Chapter309 – Leave first
Clarissa snapped her head up.
In the distance, a dark figure was advancing rapidly.
Everything else faded away. Her eyes locked onto him—and only him.
Atticus felt her gaze instantly. When he saw the bloodstains on her clothes… her kneeling posture…
Something in his eyes snapped.
The murderous intent that surged out of him was thick and black, like ink spilling across water.
Seeing him stop, the man smirked and delivered the speech he’d prepared.
“You really aren’t afraid of death, huh? Wouldn’t it be easier to marry into the Gryphonhalls? Why throw your life away for a woman?”
Atticus’s voice was calm—unnervingly so.
“What… did you do to her?”
The man laughed.
“Nothing yet. But if you don’t behave, that’ll change.”
He grabbed Clarissa by the back of the neck and shoved her forward. Several men immediately surrounded her.
“Such a pretty little thing. My brothers are dying to have some fun. If you don’t cooperate, I’ll let them play with her first—so you can watch.”
Atticus’s gaze darkened.
Slowly, he spoke.
“Oh? And what exactly do you want me to do?”
The man smiled.
“You’ve got nice legs. If you don’t want her to suffer, how about shooting yourself in the leg first?”
Nelson had said it clearly: break the man’s pride, spare his life.
After he was crippled and poisoned, humiliating and torturing the woman in front of him—that would be the real punishment.
“Heh…” Atticus turned his head and looked at Clarissa. “Clarissa.”
She instinctively tried to stand, but rough hands forced her back down. “Atticus…”
The arrogance in his eyes melted instantly. His voice softened.
“Be good. Close your eyes. When I tell you to open them, I’ll take you home.”
Clarissa’s breath caught. Her heart hammered in her chest.
Slowly, she closed her eyes.
The moment she did, all gentleness vanished from Atticus’s gaze.
What replaced it was pure, merciless slaughter.
“I was hoping you’d live a little longer,” he said coldly. “But now… there’s no need.”
The man’s expression twisted with fury. “What are you standing around for?! Attack! Cripple his limbs!”
Everyone rushed at Atticus at once.
Clarissa couldn’t see what happened.
She could only hear it.
Gunshots.
Metal clashing.
Flesh tearing.
Screams—short, broken, and terrified.
Then—
The air filled with the thick, nauseating stench of blood, heavy and overwhelming, mixing grotesquely with the sweet scent of flowers.
The man beside her suddenly screamed.
“This—this isn’t possible! Monster! Demon—!”
He collapsed to the ground in terror, scrambling backward. “Quick! Call reinforcements! Hurry!”
“Boss… help me, please—help me!”
A furious roar exploded from the other end of the phone.
“You useless piece of shit! You’ve been hiding in this backwater for too long—do some damn research! I don’t want this land anymore. Deal with it yourself.”
The line went dead.
The hollow beeping that followed sounded like a death knell.
The man’s mind went blank.
Who… who had he been talking about? Wasn’t he just a doctor?
Atticus wiped the blood from his face and walked over. Then he stepped down hard.
A sickening crack echoed through the air.
“Heh.” Atticus tilted his head slightly, amused. “You’ve got some interesting hobbies. I can appreciate that.”
His foot pressed down again.
“Since you like playing so much…” His voice dropped, cold and intimate. “How about you play with me?”
The man didn’t even have time to scream before Atticus crushed his spine completely.
A howl of agony tore out of his throat.
Atticus glanced down at his own hand, flexing his fingers thoughtfully.
“Just now…” He looked back at the man writhing on the ground. “This was the hand that touched her, wasn’t it?”
He kicked him again.
Before another scream could escape, Atticus dislocated his jaw with a brutal strike.
“I can give the others a quick death,” he said calmly. “But you?”
Under the man’s wide, terror-filled eyes, Atticus methodically broke every bone in his limbs, twisting his body into a grotesque, inhuman shape.
When he was done, Atticus reached into his pocket and took out a small bottle.
He pulled down the man’s pants and sprinkled the liquid between his legs.
The man’s eyes shook violently.
Atticus leaned closer, his voice low enough that only the two of them could hear.
“The scent of this potion attracts fire ants from this forest. They’ll crawl all over you. Inside you. You’ve got maybe three days left.”
A slow smile curved his lips.
“So scream while you still can.”
Watching the man convulse and sob, Atticus laughed—a wild, unrestrained sound.
“Atticus…”
Clarissa’s voice reached him.
He froze. His breathing stuttered.
Before he could turn away, Clarissa suddenly threw herself into his arms, clutching him tightly.
The killing intent vanished from his face in an instant. He looked down at her, his voice rough. “Clarissa… I—I’m dirty…”
“It’s alright.” She lifted her head, her eyes steady and gentle. “I’m dirty too.”
She pressed her face into his chest, blood staining the white fabric of her clothes.
“Why did it take you so long?” she whispered. “I’ve been waiting for you… for so long.”
Atticus’s body trembled. He pulled her into his arms with fierce strength.
“Atticus…”
“Mmm.”
“Let’s go home.”
His eyes burned red as he answered softly,
“Okay…”
He lifted her carefully and left without looking back.
