Captivated by the Ruler of the Underworld

"

As she spoke, the hairpin dug in a little deeper.

Josh's face turned pale, his legs trembled, and a telltale stream trickled down his legs into the pool, mixing with the metallic scent of blood and the sulfur of the hot springs. Despite the odors vying for dominance, Cicery, with her keen senses, detected the acrid smell.

With a light laugh, she mocked, "Idiot, you don't even understand Sylvester's character, yet you try to curry favor with him. Sylvester is my man. He won't love, nor will he be with any woman but me." Her tone carried a hint of playful possessiveness-Sylvester Gomez was hers.

And he would always belong to her alone.

Josh Fudge could only whimper, his tears building up to the point where they nearly blinded him. He wished for nothing more than for the guard at the door to come in and save him.

But the spa room was too vast, the distance between the pool and the entrance far too great.

He couldn't make a sound; he was utterly at her mercy...

"The inherent vices present in some men, just because you have certain vices doesn't mean Sylvester Gomez shares them," a voice mocked.

"You play women, treat them like toys, without respect, you're, worse than animals."

"Sylvester Gomez wouldn't associate with beasts like you."

As Cicery recounted Sylvester's virtues, even she didn't notice how much she was revealing.

Josh Fudge felt on edge, on the brink of collapse as if he was being slain and forced to witness a perverse display of affection...

"Josh Fudge, I've made the reasons clear to you. Now, it's time to harvest," Cicery's voice was deceptively sweet.

With a deep breath, she squinted her eyes and forcefully pushed the hairpin through the outer layer of skin reaching the muscle bed, piercing Josh Fudge's carotid artery. Blood gushed forth, warm and copious.

Josh Fudge's eyes widened in horror as he felt his life bleeding away.

Cicery gripped his shoulder tightly with her left hand while her right hand, holding the hairpin, sliced down, forcefully ripping through the artery, spurting bright crimson blood like a fountain. The blood spread in the water, creating a macabre yet vivid pattern - a macabre symphony that Cicery wished she could record.

As Josh Fudge's breath stilled and his eyes closed, motionless, Cicery checked for a breath, finding none.

She smiled slightly, stepping back as some of the blood splashed onto her, releasing her hold on Josh Fudge, allowing his body to gently drift towards the center of the pool...

Eventually, Josh's body floated in the middle, his blood spreading beneath him, blooming like a red rose in the water.

After her deed was done, Cicery casually wiped her face with water; the blood vanished, though stains remained on her robe.

She frowned slightly, grabbed a clean bathrobe, and wiped her arms and legs until they were dry. Satisfied, she left the room as she had found it.

The entire series of actions took no more than ten minutes.

When Cicery left, she did so without alerting anyone.

It was only about 7:30 PM, and the party wasn't scheduled to start until 8. Staff at the Wilderness Hotel were bustling about, preparing for the event.

Sylvester Gomez emerged from his shower to find the bathroom door still shut. He decided not to disturb whoever was inside.

Realizing Cicery hadn't eaten dinner yet, he swung open the hotel room door and instructed the bodyguard stationed outside, "Bring up the ingredients for dinner."

Before the bodyguard could even ask what kind, Sylvester continued, "Lobster, turkey, suckling pig, ham, beef - that should do for now."