: Daniel POV :

The leader’s cruel words echoed through the tavern, and Lindsay felt a sense of crushing humiliation and degradation wash over her.

“What are you waiting for?”

His impatient voice pierced the air, making it clear that he relished every moment of her torment.

“Lindsay, I don’t have time for you”

”It’s either you do it now or you hand over all of the money your husband owes us,” he sneered, his wicked smile adding to her torment.

His taunts were like knives, carving deep wounds in her pride and dignity.

Stripping herself in front of the tavern’s prying eyes would be a humiliating and traumatic experience that Lindsay knew she might never recover from.

Tears welled up in Lindsay’s eyes, her body trembling uncontrollably from the unbearable shame of the situation.

She knew that she was facing an impossible choice – to submit to a degrading act that would haunt her forever or to sacrifice her husband’s debt and potentially face dire consequences.

The room was heavy with tension, and the tavern’s patrons watched in horrified fascination, unable to look away from the soon heartbreaking spectacle that would unfold before them. as she grappled with her decision.

“F-Fine, I’ll do it.”

Lindsay’s voice quivered as she reluctantly acquiesced to the leader’s cruel demand.

She felt utterly defeated, backed into a corner with no other choice.

The room seemed to close in around her, and the weight of the decision she had just made hung heavily over her.

The leader’s twisted smile widened as he watched Lindsay prepare to go through with the humiliating act.

It was a moment of triumph for him, and he revelled in the power he held over her.

As Lindsay reluctantly began to comply, a whirlwind of emotions and memories flooded her mind.

She thought of her life before marriage, the moments she had shared with her husband, and how everything had spiralled into this horrifying nightmare.

It felt like a surreal and agonizing descent into a world she could never have imagined.

With trembling hands, Lindsay clung desperately to the strap on her shoulders, her tears forming glistening trails as they fell to the ground.

The overwhelming shame bore down on her, making her question how she had ended up in this nightmarish situation.

Simultaneously, the leader’s wicked smile stretched wider as he observed Lindsay, relishing her torment and humiliation.

His malevolence was palpable, adding to the already oppressive atmosphere in the tavern.

But just as Lindsay was on the verge of surrendering to this degrading demand, I intervened abruptly.

”What are you doing Lindsay?”

I gripped her wrist firmly, preventing her from proceeding any further down this dark path.

My voice, once filled with playful charm, had morphed into a deep and menacing tone.

The cheerful demeanour was gone, replaced by an icy, seething fury.

The expression etched on my face was not directed at Lindsay, but rather at the men responsible for subjecting her to such a horrifying ordeal.

“I did say that you’re a beautiful woman, but I never asked you to show it to anybody else,”

I asserted with a firm but caring tone.

My sudden intervention had caught Lindsay off guard, and she gazed at me with a mixture of astonishment and bewilderment.

“D-Daniel?”

Her voice quivered as she questioned my actions, clearly puzzled by my unexpected interference.

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With genuine concern in my eyes, I tightened my grip on her wrist ever so slightly.

“No, Daniel, please, I don’t want to get you involved,”

Lindsay pleaded, her smile tinged with tears.

Even in the midst of this distressing situation, she was adamant about protecting me from the turmoil surrounding her.

My heart ached at her words, and I replied with a solemn sincerity, “And I don’t want to see you doing something that you’ll regret.”

In that tense moment, our unspoken connection deepened, as we grappled with our emotions and the unexpected turn of events that had brought us to this pivotal crossroads.

My words had clearly struck a chord with Lindsay, but any chance for a romantic moment was swiftly interrupted by the impatient leader.

He called out to me with a hostile glare, demanding to know what I thought I was doing.

“What do I think I’m doing? Can’t you see it for yourself?”

I retorted, my tone laced with mockery.

My actions had clearly offended him, and his anger was palpable, evident in the way his fists clenched and his knuckles turned white.

“You!”

He seethed in response, his voice dripping with venom.