Mud crunched beneath his boots. The air was thick with blood and smoke. He glanced down at her.
Clarissa lay quietly in his arms, her expression calm. “Atticus…”
“What is it?”
“The one who kidnapped me,” she said slowly, “was Natalie.”
“Yes.” His voice darkened. “I know.”
He’d known the moment he’d found her hairband.
A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes. “I won’t let her go. Or the Gryphonhall family. None of them should have touched you.”
He paused. “Clarissa… don’t you have anything you want to ask me?”
She shook her head slightly. “I know you’re not ordinary. And I trust your judgment.”
She looked at him, her voice soft but unwavering. “I have a very good friend. She’s a police officer. These people don’t deserve mercy.”
Then she added calmly, “Next time, leave someone alive. I want evidence for her. It’ll help.”
Atticus was stunned. He hadn’t expected this.
His gaze fell to the bloodstains on the hem of her dress, and his throat tightened. “Aren’t you afraid of me?”
“What if I really am cruel? What if I’m worse than them? Clarissa, I—”
She kissed him. When they parted, both of them were breathing unsteadily.
“I love you,” Clarissa said.
She cupped his face gently. “I want to know the real you. Good or bad—it doesn’t matter. I want all of you.”
She smiled faintly. “One day, I hope you’ll tell me everything. Today, I saw another side of you… and I’m happy.”
“I love you. All of you.”
“And I believe my Atticus won’t let me down.”
Atticus stared at her, stunned.
For a moment, he wondered if he was dreaming.
She wasn’t afraid. She wanted all of him.
Clarissa… don’t say things like that, he thought bitterly. I’ll believe you.
His eyes reddened as he stopped walking. Then… I won’t be able to let you go.
Clarissa buried herself against him and whispered, “Atticus. Burn this place.”
“…Okay.”
The next moment, flames roared across the flower fields, devouring petals, soil, and corpses alike.
Atticus held her close as the fire raged.
“What’s next?” she asked quietly.
His sharp gaze shifted to a distant corner, his smile cold and lethal.
“We leave first. I’ll deal with the Gryphonhalls later.”
He glanced down at her. “I’ll give you all the evidence you want.”
“Okay.”
.....
Not far away, Natalie knelt on the ground, staring at the scene before her in disbelief.
This… all of this… was done by Atticus?
Fear gripped her chest—but when she saw Clarissa cradled safely in Atticus’s arms, that fear was quickly swallowed by a poisonous surge of jealousy.
Did he really love that woman that much?
She watched the two of them disappear into the distance, their figures close and unhurried, and her eyes filled with venomous hatred.
If I can’t have you… I’ll destroy you.
If you love that bitch Clarissa so much, then die with her.
Natalie took out her phone and dialed Nelson.
On the other end, Nelson’s hand trembled.
“What did you just say?” His voice shook. “He… he did what?”
Was he a monster?
Natalie stared at the half-rotting corpse nearby and swallowed hard.
“Atticus uses poison. And there were… strange things flying around him.”
Nelson’s face darkened completely.
No. He had to get rid of him—no matter what.
He made another call immediately.
“Blow up the mountain bridge. Lure them onto the alternate route—the one with mines. Set an ambush.”
His voice turned cold.
“Make sure the two of them die.”
Clarissa was carried the entire way.
“Atticus,” she said softly, “I can walk on my own.”
He shielded her carefully from low branches and thorns as he moved.
“No need. I’m faster this way. There are snakes and poisonous insects on the ground—it’s safer if I carry you.”
Hearing that, Clarissa didn’t argue. He knew this terrain far better than she did.
Atticus moved swiftly through the mountains, and eventually they emerged from the forest.
Clarissa’s relief lasted less than a second.
The massive bridge connecting the cliffs had been completely destroyed. Flames still licked at the remains.
Atticus let out a low chuckle, cold and sharp.
“Nelson… you’re quick.”
“Do you have any communication equipment on you?” Clarissa asked.
“Yes,” he replied grimly. “But there’s no signal here. We’ll have to go down.” He pointed toward a river halfway down the mountain. “There’s a road near the water that leads into town. We’ll have to detour.”
It would take time.
He cursed silently. Normally, a round trip through this area would only take a day and a night. Clarissa’s disappearance wouldn’t have seemed long enough to alert anyone. But now—
Damn you, Nelson.
He wanted nothing more than to tear him apart.
Just then, Clarissa tugged gently at his collar.
Her stomach growled audibly. She looked embarrassed.
“Um… I’m kind of hungry.”
She’d been held captive for nearly two days.
Atticus leaned down and kissed her forehead, then pulled what looked like an energy bar from his waist pouch and handed it to her.
“Eat this for now. Hold on a little longer—it’s almost dark. I’ll find a place for us to rest, then look for something better.”
He picked her up again and turned back into the forest.
Nestled against him, Clarissa tore open the wrapper and took a bite.
“The water’s in my waistband,” she said.
She took it out, twisted the cap open, and drank deeply.
It wasn’t dark yet, but Atticus was clearly moving faster than before.
“Atticus?” she asked. “What’s wrong?”