CHAPTER 18
Deep within the sprawling Thanawanich ancestral mansion, the very place where Nicha had met her gruesome end, Wimondevi Rattanapong slipped away.
Her movements were as silent and graceful as a shadow, a practiced escape from the bustling plans of her family.
She navigated through a hidden passage, cleverly disguised as a part of her private chambers, a secret only she knew.
The hidden room was dim, lit only by a faint, cool glow that seemed to come from within.
It was unlike any other part of the lavish mansion; cold, stark, yet holding a deeply personal, almost sacred feel for Wimondevi.
In the very center of the room, a large, ornate coffin rested.
It wasn't just wood; it was encased in thick, clear glass, allowing its contents to be seen.
Inside, perfectly preserved, lay a man, Nicha's lover. His skin was pale, his features peaceful, as if he were merely sleeping. He looked almost lifelike, a haunting testament to Wimondevi's obsessive care and the gruesome, forbidden methods she'd used to keep him.
Wimondevi approached the glass coffin, her eyes softening in a way they never did for her family. Her hand reached out, pressing against the cold glass, a gesture filled with longing and a possessive tenderness.
She then pressed a hidden button on the side.
With a soft hiss, the glass top of the coffin slowly, silently, slid open, revealing the man to her touch.
"How are you doing, my love?" she whispered, her voice a fragile, chilling sound in the quiet room.
Her words were gentle, full of a perverse affection.
The man, of course, remained silent, perfectly still in his eternal sleep.
Wimondevi then did something truly disturbing.
She sat gently on top of the man's chest within the coffin, leaning down close to his face.
She kissed his lips, a long, lingering kiss, her eyes closing as if savoring the moment.
"Why did you have to love her, baby?" she murmured against his preserved skin, her voice breaking with a raw, ugly jealousy.
"You should have been mine. Always mine.
" Her fingers gently traced the lines of his face, a possessive, almost desperate touch.
This was the true, dark core of her. The reason Nicha had been destroyed was not just Pramote's will, but Wimondevi's burning, hidden obsession.
After a long moment, she slowly stood up, her face a mix of sorrow and a grim satisfaction. She pressed the button again, and the coffin's glass lid silently closed, sealing the man back in his clear tomb, his secret presence now locked away once more.
As Wimondevi left the hidden room, the passage closing behind her without a sound, she whispered into the empty air, "Soon, I'll join you too.
" Her words were a dark promise, hinting at her ultimate, perhaps self-destructive, devotion to him, and the coming final battle that would determine all their fates.
She then smoothly re-entered the main mansion, her usual cold composure perfectly back in place, ready to resume her strategic role in the family's war.
_____
In a grand, imposing room within Inthorn's own luxurious mansion, the air was thick with a chilling silence, broken only by the muffled sounds of the world outside.
This opulent space now served as a personal torture chamber.
Inthorn sat like a king in a high-backed, ornate chair, looking down with cold, dark eyes.
Before him, kneeling on the polished marble floor, were Kawin and Noi.
They were both bruised and battered from their capture, their hands tied tightly behind their backs.
Noi trembled visibly, his eyes wide and vacant, still clinging to Bunbun as if it were his only link to reality.
Kawin's face was set, a mix of fury and desperate resolve.
Inthorn looked at Dae, who stood nearby, a silent, imposing figure. Inthorn gave a brief, sharp nod. Dae understood instantly. He moved towards Noi, grabbing him firmly by the arm, holding him in place so he couldn't move or hide.
Then, Inthorn slowly rose from his chair. His movements were deliberate, menacing, his eyes fixed on Kawin. This wasn't about getting information; it was about power, control, and showing Kawin his place.
Inthorn began to torture Kawin. He didn't aim to kill, but to inflict extreme pain and suffering.
He punched Kawin hard in the stomach, forcing a gasp of pain.
He twisted Kawin's fingers, not breaking them completely, but causing agonizing pressure that made Kawin cry out.
He might have used a heavy, blunt object to inflict bruising, all calculated to hurt without leaving permanent, obvious marks.
Through it all, a chilling, detached laugh bubbled from Inthorn's throat.
He revelled in Kawin's pain, his cruel enjoyment filling the room.
Noi, held tight by Dae, watched his brother being tortured. His quiet whimpers turned into desperate sobs. He struggled weakly, begging for it to stop. "Please! Stop! Don't hurt him!" His voice was broken, filled with profound distress.
And then, in a moment of pure, desperate plea, perhaps a fragment of forgotten affection from his childhood before the horror began, Noi called out something unexpected. His voice, trembling but clear, pierced through the room: "Khun Phii, please!"
The laughter died on Inthorn's lips. He stopped his torment of Kawin instantly, his head snapping towards Noi. His eyes were wide with genuine surprise, a flicker of something almost human in their dark depths. "What did you call me?" he demanded, his voice sharp with disbelief.
Noi, still trembling, repeated the words, barely above a whisper: "Khun Phii."
A strange, dark fascination flickered in Inthorn's eyes.
He walked over to Noi, reaching out. He grabbed Noi's face, forcing him to look up, and in a deeply disturbing display of twisted possession and perverse affection, Inthorn kissed Noi on the lips.
It was a shocking, unasked-for act that solidified Inthorn's claim over the boy, a terrifying symbol of his ownership.
Then, Inthorn leaned back, a cruel, triumphant smile spreading across his face.
He looked at both brothers, his voice loud and clear, echoing the final, devastating truth in the room:
"I killed your mom and dad.
Your dad did something cruel. He betrayed my mother.
So I had him killed while making it look like an accident. "
Noi's eyes, already wide with terror, swelled with the full horror of the revelation.
The truth, coming from Inthorn's own lips, was a final, shattering blow after all the torment.
His small body went limp. He passed out, utterly overwhelmed by the sheer, unbearable weight of it all.
Inthorn, with a possessive swiftness, caught the unconscious boy before he could fall.
Kawin, who had endured the torture in silence, roared. A primal, enraged sound burst from his throat. "You monster!" He thrashed violently against his restraints, desperate to get to Inthorn, to tear him apart for this unspeakable truth.
Inthorn, completely unmoved by Kawin's furious despair, simply looked at Dae. "Take him to the basement. Lock him in a separate cell. He won't be joining his brother for a while."
Dae's men moved quickly, dragging the screaming, struggling Kawin away, leaving Inthorn alone in the room, holding the unconscious Noi, his new, prized possession. The horrors of the past had finally been laid bare, and the present was now a chilling new nightmare.