Both of my eyes slowly opened, my body lying weak and drained. I glanced around—it was still the same place. I had almost died at Alex’s hands. He had choked me until I could no longer breathe, and eventually I fainted because of him.

The door to the room was wide open. Perhaps this was my only chance to escape. I didn’t care what kind of life awaited me afterward—what I wanted now was simply to get out of this hellish house.

I staggered forward, each step unsteady. My head throbbed painfully, most likely from the blow I suffered when Alex shoved me earlier.

It wasn’t only the room that was dark; the hallway I now entered was pitch black as well. No light guided me, and the chilling emptiness made goosebumps rise across my skin.

It felt like I was wandering through an underground chamber. Strange and frightening objects lined the passage, and on one wall, several skulls were mounted, leering down at me.

“How am I supposed to find the way out?” I thought desperately. I had been circling for nearly thirty minutes, only to end up back at the same spot again and again.

Then, suddenly, I heard the sound of footsteps. My chest tightened—it had to be Alex. I quickly slipped inside a wardrobe, holding my breath.

But once inside, horror struck me. Scattered across the dark interior were snakeskins, and I instantly realized I had hidden in the worst possible place.

“We must export the goods tonight. Everyone must taste the new product we’ve created. And I want this operation done flawlessly. Make sure the authorities never find out.”

“Yes, Sir. Everything will be handled properly. Don’t worry, I guarantee there will be no mistakes this time.”

“Good. You truly are my right hand. And as for the woman named Grace—we don’t need to stain our hands killing her. She’ll die on her own. We’ll torture her and use her to help with our export business.”

“The woman is yours to deal with, Sir. But why involve her in our work? Leave everything to me.”

“I trust you, Yanuar. But I want her to suffer. In fact, if she disrupts our operations, all the better—I’ll punish her without end.”

I froze, straining to hear more. Alex was speaking with a man named Yanuar. They were clearly planning to smuggle something dangerous. And Alex—he had no intention of killing me quickly. Instead, he wanted me alive, to enslave me, to break me slowly.

Before I could process their words further, something cold and heavy coiled around my neck. My heart nearly stopped—a python. I burst out of the wardrobe, screaming, flinging the snake away from me.

“Arghhh! Damn snake!” I shrieked, trembling in revulsion. It had nearly constricted me to death.

Alex’s voice cut through the air like a blade. “I knew you were eavesdropping, Grace. Keep your mouth shut about what you heard today—or I’ll kill you in the most brutal way imaginable. Perhaps I’ll throw you into the snake pit. And not just pythons, Grace—there are venomous serpents waiting there. You’ll die in their fangs.”

My knees gave out beneath me. “Forgive me, Alex. I swear I won’t say a word. I’ll keep your secret. Please—please don’t kill me!”

I collapsed to the floor, bowing low in desperation. Every threat from Alex was a promise. He already had countless murders to his name, and no one had ever dared capture him, let alone put him behind bars.

Alex, stroking his prized python, smiled as he watched me trembling in terror.

“From today on, you belong to me. You’ll serve me—no, you’ll be my slave, Grace. Yanuar, take her.”

Yanuar, though slightly less cruel than Alex, still carried the same ruthless air.

My hands were bound, not with rope, but with cold, heavy chains. Yanuar tugged at them, and I followed helplessly, my resistance useless.

“Hahaha… I’ll make you suffer, Grace. You’ll die slowly and painfully. All because of what you did to my brother.” Alex laughed, his cruel voice echoing in the dark as the snake writhed in his arms.

How could I ever make him believe that I hadn’t killed his brother Simon? That Simon had taken his own life? No matter how many times I tried to explain, Alex would never believe me. To him, I would always be the murderer.

***

Later, I was forced into a servant’s uniform. I felt uneasy wearing it—the outfit revealed too much, clinging uncomfortably to my body.

“Why are you embarrassed by your clothes?” Alex asked, his expression flat and cold.

“Forgive me, Mr. Alex. It’s not that I refuse your gift, but… could I at least wear long pants instead? I don’t like this skirt.” I tugged at the hem of the mini skirt nervously. It wasn’t the uniform itself that disturbed me—it was how indecently short the skirt was.

“Fine. You can change the skirt—after you complete your first task, Grace.”

I froze. My heart pounded. What kind of task could he possibly mean? Dread crept over me.

“What do you want from me, Alex?” I asked, my voice trembling as he stepped closer.

Horrible thoughts raced through my mind. My hands shook, my body stiffened, and my legs refused to move.

“You’re going to be bait, Grace. Tonight I’ll attend a party—and you will be the entertainer for my business associates.”

The words pierced me like a knife. I thought being Alex’s captive meant enduring his cruelty, his punishments. But now I realized he intended to sell me all over again, to use me as a tool for his pleasure and profit.

“Servants, make her beautiful. Make sure that plain face of hers dazzles the men tonight. And give her something far sexier to wear!” Alex commanded.

All my life, I had struggled to protect my body, to keep my dignity intact. But tonight, Alex was going to destroy what little I had left.

My life was already in ruins. And Alex, who thrived on the blood of the innocent, was about to drag me even deeper into his darkness.