Chapter 448
[Trigger Warning / Content Disclaimer
This story contains themes and scenes involving rape, sexual assault, violence, trauma, and the abuse of children. Some readers may find these topics deeply distressing or triggering.
Reader discretion is strongly advised p>
For a second, I genuinely think I’m hallucinating because nothing in front of me is making any sense.
My brain refuses to connect the pieces together no matter how hard I stare. Why is Benji here? Why does he have a knife? And why is Elena tied to a chair? What the hell is happening?
“Benji?” The name slips out of my mouth weakly and the second he hears it, his head snaps toward me and then he smiles.
It’s not the warm smile I’ve known for years. Not the easygoing smile that used to make the entire lab laugh whenever things got stressful. This smile is different. This one is cold and all kinds of wrong
“Oh good, you’re finally here,” he says almost cheerfully. “I was wondering what was taking you so long p>
A chill runs down my spine when I stare into his eyes. It’s like I’m staring at a stranger. The Benji I knew doesn’t seem to exist at all.
He tilts his head slightly while staring right back at me, and something about the look in his eyes makes my stomach twist into knots of fear. Before I can speak, before I can even fully process what’s happening, Benji glances behind me.
“Hold her p>
The words barely leave his mouth before footsteps sound behind me and then suddenly someone grabs both my arms. I gasp in shock as I’m shoved forward so hard I almost lose my balance and fall.
Within seconds I’m standing directly in front of Benji and Elena. Her hands are bound tightly behind the chair and there’s cloth shoved into her mouth while tears stream down her face.
“I don’t understand,” I whisper shakily, my eyes darting between both of them. “What the hell is this Benji? What is happening p>
Benji gives me another smile and somehow this one looks even worse.
“Oh, you’ll understand soon enough,” he says calmly. “Right after I finish teaching Casey here a lesson about betrayal p>
So they did guess correctly after all. Elena wasn’t her real name. Casey is.
The realization barely settles before suddenly Benji drives the knife straight into her shoulder. A muffled scream tears out of her behind the gag, making me flinch.
Blood immediately stains her shirt while tears pour down her face. She looks at me desperately. Almost pleadingly, like she’s begging me to help her, but how can I when I don’t even understand what the fuck is going on?
My breathing turns frantic as I look back at Benji and the expression on his face terrifies me… He looks excited, almost euphoric. Like hurting her is giving him satisfaction. He stabs her again and this time I can’t take it. I can’t take watching her bleeding and in pain.
“Stop it, Benji!” I cry out.
Benji slowly turns toward me and then he laughs. The sound echoes through the warehouse and every hair on my body rises.
“You should be worried about yourself, Sierra,” he says almost gently. “Because once I’m done with her, I’m going to make you pay for all the trouble you caused me p>
I stare at him in complete confusion and ask as my voice trembles, “What are you talking about p>
Benji studies me for a second before frowning slightly, then he says slowly, almost amused, “You’re a very hard woman to kill Sierra Meyers or should I call you Beckett p>
My heart stops and everything inside me goes cold as realization hits me and fear crashes through me so hard, my knees nearly buckle.
“It was you,” I whisper.
“I guess you’re not that dense,” he says, smiling.
A broken sound leaves my throat and my eyes burn with tears. “All this time… You were close to me this entire time. I thought you were my friend. I offered you a job and the entire time you’ve been trying to kill me p>
My voice cracks as I break, but Benji doesn’t look guilty or ashamed. If anything, he looks annoyed.
The betrayal hits me like a physical blow and for a second, I forget to breathe. Not once did I ever suspect him. Benji was part of my team. He was someone I trusted. Someone I laughed with. Someone I cared about and all this time he was trying to destroy me.
“Why?” the word comes out broken as tears stream down my face. “Why would you try to kill me p>
Benji slowly places the knife down before pulling a chair closer and sitting beside Casey.
Then he repeats quietly, “Why? Isn’t it obvious? I wanted revenge p>
I stare at him in disbelief. “What revenge? I’ve never done anything to you p>
“You never hurt me,” he says before his expression darkens. “But your father did… And as they say, the daughter pays for the sins of the father p>