Buried Love Series Ashes of Regret (Sophia and Ryan)
Regret 1

BOOK1 Chapter 1

Ryan held Linda close as they walked into their mansion after a week away. He looked around, his brow furrowed, and impatiently called my name. "Where the hell is Sophia, that damn bitch?"

"She was told yesterday to be on her knees, ready to shine our shoes when we got back," Linda chimed in, a smug smile playing on her lips.

Just as Ryan was about to explode, the housekeeper, Michael, stepped forward nervously.

"Sir, Mrs. Walker has been... confined to the basement for a week now, on your orders."

Ryan went silent for a moment, the memory slowly returning. A week ago, Linda had disappeared while shopping. Ryan had searched for her all night, finally finding her the next morning, bruised and covered in hickies, huddled under a hotel blanket.

He had held her close, veins throbbing in his neck as he growled, "Who did this to you, Linda? Tell me!"

Linda had sobbed in his arms, her delicate finger trembling as she pointed at me. "It was... it was her... the men last night... they said Sophia sent them."

Panic seized me. I tried to explain, to tell him it wasn't me, that I would never do such a thing. But Ryan wouldn't hear it. His face was a mask of icy fury.

"Linda would never lie. She's too innocent." He spat the words at me, his voice dripping with venom. "Sophia, you venomous bitch, are you trying to destroy her completely?"

My blood ran cold. This was how he saw me. No matter what I said, it wouldn't matter. He shoved me to the ground, kicking and punching me, slapping me across the face. In his rage, he screamed for the guards, who dragged me down to the basement. He brought in a dozen thugs, their faces hard and cruel.

"You goddamn whore! How dare you pull such a sick stunt on Linda! You're going to pay for every bit of pain you've caused her!"

I lay helpless at his feet, clutching at his pants leg, begging. "Ryan, please! I'm pregnant with your child! For the sake of our baby, please, just investigate this!"

But I had overestimated my place in his heart. He didn't even care about the child I carried. He kicked me in the stomach, his face contorted with rage. "Don't you dare talk about the baby, you lying slut! You know damn well that bastard isn't mine!"

"You touched Linda, so you're going to suffer the consequences." He gestured to the men, his eyes filled with disgust. "Have your fun, boys. Don't hold back. And don't stop until I tell you to."

For a week, he never asked about me. For seven days and nights, I was tortured until I wished for death. Without Ryan's orders, those men wouldn't stop. They beat me, they raped me. I fought back until I had no strength left, until all I could do was beg for mercy. But they didn't listen.

The pain slowly gave way to numbness, then coldness. My body was a canvas of wounds, fresh ones layered over old. The basement floor was slick with my blood.

I don't know how many days passed before someone wrapped their hands around my throat, squeezing the life out of me. I died in that cold, dark basement, forgotten and alone.