Chapter 125

Giovanni's Perspective

The night enveloped the room in darkness akin to ink, with moonlight seeping through the chilly chamber via the weathered stone windows. It cast a pallid glow upon Fern's face, her expression wrought with pain and helplessness. My punishment of her had just concluded, leaving her still bearing the marks I had inflicted. Fern lay still, her eyes closed, her frail figure almost blending into the shadows that enveloped the room.

I reclined nearby, observing Fern with a mixture of emotions swirling within me. Memories from her childhood flooded my mind, memories of a time when she had looked up to me as her older brother. She had been entirely reliant on me then, trusting me implicitly. As I surveyed the scene, a pang of pity and guilt washed over me. Despite my best efforts to bury them, these emotions gnawed at the edges of my conscience, refusing to be silenced.

However, any remorse I felt dissipated when I reflected on how all the benevolence ce