THE TORMENTOR
The Tormentor - Episode 41&42
( Blêed•For•Me, Ixora )
Book 1 in the Mindf+ck Trilogy
_________________________
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied, or reposted in any form, or by any means without a written permission from the author.
Copyright © 2025
_________________________
Despite the hardness of Romeo's grip on Ixora, she broke free immediately their lips touched, and she punched him in the face.
Romeo staggered on the table behind him, but it wasn't over cos she went ahead to slap him too—on the same cheek.
"Ixora!" His eyes widened as they met her angrily red ones.
The camera is still on, meaning everyone is still watching.
Quickly, he tried turning it off, but she pushed him away from the button and punched him again.
"Ixora..." He whispered, his face red from her hits.
"I am not your toy to be tossed around! I am not a doormat nor a ragdoll!! I dunno what got into your head, but you better stay away from me! I'm not your property you fool!" She shouted, pointing a finger at his chest.
He tried to hold that finger, but she kicked him in the face this time, and he staggered on the table again with a nosebleed.
His eyes turned wider, cos how the f+ck is her kick and punch so hard and deadly?
"I will not be a challenge material between you and him, so taking me for granted should be out of your list! And it seems you've stopped coming to pick me. Very good, but I'm officially firing you right here! You are fired!" She shouted.
Romeo couldn't move as she brought out her phone and clicked on his line.
She blocked him in contacts and Whatsapp, even on Instagram.
"You crossed the line recklessly, and you better start acting like you dunno me from now on, clown" she glared, pushing him out of the way and leaving the room.
--
As Ixora came out of the room, walking the corridor with the air blowing her hair around her head, students made way, staring and muttering things at the same time.
"What's with the unnecessary anger, she got kissed by the guy Tina is dying to have"
"Tina is dying to have him, not Ixora, and stop talking like getting kissed by Romeo is a privilege. He kissed her without her permission, we all watched it"
"I'd kiss him hard if I was in her place"
"I thought we all hated that he's a barber's son"
"A barber's son, true, but he's hella hot, please"
The mutterings did nothing to put out the fire burning in Ixora's head, so she had to stop and face the crowd of students.
"Get off my back, and stop talking, it's too noisy!!" She yelled at them, and some of them obviously flinched, then she left that hall.
"Xoxo!" Nadine caught up with her in front of the building, and they went to the oak tree together, taking their seats under it.
"I'm so sorry, if I knew Romeo was gonna do that, I wouldn't have let you go with him" she said.
"It's fine, not your fault" Ixora replied, and Nadine hugged her.
"I wish you didn't have to go through all these, it's tiring for real. Warren before, but now Romeo? I thought you said you told him it was a mistake after that night" she said.
Ixora broke the hug.
"I did, I clearly told him it meant nothing since we were both drunk. Yes it's painful I lost my virginity to a guy I feel nothing for, but I was ready to let go cos it ain't his fault, but now he's just making me hate him" she said.
Nadine heaved.
"You really need the Capetown break. Spend three days over there if you can, you need to get yourself together again" she said.
"I don't think I can attend today's classes too, I'm going home right now. I'll pack my bags and watch Euphoria with the rest of my day" Ixora stood.
"For real? Then let's bunk off together, I'll follow you" Nadine stood too, and they left together.
On top of the oak tree, Serena and Kelsey sat, watching the two as they took their leave.
"So... somehow, it's good that we didn't succeed in killing them. At least, you'll have Ixora's face now, then you can kill her afterwards" Kelsey said.
Serena removed her mask before talking. "What if I told you I'm not interested in killing her again" she said.
"You're not interested? Then how will you get her face?" Kelsey replied curiously.
"My doctor is an expert in facial surgeries, and as at now, he's trying out the building of human face, and I already gave him Ixora's picture as the specimen" Serena replied.
"Wait...you mean he's gonna...like...create the same face as Ixora's, and you're gonna wear that with surgery? What witchcraft is that? How is that even gonna be possible?" Kelsey said confusedly.
