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Chapter 24/A Gift from the Devil

Chapter 24: 24/A Gift from the Devil

Chapter 24

Stephanie’s Point of View

I screamed at the top of my lungs, a desperate cry that shook the cold walls of the gym: "No! Please, no!"

Claire laughed mockingly, her tone theatrical. "Of course, we aren’t that bad, darling Anne... rest assured, we won’t take off your pants." She turned and gestured to Emma. "That rope over there bring it!"

I tried to gather what remained of my strength to escape Miley’s grip, but Claire was faster. She lunged at me, grabbing my shoulders so hard her nails dug into my skin. "You’re starting to make me angry!" she hissed.

Emma rushed over, holding a thick, coarse gym rope, her face lit with wicked excitement. "Here it is... I got it!"

Claire commanded coldly, "Take her over to those iron bars."

They dragged me violently across the cold floor until we reached the iron pillars and forced me down. They pulled my trembling hands upward with a force that made my shoulder joints ache, and Claire began tying my wrists to the iron.

"Claire... please don’t do this!" I pleaded, tears scorching my cheeks.

"Plead more," she said coldly, tightening the knot.

"I’m begging you, Claire... please let me go!"

She looked at me with boredom. "Hmm... I didn’t like that plea, so I’ll decline."

She finished tying the knot with practiced ease, then gestured to the other girls. "Follow me... come on!"

My eyes widened in terror. "Are you going to leave me here?"

Claire turned at the door with a merciless sneer. "The basketball team arrives in the morning. They’ll untie you."

"What! You can’t do this to me!" I shouted in disbelief, but they walked away, laughing with exhilaration, until they had cleared the hall and slammed the door shut.

I was left alone in the haunting silence of the gym. I tried frantically to loosen the bond, pulling until the rope nearly tore my skin, but I failed. Damn it! In the morning, the high school boys would find me tied here, naked and without a shirt to cover me... it would be the greatest humiliation of my life.

I began to sob uncontrollably, my half-naked body shivering from the cold and the weight of the trauma. I wished Kira were there to wipe away my tears and save me. I looked at my bag lying far away, and suddenly, my phone began to ring. The sound echoed through the empty hall like a funeral for my hope; my family was surely worried, but no one knew I was here.

After continuous, hoarse cries for help, my body surrendered to the shivering, and I gave up all hope. A deathly silence blanketed the hall. Suddenly, the sound of movement outside the door cut through the quiet. Life surged back into my veins, and I began to scream desperately again: "Help! Someone help me!"

The door swung open sharply. The person who entered was a shock that rattled my soul... My God! It was the new teacher. A wave of intense shame tore through me; I wished the earth would split open and swallow me whole. He asked in his deep, questioning voice, "Who’s there?"

He walked toward the light switches and illuminated the hall. In that moment, I wanted to vanish from the face of the earth. He looked at me, paralyzed by shock for a second, then strode toward me and knelt. "Who did this to you?" he asked, his voice a mixture of rage and concern.

I immediately turned my face away, trying to avoid his gaze at any cost. My new teacher was seeing me topless, tied up like an animal... damn it, why is my luck so wretched? His hands reached out to untie the coarse rope, his hot breath burning my face because he was so close. When I involuntarily turned back, our eyes met for just a second; I felt a jolt of electricity surge through my body, and I quickly looked away in sheer embarrassment.

He freed me, and I instantly pulled my hands to my chest, trying desperately to cover myself. I stood up like a madwoman, searching everywhere for my hoodie, but I couldn’t find it. I realized with bitterness that Claire and her friends had taken it to humiliate me further.

The teacher’s voice cut through the silence again, stern and demanding: "Who did this to you? Answer me!"

I didn’t answer. Naming them wouldn’t change anything; it would only make things worse and invite more revenge. I picked up my bag from the floor and used it to cover my chest, wondering with a broken heart: How will I leave the gym now without clothes?

Suddenly, the teacher stepped toward me and began slowly unbuttoning his white shirt. I froze in place, terrified by the thought that crossed my mind... My God, what is he doing? Is he going to rape me? I asked in a trembling voice that was barely a whisper, "What are you doing?"

He didn’t say a word. Instead, he stripped off his shirt in one motion, revealing a broad chest and rock-solid muscles that took my breath away. He held it out to me and said calmly, "Wear this."

I took it from his extended hand hesitantly and turned away quickly. I set my bag aside and slipped on the shirt, which enveloped me in his scent and his masculinity. I began fastening the buttons with hands that shook violently, while my heart pounded for an entirely different reason this time.

I grabbed my bag and ran out of the gym like a madwoman. I didn’t look back; I couldn’t even thank him or speak to him. I felt like I was dying of embarrassment, my heart nearly exploding from the intensity of the moment.

The violent memory was cut short by a soft knock on the bathroom door. I immediately turned off the running water, dried myself in a hurry, threw on my robe, and stepped out. The maid was standing there. She said softly, "A box arrived for you, Miss."

I looked at the large black box. It was wrapped in a deep crimson ribbon, as if it held a dark secret. I asked cautiously, "Who sent it?"

"Mr. Cedric," the maid replied.

Once she left, I approached the box and opened it with curiosity. A stunning red dress emerged, and on top of it was a small card. I opened it and began to read the words written in a confident hand:

"My Redhead... I realized that red is the color that suits you best. Wear it tonight for me. —Cedric."