"Do you all have a death wish?" Desmond demanded, his voice dripping with fury as he stood in front of the survivors, his cold gaze sweeping across every single one of them. His jaw was clenched so tightly that the muscles twitched beneath his skin. "How dare any of you stand there and say that kind of shit about me?"

"But you are a shitty person, Desmond," the pregnant woman replied without the slightest hesitation. Despite the fear written all over her face, there was unwavering determination in her voice. "You deceive people, manipulate them, and the moment they’re no longer useful to you, you throw them under the bus just to save your own ass. That’s the kind of man you are."

"Exactly!" one of the injured young men chimed in, nodding in agreement despite the pain etched across his bruised face. His body ached from his injuries, but his anger outweighed every ounce of discomfort he felt.

"We’re only trying to warn the young lady," he continued, pointing toward Ivy. "She looks like a genuinely kind person... but I also think she’s being incredibly naïve. We told her not to associate herself with someone like you. We warned her over and over again, yet she still chose to trust you."

He let out a bitter scoff before shaking his head.

"But I guess I understand why. She doesn’t know the real you yet. She hasn’t seen your true colours. She hasn’t witnessed the monster hiding behind that fake smile of yours. Once she finally does..." he paused, glaring directly into Desmond’s eyes, "...it’ll already be too late. By then, she’ll regret ever believing a single word that came out of your mouth."

Several of the survivors nodded in agreement, their faces filled with resentment and hatred.

"I still can’t forget what you did to my husband," the pregnant woman said, her voice trembling as painful memories flooded back into her mind. Tears welled in her eyes, but she refused to look away from Desmond. "You threw him straight toward those monsters. You used him as bait just so you could escape. You didn’t even look back..."

A tear rolled down her cheek.

"I’ll never forgive you for that, Desmond. Never."

Her breathing grew heavier as grief mixed with rage.

"I hope you die the most horrible death imaginable. I hope the monsters tear you apart while you’re still alive. And if there’s anything left of your disgusting body afterward, I hope stray dogs finish the rest before flies feast on your rotten corpse. That’s the kind of ending you deserve, you beast!"

The words had barely left her mouth before Desmond’s expression twisted into something terrifying.

In the blink of an eye, he stormed toward her.

His hand shot forward without warning and wrapped tightly around her throat.

The woman’s eyes widened in horror as his fingers squeezed mercilessly around her neck.

"L... let... let go of me!" she choked out desperately, clawing at his wrist with both hands as she struggled to pry his grip loose.

"Let her go right now, Desmond!" one of the injured men shouted furiously.

Ignoring the pain shooting through his wounded body, the man rushed toward Desmond in an attempt to pull his hand away from the pregnant woman.

Before he could even get close...

Thud!

Desmond drove a powerful punch straight into the man’s stomach.

The impact knocked every bit of air from his lungs.

The injured man doubled over before collapsing heavily onto the ground with a painful thud, clutching his abdomen while gasping desperately for air.

Not once did Desmond spare him another glance.

His attention remained fixed solely on the struggling pregnant woman.

His grip tightened even further.

The woman could barely breathe now.

Her face slowly turned red before gradually losing its colour altogether.

Her legs trembled violently beneath her.

"She’s... she’s fucking pregnant!" Mrs. Blare yelled, unable to contain her outrage any longer. Tears of panic filled her eyes as she watched the horrifying scene unfold before her. "You’re hurting her, Desmond! Let her go before you kill both her and the baby!"

"Maybe," Desmond replied coldly, his voice frighteningly calm, "she should’ve learned when to keep her mouth shut in the first place."