Craved by the Wrong Volkov-Chapter 358: Who paid you?

Braelyn’s POV

Sylvia could not meet my eyes. Guilt was eating her alive

She kept her head lowered, her shoulders trembling as if the weight of my presence alone was enough to crush her. I stopped right in front of her, saying nothing at first, just watching and taking in the scene.

She was tied securely to the chair, her wrists were bound and her ankles were restrained. There were no visible bruises on her skin or jarring injuries just fear etched across her face. It was obvious she had just been brought in and no one had touched her yet. Lucien hadn’t had the professionals talk to her yet

The room itself didn’t feel like a basement. It was clean, the walls were reinforced with bright lighting that, left no corner in shadow. It felt more like an underground bunker had been built.

Before I could say anything, Sylvia broke. A loud sob tore out of her as she shook her head frantically, tears spilling down her face.

"Madam, please... I don’t know why I’m here," she cried, her voice breaking. "Please help me. I’ve always been loyal to you. I’ve been by your side for so long..."

Her words tumbled over each other, desperate and frantic. She sniffed hard, her body shaking as if she was on the verge of collapsing completely. No one interrupted her and just let her act.

The room remained silent except for her cries. I just watched her, If I didn’t know better, I might have believed her.

Sylvia wasn’t just a maid. She was my dad’s old housekeeper’s daughter. We had grown up around each other. Not close enough to be called friends, but close enough that there had always been a sense of familiarity. I had trusted her more than most and that was the reason I took her to my marital home.

When her mother had fallen ill, I made sure she had access to treatment. I made sure she never had to worry about money. I had been treated better than any servant even her salary was more than the butler’s.

And yet she was here. When her crying finally began to fade into weak sniffles, I spoke. "Why?" The single word landed heavily between us.

Sylvia froze stunned her act didn’t work. She slowly lifted her head just enough for me to see her face. Her eyes were red, her lips trembling, but she still couldn’t look at me directly.

"I... I don’t know what you’re talking about," she whispered still denying everything. My gaze hardened barely holding myself together.

"Why did you do it?" I asked again, my voice was colder now.

She shook her head quickly, panic flashing across her face. "Madam, I swear, I didn’t...." The sound of a slap cut through the room. Her head snapped to the side, a sharp gasp escaping her lips as the corner of her lip bled with a large palm mark on her face.

"Stop lying," one of the men behind her hissed. "It will only make things worse for you," he warned her which was fair enough.

Sylvia went quiet instantly, her breathing turned uneven. I stepped closer anger bubbling in my chest. "Why did you change your identity?" I pressed. "Who were you hiding from?"

Her jaw tightened stubbornly. She said nothing. A quiet laugh slipped past my lips at how incredulous this was, but there was no humour in it. My patience was thinning, fraying at the edges.

"Answer me," I snapped, my voice rising despite myself. She stayed silent.

A sharp click echoed behind me. One of Lucien’s men pulled down a level and a piercing scream tore through the room.

Sylvia’s body jerked violently as electricity coursed through her, her back arching against the restraints. The sound that came out of her didn’t even sound human. My heart leapt not expecting it. Lucien held me from behind and whispered soothingly. "Relax Viper..."

The current stopped just as suddenly as it started, leaving her gasping, her body shaking uncontrollably. Her hair a complete mess. The more I stared at her the more irritated I was, we really looked alike not facially but similar frames

"If you don’t talk, you die," Lucien said calmly chirping, his voice cutting through the chaos. "You are of no use to us otherwise. Your only chance of survival is telling the truth." It wasn’t a threat but a fact.

Sylvia’s head dropped forward, her breath coming in ragged pulls. I didn’t give her time to recover.

"We know it was you," I said, stepping closer until she had no choice but to hear every word clearly. "You drugged me for years. Watched me hope for children. You helped them set everything up."

Her fingers twitched against the restraints. "Who gave you the drugs?" I continued, my voice sharp. " Who was the one who set up everything? Was it Amelia? Did she have you impersonate me to fake the cheating?"

Silence stretched. I had a good idea who but I needed confirmation. Her lips pressed together tightly, refusing to move. Her hush money must have been a fortune

Before I could speak again, a screen flickered to life on the wall. A cry echoed from the screen, and Sylvia’s head snapped up. Her eyes widened in pure horror.

I turned instinctively, my own breath catching. I didn’t believe it. It was her mother.

The old housekeeper hung suspended over a tank filled with murky water and sharks circling underneath her.

Her legs were cut, blood dripping steadily into the water below, drawing them closer. The creatures moved faster now, more agitated, their fins breaking the surface as they circled hungrily. One even tried jumping while the lady was crying through her gagged mouth trembling. I never imagined Lucien to be this brutal.

Sylvia let out a broken scream. "No... no, please..." she sobbed, her entire body shaking violently. "Mama..."

I stood frozen, my stomach twisting. Lucien didn’t react.

He stepped forward slightly, his gaze fixed on Sylvia, completely composed. "The longer you delay," he said evenly, "the longer she hangs there and who knows a shark may get her."

The screen flickered with the old woman’s cries, her body trembling as she struggled weakly against the restraints. My chest tightened painfully.

Sylvia’s breathing turned erratic, panic completely overtaking her now. Lucien’s voice cut through again, colder this time.."So," he said, his eyes locking onto hers, "are you ready to talk?"

Sylvia’s lips trembled. For a second, it looked like she might break. Then her expression twisted, something darker surfacing beneath the fear.

She clenched her teeth, her voice shaking but filled with raw hatred. "I hate you. Why did you have to enjoy life while I suffered?!"