Alex's P.O.V.

I pull up to the abandoned warehouse. The place looks rundown, the perfect setting for what's about to go down. I just can't wait to make those two fucking people suffer who caused Stella so much pain.

Every time I close my eyes, her crying face flashes before me, and it shatters my heart. I wish I could take away all her pain.
I climb out of the car and head to the entrance, where I meet one of Gabriel's men.

"They're inside," he informs me. "Tied up, just like you requested."

I give him a curt nod and follow him through the corridor. I can hear the faint muffled voices of Jade and Leah.

When we reach the room, I see them bound to chairs, their faces pale and drenched with sweat. They're struggling against the ropes, shouting and screaming at the men who brought them here. The sight of them like this brings a satisfying smile to my face.

This is just the beginning. I'll make them pay for every single tear Stella has shed because of them. They'll beg me for mercy, but I won't grant it.

Jade asks in a shaky voice. "Who the hell are you people? Let us go."

Leah's eyes dart around in terror. "This has to be a mistake. We didn't do anything wrong."

They didn't do anything wrong? Seriously, she is saying that? They hurt my Stella. They made her feel worthless. How can she even say that they haven't done anything wrong?

As I step into the room, they stop screaming and stare at me in confusion. They have no idea what's coming for them.

"Who the hell are you?" Jade snaps, trying to put on a brave face, but his voice cracks. "What do you want from us?"

I step closer, my eyes fixed on him. "You know exactly why you're here. Don't play dumb." My voice is cold, devoid of any emotion.

His brows furrow in confusion. "I don't know what you're talking about. Who the fuck are you?"

I smirk, leaning down to look him directly in the eye. "I'm the guy who's here to make sure you pay for every single tear you made Stella shed."

Their faces freeze in shock as the realisation hits them.

"But who are you?" Jade questions, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

I stand up straight, my smirk fading into a serious expression. "It doesn't matter who I am. All you need to know is that you're going to feel every ounce of the pain you caused her."

Jade squirms in the chair, panicking. "This is insane. You can't do this! We didn't mean to hurt her—it wasn't like that."

I cut him off with a sharp glare. "Save your excuses. You betrayed her in the worst way, you cheated on her and put the blame on her. Now, you're going to pay for it."

Leah sobs uncontrollably, shaking her head. "Please... we're sorry. It was a mistake!"

"A mistake?" I snarl, stepping closer to her. "What you did to Stella wasn't a mistake. It was calculated. You knew exactly what you were doing. And now, you'll both pay for it."

I take a step forward, towering over Jade, my fists clenched tightly. "You think you can just brush this off as a mistake? Do you even understand what you did to her?"

Before he can respond, I slam my fist into his face. His head snaps back, blood drips from his nose, and he groans in pain.

"You made her feel worthless," I shout, landing another punch, this time to his stomach. "You shattered her self-esteem."

I grab him by the collar, yanking him up so he's forced to look at me. "Do you have any idea what she's going through because of you?"

His lip trembles, but he doesn't speak. He can't. His eyes are wide with terror, and I can see he is realising—there's no escape.

I release him with a hard shove, and he falls back into the chair, blood staining his shirt. Leah whimpers in the corner, but I ignore her for now. My focus is on Jade.

"Stella cries herself to sleep because of you," I spit, my knuckles aching from the force of the punches. "She trusted you, and you broke her. Do you understand that?"

Jade tries to speak, but all that comes out is a weak groan. I pace back and forth, trying to calm myself, but every time I think of Stella's crying face, the anger flares up again.

"She's shattered because of what you did. And now... you're going to feel every bit of that pain."

Without warning, I kick the chair, knocking it over with Jade still tied to it. He crashes to the floor, letting out a grunt of pain. Leah screams, but I don't care. They both deserve every bit of this.

I lean down, grabbing his shirt and pulling him closer to me. "This is just the beginning, Jade. You're going to suffer for every tear Stella shed." I kick him nonstop, venting my all anger.

I glance at Leah, who's sobbing uncontrollably, her eyes wide with terror. She tries to shuffle back in her chair, away from me, but there's nowhere to go.

I approach her slowly. "You think you're off the hook, Leah?" I ask, my voice calm but deadly. "You were just as responsible. You helped him hurting Stella."

Leah's voice cracks as she pleads, "I didn't mean to—"

"Didn't mean to?" I yell, leaning down so my face is inches from hers. "You were her friend, and what did you do?"

Her sobs grow louder, her body trembling uncontrollably. But her tears don't soften me. They only remind me of Stella's tears.

"You wanted to see Stella fall apart? Now you'll know what that feels like." I snap my fingers at Gabriel's men. "Make sure she gets a taste of her own medicine."

One of them pulls a blindfold from his pocket, while another tightens the ropes binding Leah to her chair. Her cries grow more frantic, and she starts shaking her head, screaming.

"No, no! Please! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Her words fall on deaf ears as they gag her, silencing her screams. I step back, watching her.

Before I leave, I lean down and whisper in Leah's ear, "You deserve worse than this. But don't worry... this is only the beginning."

I straighten up and give one last look at both of them—Jade bleeding on the floor and Leah bound and silenced in her chair. I feel satisfied, knowing they'll be broken just like they broke Stella.

"Make them regret every second of what they did," I order the men. "Don't let them forget."

With that, I turn and walk out of the room, the sounds of their muffled screams fading behind me. I'll make them suffer until I'm satisfied and Stella, my flower, blooms again.