Chapter 327: Seeing You Suffer Makes Me Happy

Nathan held Crystal in his arms, and he wept for what he had done and for what he had lost. He had crossed a line with Crystal, and he knew that there was no going back.

Gently, he picked her up, carried her into the next room, and placed her on the bed. He tucked her hair behind her ears and forced himself to look at the brand. Never in his life had he felt such great regret. He did not know what had come over him. It was almost as if a psychopath had possessed him. He stayed with her for as long as he could, but eventually, his grief consumed him, and he fled.

****

Crystal did not regain consciousness until later that evening. She sat up and looked around. She was surprised to find that she had been moved, but she was grateful for the privacy.

Next to the bed, there was a full-length mirror, and she stood up so that she could get a good look at what Nathan had done to her. And when she did, she cried out in anguish.

At the center of her forehead, a rose had been seared into her skin, and she gasped when she saw it. It was the symbol that Nathan used to seal his letters. The logo could also be seen on his private helicopters, luxury cars, and yachts. The servants and guards wore the symbol on their uniforms.

As surely as a dog marks his territory by pissing on a fire hydrant, he had claimed her for himself.

Suddenly, Crystal was sick. She bent over and puked into the wastebasket that sat by the door. There was no way that she could have made it to the washroom.

Crystal wiped the vomit from her mouth with a shirt she found on the floor, and then she returned to the mirror. She stood up straight and touched the rose. This will never fade away - she realized, and she punched the mirror with both of her hands in rage. “No!” she shouted. “My life is over...”

Where is that bastard? -she wondered. She was surprised that Nathan was not there to gloat over what he had done. She began to cry, and she was glad that he was not there to see her breakdown. Not knowing what else to do, she went back to bed, curled into a ball, and cried herself to sleep.

It was not long before Crystal woke up again, and she was happy to discover that the need to cry had passed. She got up and went to look out the window. From where she stood, she could see Nathan. He was on the beach, and he was digging holes, looking for her sketchbook. Already, there were over a dozen holes, and it looked like he was not about to stop until he found what he was looking for.

Oh, fuck - she thought - I should have burnt my book! But how could Nathan know that this is where I hid it, though...? It makes no sense…

****

Nathan shivered as he dug. He had a high fever, and his servants had been begging him for the past hour to return, but he would not. He ignored their words, and he kept on digging.

He was like a machine that was breaking down, though, and with each hole that he dug, he grew weaker.

One of the servants stepped forward and said, “Master Davis, please stop. Let us help you….”

“Piss off.” Nathan waved his hand dismissively. “All of you, piss off.”

Crystal slipped to the ground, wrapped her arms around her legs, and began to cry. She had never felt so alone or so helpless in her life. “I wish I was dead!” she shouted.

Of course, there was nobody there to hear her.

****

The servants were afraid that Nathan would overexert himself, but it still came as a shock to them when he finally keeled over. They shouted his name as they ran over to help him, and it took four people to carry him inside.

When Crystal heard the commotion, she crept downstairs to see what was going on. Then, when she discovered that Nathan had passed out, she stopped one of the servants and said, “I’m leaving the island now. What should I do?”

The servant raised one eyebrow and said, “You know that we can’t tell you. You should ask Master Davis when he wakes up.”

Crystal frowned. Nathan was on the couch. He was still wet, but they had thrown two comforters over him, knowing that it would warm him up in no time. He looked like an angel asleep as he was, but she knew that he was a demon from Hell.

Crystal did not want to be there when Nathan woke up. Unfortunately, his subconscious must have heard her voice because his eyes opened almost immediately after she spoke. And apparently, he had heard everything....

I have trusted her over and over again - Nathan thought - And every time, she has played me for a fool! When will I ever learn? He threw the blankets off and sat up. There was a rush of blood to his head, and for a minute, he felt dizzy, but the dizziness quickly passed.

One of the servants gave Nathan a nervous look. “Master Davis,” she said. “You’re wet all over. You need to keep warm, and you need to rest.”

“Soon.” Nathan smiled at the servant and said, “I have some business to attend to first.”

Crystal began to tremble. She knew that she was the business that Nathan was talking about. He glanced at her. “Do you want to leave?” he asked. “Sure, you do, of course! But did you actually think that you could leave without my consent?”

“You promised to let me go...” Crystal muttered. Her eyes were swollen from crying. “And I wasn’t expecting you to wake up so soon...”

“I did promise,” Nathan agreed. “But I did wake up, and your three days are not up. You may leave at 5 pm tomorrow. Until then, you are mine to torture - And we have just gotten started!”

“Why are you doing this?” Crystal groaned.

“Seeing you suffer makes me happy,” Nathan replied. He tried to stand, but his legs gave out. Luckily, two of his servants were able to catch him before he landed on the ground. Once he was upright, he smirked at Crystal, and he said, “Come and help me to my room.”

Crystal walked over, put his arm around her neck, and tried to lift him without answering. He was much too heavy, though, and they both fell to the ground with him on top.

They were face-to-face, and he was drooling at her. After a moment, he slurped his spit, grinned, and said, “You are so full of shit! Can you not hold me up? Yeah, right! Now quit playing your stupid little games and get me upstairs!”