"Wait till it's done, and you'll know it's not bluff. When it's finally done and I have the face, I'm gonna find a way to take Ixora and ruin her face, then alter her memories before bringing her back to the mansion. She'd serve me, as my slave" Serena replied.
Kelsey began clapping, awe on her face.
"I hate to admit, but that's some brilliant shit if it's gonna be possible" she said.
Serena smiled.
--
[Med Hall]
Warren's palm is still bleeding as a result of the glass he shattered, but no one is looking at him.
They all know better than to look his way, and the professor is minding his business in the front too, gluing his attention into the class he's taking.
Drip.
Drip.
The blood from his palm dropped on the ground every second.
Even the wound from the stab Ixora gave him last night is still fresh, and it's breathing under his shirt as he kept staring at the projector.
There are lots of written wurds on the screen, but the only one his eyes caught is pain.
Insane pains.
He gritted his jaws, Romeo's words entering his head again.
He wouldn't be so distorted if he hasn't mentioned his name, but Romeo had to go mention his name?
He's trying really really hard to see him as Matron's son and not as someone he has to kill, but Romeo obviously doesn't want that.
He stood suddenly.
"Mr. Creed?" The professor said, but he just stormed out of the hall, the blood from his palm forming a trail after him.
He went straight up to the Off Limits nest where he met the rest waiting already.
Everyone is sitting except Konstantin who's by the pictures wall again.
"I say we catch him, take him to the mill and grind him in the machine, then make Bethel eat his grinded flesh" he said, turning around to face Warren who's just coming in.
"I meant...here we are, trying our stupid best to focus on pet girl alone, but he's begging to be crucified, and I'd gladly do that" Konstantin continued.
"I badly regret not planting the bomb on him last night" Ashton said.
"According to your jail story that you told us, that bastard has an history with Hawke's daughter, doesn't he?" Capri said.
"Are you saying we should leave him alone till Chicago comes out?" Konstantin scoffed.
"Since she badly wants to kill him, then I say yes. We really don't have anytime to waste on him at the moment cos I just found out that our main sinner is somewhere in South Africa" Ashton said.
Warren who has been silent took a remote with his bloody hand, turning on a screen on the wall.
It displayed the coordinates of Mrs. Ortega's secret call last night, and all lines are stretching to Africa.
"It's either Soweto, Johannesburg, or Capetown" Warren interestedly said.
"She's hiding really well" Konstantin nodded.
Warren picked his phone and dialled Lydia's line.
"Young Lord" Lydia's voice came.
"A flight to South Africa tomorrow" he said.
"On it" she replied, and he hung up.
--
Romeo couldn't go for his classes after his stupid move this morning.
Yes, it was stupid, and he didn't realize his own folly till the subsequent hits and blocking from Ixora.
It hurts, so he just stayed in a washroom, cursing himself inwardly.
Is he letting his old self take over for real? That can't happen.
He bunched his hair in his hands, looking up at the ceiling with a groan.
"Romeo!!" Bethel broke into the washroom.
"Stop screaming my name everywhere!!" He yelled angrily, and she threw the water-soaked paper with her at his head.
It hit his forehead, and he shook it off with a glare.
"Are you crazy? What was that idiotic declaration? She has been so nice to you, to us, but you did that just to challenge Warren? Is she a joke or tool to you? What is wrong with you!" She slapped his arm, but then she noticed his eyes, and she gasped.
"Wait ... You removed your contact lenses? No...no no... you're not unleashing that side of you again. You promised to keep it under wraps so what are you doing!" She snapped.
Romeo just walked out of the washroom, and she followed with a run.
"Romeo!!"
He went down the curve of the hallway, leaving her sight completely.
"That crazy one!" She stumped her foot, sighing out.
"Heard they moved back to their old house" a passing student said, making her turn.
The female student is walking by with a male.
"From grace to grass?" The male student laughed as they went down the curve together.
Bethel released a sigh, leaving the spot grudgingly.
After she left, Clover came out of the corner he's in, his hands stuck in his pocket.
