faces turned ghost–white,

Some

covered their mouths, afraid to even breathe.

Some of the men couldn’t bear the sight and looked

away.

Friends of the couple–people who’d once laughed and dined with them–quietly stepped back, doing anything they could to avoid getting dragged into the chaos.

The other three couples were so terrified it was obvious they were on the verge of completely losing it.

Felix stared at the man still kneeling in front of him. His expression was flat, his eyes like ice. “Next.”

The other husbands stumbled backward, barely able to stand. Their faces were pale as paper, their legs like jelly.

Their wives collapsed into pleading.

When Felix didn’t budge, they turned to Lauren, desperation all over their tear–streaked faces.

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11:42 AM

Chapter 150 An Eye for an Eye

“Ms. Bennett, we were wrong. Please forgive us.”

“We’ll do anything–just don’t let this happen to us.”

“Please. We’re begging you.”

Lauren stared at their panic–stricken faces and felt nothing. No pity. No forgiveness.

+5 Pearls

The only reason I can stand here and face them now is because Mr. Brooker stood up for me. If he hadn’t everything I went through–the beatings, the shame–would’ve stayed buried in the dark forever.

And the next time I ran into these women? They’d do it all over again. Laugh, slap me around, treat me like dirt.

So why should I be the one to forgive? Why should their begging turn me into some kind of saint?

She slowly bent down and picked up the bloodied knife from the floor. Drops of red slid down the blade and hit the ground. splattering into small, vivid bursts.

She handed the knife to one of the men, her smile faint but cold. “What they did to me shouldn’t be swept under the rug. right sir!”

The man stared back at her in pure fear. She looked delicate, like she’d break if you breathed on her too hard–but in her eyes was something hard.