The Mistress: Her revenge [18+]

Ch. 40

ESMERALDA BERTILLON

The fluorescent lights of the police station flickered overhead, casting harsh shadows across the cold, sterile room. I sat stiffly in the uncomfortable chair, my fingers twisting around themselves under the table as the detective droned on, asking question after question about the night that had sent my life spiraling out of control. My mind was barely present, the words washing over me like waves I couldn't escape. Every so often, I'd nod, give short answers, but my head was miles away.

Suddenly, a familiar scream pierced the air, sharp and frantic. It shot through me, sending an icy jolt down my spine. I knew that voice.

Dani.

Without a second thought, I shot up from the chair, my heart pounding against my ribcage. The detective's questions trailed off behind me as I moved toward the sound, my legs carrying me out of the interrogation room and into the hallway. My pulse thrummed in my ears, drowning out everything except that scream. The hallway stretched long and sterile, its white walls mocking the chaos unfurling inside me.

I turned the corner and there she was—Dani, being dragged in by two officers, her hair a tangled mess, her clothes rumpled like she'd been struggling for hours. The sight of her stopped me cold. For a moment, neither of us moved. Her wide eyes locked onto mine, shock washing over her features. It was as if the entire world paused, the only sound in the room our combined breathing.

Dani's lips parted, but no words came out. That look—wide-eyed, unhinged—fueled something dark inside me. All the anger, all the fear, every sleepless night came crashing to the surface like a wave breaking free of its dam. I could feel the heat rising inside me, scorching every inch of my body. I barely registered the sound of footsteps as Sebastian and Pete entered the station, mid-conversation, until their voices trailed off when they saw the two of us standing there like wild animals about to lunge.

I didn't think. I just moved.

My shoes—heels I didn't even remember putting on—slipped from my feet as I gripped one in my hand, and before I knew it, I was upon her. My hand swung down with a force I didn't know I had, the heel connecting with her shoulder before it flew toward her head. Over and over, I hit her. The sound of leather against flesh mixed with her cries, but it wasn't enough. I wanted her to feel every bit of the rage that had clawed its way through me, every ounce of grief she'd caused.

"Murderer! You witch!" I screamed, each word raw with fury. "You did this—you ruined everything!"

Chaos erupted around me. The police officers tried to pry me off her, but I was relentless. I swung again and again, each strike punctuated by words that burned in my throat.

"You killed him!" Another blow. "You killed everything I had left!"

Sebastian's voice was lost in the commotion, but I could feel his arms around me, pulling me back, his grip strong but desperate. "Esme! Stop!" he yelled, but I couldn't. The fire inside me was too hot, too consuming. Dani had collapsed on the floor, her eyes wild with that same crazed look, but there was no fight left in her. She lay there, staring at me like she didn't even know who I was, like she didn't recognize the girl who had once been her closest friend.

Pete stepped forward, trying to help the officers pull me away, but even then, my arm shot out, sending one last hit toward Dani's leg, the heel of my shoe catching her just below the knee.

It wasn't until Sebastian lifted me fully into his arms that I finally stopped, panting hard, my chest heaving. My fists still clenched the heel in one hand, and I struggled to catch my breath, my vision blurring as the adrenaline began to fade.