He stood in the empty space in the middle of the corridor, staring into space with a predatory smile.
--
[Tina's Place]
Tina didn't go to campus, she spent all day at home, taking care of Monty whom she found naked in front of her gate last night when she came back from the hospital.
Monty was naked except for the shirt and jacket covering her bre+sts and puxxy, and she was shocked to her marrow to see her that way.
She had taken her inside and lay her in bed. The fact that she's still breathing gave her hope that she's gonna wake up, but it's taking too long.
She had gone to the kitchen to get apple from her freezer while soliloquizing about Romeo's kiss with Ixora.
She might not have gone to school, but she's in the school groups, so she saw the video.
The way Ixora slapped, kicked and punched him after she pushed him off is all she needs to confirm that Ixora sees him as just friends, so why us Romeo so into her?
She entered her room with headache, and surprisingly, Monty is already sitting up in bed.
She's awake.
"Monty!" She rushed to the bedside, sitting beside her and feeling her temperature by touching her forehead.
It's normal, so she breathed out in relief.
"What exactly happened?" Tina asked, but Monty couldn't even reply.
She got down from the bed, turning deaf ears to Tina's holler as she entered the bathroom and sat on the bare ground, backing the wall.
She remembers everything, vividly.
After she slept off in the car, she woke up paralyzed to meet herself on a table, unable to move.
Since her cameras and trackers are in her clothes and shoes they removed, she got nothing.
Even the camera lens on her eyeballs, they removed it, so she captured nothing too.
How did they know she's a virgin and that she had all those cameras in her body?
Bronx.
Bronx saved her, but at the same time, he's one of them, and she could remember he told her not to say a thing about it.
She covered her ears with her palms to block out Tina's call of her name from the door, and her head throbbed with headache.
--
[Stonia's Mansion]
Ixora and Nadine finished packing her bag an hour ago, and since then, they've been watching Euphoria on Ixora's laptop, both laying under the bedsheets as the light from the laptos screen bathed their faces.
Euphoria is like their best series. They watched it countlessly with Evelyn when she was still alive.
Luckily, it took their minds away from their worries, and when their milkshake bottles began getting dry, Ixora took them to go refill downstairs.
She entered the kitchen and opened the freezer gently.
As the yellow light from the freezer hit her eyes, the eyes widened, and she stopped moving like she got remoted.
She had a quick flashback of three years ago.
—3 Yrs Ago, Ortegas’ Mansion—
Mr. Ortega was found dead inside his kitchen with a knife stuck in his chest and another one in his abdomen.
Warren's fingerprints were found in the knife, and apart from that, Evelyn claimed to have seen him doing the murder too, so he got arrested.
Mr. Ortega's burial is today, but it ended already, so Evelyn and her mother are back home.
Ixora followed them home to continue consoling Evelyn, and she has to do it alone since their third friend—Nadine, is currently on a vacation with her parents.
Evelyn lay in her bed, her back propped with a pillow as she kept wiping the tears that escaped her sullen swollen eyes.
"It's ok... you've been crying since yesterday" Ixora said, rubbing her back.
"I can't stop it, Xoxo. You know how much I loved dad" Evelyn sniffled, and Ixora hugged her, rubbing her back continuously.
"Tomorrow is the court hearing yunno?" Evelyn said, and Ixora slowly broke the hug.
"Yeah" she nodded.
"Can you testify?" Evelyn asked, and Ixora frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"Testify against the Warren guy. He's Elder Creed's son and you know how rich and influential that man is. I think he'd be released if we only rely on my witness proof alone, you have to testify that you saw him too" Evelyn said.
"No. That's wrong. You're the only one who saw him, not me. Listen, Evelyn. I love you a lot but saying what I didn't see? No" Ixora refused.
"Just... forget about it. I must have been crazy when I said it, I just hope he gets the jail he deserves" Evelyn replied.
Mrs. Ortega came in with a tray containing two cups of juice immediately, and she dropped it on the bed for them.
