Chapter 25: The Traitor’s Order
The room was a triangle of devastation, humiliation, and defiance. This was the moment of transformation, where Ngan would shed her victim role and become the mastermind of the tragedy she had helped create. The sound of wind whistling through the cracks in the wall, the steady snoring from the other room, created a chilling soundtrack.
In Ngan’s head, a voice rang out: “Explain? Nonsense. Cry? Weak. The situation is beyond saving. Then… destroy it completely.” Ngan’s ragged breathing became steady, the pounding of her heart echoed in her ears. Her panicked eyes slowly changed, becoming cold and frighteningly calm, like a goddess preparing for a ritual.
She no longer cowered. Her movements became slow, deliberate, like a goddess preparing for a ritual. She slowly, very slowly, lowered the pillow that covered her chest, the fabric rustling softly, revealing her entire naked body. Her naked body was once again completely exposed under the light from the hallway, like a living statue. Her large, thick, round breasts were still red from the hasty lovemaking, her nipples erect. Her lower abdomen glistened with sweat, the fine hairs standing up slightly. But this time, that nakedness no longer carried the meaning of humiliation. It was a declaration of war, a challenge, an assertion of power. “Hmm…”
She sat up straight, her bare back against the sofa, a posture full of authority. She didn’t look at Minh. Her cold eyes looked through Tung, who was still standing frozen at the door, like a puppet on strings, lifeless. She spoke. Her voice no longer trembled, it was calm and had a ghostly power, like a bell ringing in the quiet space. “Close the door after you come in. It’s cold.”
Her words were an electric shock. It was not a plea, not an explanation. It was an order. It was so irrational that Tung’s pain-numbed brain could not process it. He could only act on instinct. Like a robot, he slowly reached back and pushed the door closed. The click of the latch rang out, sealing the three of them in darkness and the madness that was to come.
The only light from the hallway had disappeared. The room was almost pitch black, save for a faint glimmer of light from the window, just enough to make out the hazy shapes. The air was thick with the silence of shock, the tension of impending violence, and a morbid curiosity. The sound of the wind whistling through the cracks in the walls, and the steady snoring from the other room, made for a creepy soundtrack.
Ngan sat upright, naked on the sofa. The shell of panic had peeled away, leaving a terrifying calm. She was no longer prey. Her eyes were empty, but it was the emptiness of a judge waiting for the trial to begin. Tung stood with his back against the closed door, his chest heaving like a wounded animal, his breathing heavy. Anger and pain were tearing at his heart, but Ngan’s command had paralyzed him, not knowing what to do. Minh was still sitting on the sofa, a distance away from Ngan. His arrogance had turned to admiration and interest. He was watching a chess game being turned around in a spectacular way and wanted to know what the next move would be.
No one moved. They formed a motionless triangle in the darkness. Tung’s breathing was heavy and urgent, a low growl escaped from his throat. Minh’s almost soundless, mischievous chuckle. And Ngan’s absolute silence, only the pounding of her heart echoed in her ears.
The silence was broken by Ngan’s voice. Her voice was no longer cold, it suddenly became soft, a little coquettish, but each word was a bomb thrown into the quiet space, breaking all the restraint. She looked at Tung, her eyes sharp as a knife, then glanced at Minh, a challenging glance. “You two… are you going to stand there and watch me freeze to death?” She paused, letting the question hang in the air, a powerful provocation. Then she continued, a rhetorical question that sowed permission, a dangerous invitation. “Or are you… going to tear me apart?” “Um… hic…”
That sentence was a cure. It broke Tung’s paralysis and legitimized Minh’s curiosity. Tung, as if liberated, finally acted. He slowly walked towards the sofa, his footsteps heavy on the wooden floor. “You… you want…” Minh smiled, a sly smile in the darkness, a soft laugh. “Nuoi… I like you like this…” The trial was over. Now it was time to carry out the sentence.