But then, as if realizing something, he suddenly let out a sinister, triumphant laugh that sent shivers down the spines of everyone in the tavern.

The atmosphere in the room had grown increasingly tense, and it seemed that the situation was spiralling out of control, with the leader’s anger and vindictiveness taking center stage.

”Good, Good, Good!”

The leader’s sinister laughter filled the tavern as he revelled in what he considered the joke of the day.

His amusement was chilling, and the situation grew increasingly precarious.

“It seems that you’re courting death!” he declared, drawing a sword from its sheath at his waist.

The sight of the blade sent a wave of tension through the remaining patrons, prompting them to hastily exit the establishment, fearing the impending violence.

Now, it was just us and the rogue cultivators.

“D-Daniel…you don’t have to help me,”

Lindsay pleaded, her voice laced with guilt and concern as she worried about my involvement in her predicament.

I could see the worry in Lindsay’s eyes as she glanced at me, but I wanted to ease her concerns and provide reassurance in this tense situation.

“Lindsay,”

I called out her name with tenderness, my smile meant to offer her comfort.

The effect was immediate, as I sensed her heartbeat quicken, a response to the emotions swirling around us.

Amidst the tension in the tavern, I reached out to Lindsay with gentleness in my voice and a comforting smile, calling her name softly.

The effect was palpable as her heart seemed to skip a beat, responding to the warmth and reassurance in my demeanour.

“Have some confidence in me,”

I encouraged her, my words a lifeline in this harrowing moment.

Lindsay, for reasons even she couldn’t explain, felt a newfound trust in my abilities.

She nodded in response, a gesture of faith amidst the chaos.

The leader, always eager to exploit any vulnerability, couldn’t resist the urge to taunt Lindsay further about her marital status.

His smile twisted into a mockery of her situation as he questioned, “But, aren’t you married, Lindsay?”

His words struck like a cruel blade, leaving Lindsay’s emotions in turmoil.

”Well I supposed I can’t blame you for cheating considering that you’re husband is quite pathetic”

As if that wasn’t enough, the leader continued his verbal assault, belittling her husband and indirectly accusing her of infidelity.

Lindsay’s heart ached with a complex mix of emotions, and her expression became even more uncertain, caught in the crossfire of humiliation and desperation.

Sensing the impending conflict, I urged Lindsay, “Lindsay, get behind me.”

She complied without hesitation, positioning herself behind me as a precautionary measure.

While I knew I possessed the strength to protect her, I felt it necessary to create a sense of anticipation and tension in the atmosphere.

My attention now fully fixed on the leader and his unruly companions, my demeanour underwent a noticeable transformation.

My formerly composed expression shifted to one of determination and unwavering resolve.

With my finger pointed squarely at the leader, I challenged him, “You.”

The accusation in my voice was unmistakable.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to make her strip?”

The question hung in the air, a direct challenge to his malevolent intentions.

With a twisted, mocking smile on his face, the leader responded callously, “So what of it? What’re you going to do about it?”

His words dripped with arrogance and disdain as if he believed I was nothing more than a random passerby who posed no threat, but he was wrong.

As I stood there, my mind churned with countless scenarios on how to make them suffer the worst possible fate.

While I had the power to end them swiftly, their own words earlier had revealed that death would be a merciful escape.

I had decided to make them pay for their cruel intentions, mirroring their treatment of Lindsay.

“If you ask someone to strip, then, wouldn’t that mean, all of you are prepared to do the same thing?”

I questioned, my voice laced with a wicked smile.

The tables had turned, and the leader and his men were about to taste their own medicine.

The leader’s anger flared, and he found my words utterly ridiculous.

Even Lindsay, standing behind me, was bewildered, wondering about my plans.

Yet, I continued with a smile, “I mean, aren’t all of you prepared to strip yourselves naked?”

My tone was mocking, and I could see confusion and hesitation beginning to dawn on their faces.