Alex’s bodyguards dragged me into a snake den. Even though the snakes were locked inside cages, I was still terrified. What if one of them managed to escape—and I became their prey?

Goosebumps ran down my arms, and I swallowed hard as I saw a massive python devouring a goat. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like if I were in the goat’s place. The thought alone was horrifying.

“Alex, forgive me—please, let me out!” I screamed, pounding on the door.

My loud voice disturbed some of the snakes. Their eyes seemed to fix on me, as if I were the meal Alex had offered them.

I froze instantly. The snakes had become agitated by the sound of my cries. Perhaps they felt threatened.

“If you scream again, Grace, by morning I’ll find nothing but your corpse.”

I heard Alex’s voice from outside the room. He had deliberately locked me in here. His house might look luxurious, but inside it felt like hell itself.

“Tonight you’ll rest with my snakes, and that is your punishment—for being a cheap woman to those men. You belong to me. No one else is allowed to touch you, Grace.”

He was not only insane but also a psychopath. He seemed to have forgotten his own words about making me entertainment for his business partners. Now, he had changed his mind. But I knew deep down—this only meant Alex was planning something far crueler for later.

I had no choice but to accept what he did. Tonight, it seemed, I would be forced to rest in this deadly place. But could I even close my eyes? My heart was restless with the slithering presence of these snakes. What if I fell asleep and never woke up again? Tonight, I would have to stay awake.

***

My eyes were swollen and ringed black like a panda’s. I had cried silently all night. If the snakes had heard me sobbing, they might have become even more aggressive.

It seemed the day had changed, though I had no way of knowing the time. No light entered this place at all.

My stomach growled. I was starving. Since yesterday, nothing had passed my lips.

“Alex, please open this door. I’m sorry, Alex!” I shouted, seeing that the snakes now looked calm. But I dared not pound the door again.

I shouted over and over until my voice was hoarse. My body was growing weaker. The air was damp and suffocating. The snake pit was underground, with little ventilation. Each breath felt heavier than the last.

“Alex, I beg you… help me,” I cried again, my breaths ragged. Perhaps I was going to die soon. If this was my fate, then so be it. Better this than remaining in Alex’s dark world.

My vision blurred. As I was about to close my eyes, I froze in horror—a cobra was slithering outside its cage, just a short distance away from me.

“How… how did it escape?” I whispered, watching the snake move freely. I was too weak to run, and where could I even go? I was trapped.

I sat still, like a statue, as the cobra approached. My eyes, which had been heavy with exhaustion, now opened wide in terror. I couldn’t die here. I had to fight. The cobra stopped right beside me.

My heart thundered in my chest. I kept my mouth shut tight, afraid that even a sound would provoke the snake to strike.

“What now?” I thought, panic coursing through me. I was gambling with my life. Death was already before me.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of someone unlocking the door. It had to be Alex. If he opened it, the cobra near the entrance might be startled and attack—either me or him.

If it attacked Alex, maybe that would be justice. Maybe he would finally die, and his reign of darkness would end. But what if the cobra struck me instead?

“Please… don’t open the door until the snake leaves,” I prayed silently.

But the door creaked open, slowly. I shut my eyes tightly, bracing myself for death.

Then—another gunshot rang out.

“Fool! That snake was about to strike you, and you just sat there with your eyes closed. Have you already given up being my slave, Grace? Are you afraid of me?” Alex’s angry voice filled the room.

I opened my eyes and saw the cobra’s lifeless body, its head shattered by Alex’s bullet. The other snakes inside their cages thrashed violently, agitated by the sound of the gunfire.

“Grace, are you deaf? I’m talking to you! That snake nearly bit you, but luckily, I saved your life.”

I was sick of Alex. Why had he saved me? With him, I was doomed to nothing but pain. I would rather have died from the snake’s bite than live another day under his torment.

“Grace, answer me!” He shouted, yanking my long hair.

I winced in pain, glaring at him with pure hatred. “Why should I answer you? No matter what I say, you always twist my words into something wrong!” I screamed back. I wasn’t afraid anymore. Whether I obeyed him or not, I would always suffer.

“Whore!” Alex spat, pulling my hair even harder.

“You bastard! It hurts! You’ll pay for everything you’ve done—damning countless souls, tormenting the innocent. Even the corpses you’ve slaughtered will rise to haunt you, you filthy bastard!” I hurled my words with venom.

“How dare you, Grace! I saved you, and this is how you repay me? My desire to make you my wife only grows stronger!”

“Wife?”

I froze in shock at his words. What did he mean, wife? Alex had bought me only to take revenge for his brother’s death. He hated me.

There had to be something hidden behind his claim. Some ulterior motive.

The man was nothing but a cunning monster.