Chapter 25: Chapter 25

Althea stood there, her hand still throbbing from the stinging impact of the slap she had just received.

She found herself at a loss for words, unable to form a coherent response as the shock of the situation coursed through her. "Oh, oh I…" she stammered.

Darian, standing there with a dark and brooding expression, swiftly seized her injured hand with a vise-like grip, causing an involuntary wince of pain to cross her features. His voice, low and menacing, sliced through the tension-filled air as he taunted her, his words dripping with contempt.

"Oh, what?Do you want to slap me again?" he demanded, his voice low and menacing. "Go on, Althea. Slap me. Do it."

He repeated his challenge, his fingers digging into her skin, and it was evident that he was daring her to retaliate, to subject him to the same humiliation. The threat in his voice was palpable, his intentions clear.