"You both should drink something and saturate your throats especially you Ixora. You did a great job consoling Evelyn, and I'm grateful for that" she said.
"Thanks, Mrs. Ortega. But I don't feel like taking juice right now, I'll make sure Evelyn drinks it though" Ixora replied politely.
"If you won't drink, then I'm not drinking too" Evelyn replied, taking one cup of juice and leaving the second one on the tray.
Ixora took the second one.
—Present Time—
"Why am I just remembering this? Why wasn't in my memories before?" She muttered, but then she felt wetness in her nostrils.
She touched it with her fingers, and she gasped when she saw blood.
She quickly got tissues and wiped the blood off, disposing the bloodstained tissues in the wastebin before returning upstairs.
"What took so long?" Nadine asked.
She was about to come get her.
"Nad, when you arrived from your vacation three years ago, what was going on?" She asked.
"What do you mean?" Nadine blinked.
"Just say it"
"Evelyn's dad was already dead, you and Evelyn claimed you saw him doing the murder, and you were ready to testify to back Evelyn up" Nadine explained.
Ixora sighed, sitting in bed.
That only means she later agreed to testify, but when did she even agree to testify?
Why is she not remembering anything about it?
"Are you ok?" Nadine asked, sitting beside her.
"Yeah" Ixora replied, placing her head on Nadine's chest.
Nadine smiled, wrapping her arms on her.
"Capetown tomorrow, I'm missing you already" she muttered.
--
[Two Days Later, ILC]
Nadine was alone as she walked out of her first class, her shoulder bag secure on her shoulder.
Pictures of Romeo and Ixora's ambassadorial photoshoot just came out today, late than she expected.
It's on the school gate, on the LED screen, on the school portal, even the blog and bulletin board.
It's everywhere around school, and girls are rolling eyes in jealousy anytime they walk past it.
Satan's Heirs party flyers are also on the school walls.
It's tonight, and as appetizing as it looks, Nadine isn't planning to go since the second devil will be there.
He's literally the organizer.
She knew she'd miss Ixora, but not this much.
It's been two f+ckin days, and the world has been sour.
She made her way to the cafeteria to eat lunch alone, and immediately she took a bite from her pie, someone else took a bite.
She gasped, and he settled in front of her, chewing the bite he took.
She made to stand, but he pulled her back by the arm, and her butt landed back on the chair.
"Tan!" She gasped, and he squinted, leaning forward, his eyes as filthy as the depths of abyss.
"You gave me a nickname already, Lisichka?" He smirked.
"That was a mistake, I didn't mean to—"
"KonaTANt, you choose just three, you aren't greedy" he said, resting back on his chair with that evil grin.
Nadine hiccupped.
"Come to the hideaway party tonight, and wear something freaky" he said, standing and drinking from her milkshake before leaving.
Nadine continued hiccuping, and from the back of the cafeteria, Capri dropped the magazine covering his face and Anfisa's face, so their faces came to view.
"Is he playing with her?" Anfisa said.
"What else? He's a bastard and she's too innocent to be tainted by him. Not like I care about her, but I just know she'd cry like Ixora if he gets too invested" Capri said.
Anfisa kept looking at Nadine who's already leaving.
--
Stepping out of the cafeteria, Romeo was the first person Nadine walked into.
Since he made the silly declaration two days ago, she has been avoiding him.
"I know you're mad at me, but at least talk to me. Is Ixora not coming to school cos of me? I'd have gone to her place but you know her mum hates me" he said, walking after her.
Nadine didn't stop.
"Nadine!" He blocked her.
"What do you want? You're planning to call me your property too?" She said.
"Please... just tell me how she's doing and —"
"She's on a trip to Capetown with her mum" she cut him off, and his eyes widened.
"Yeah, now stop following me" she rolled eyes and left him.
Romeo kept standing there, like a statue.
During Bethel's call with Matron last night, Matron mentioned that Warren travelled to South Africa, so...
What's going on?
What if he's in cape too?
He ran madly down the hall, his hair sprawling.
--
[Amphitheater]
Monty opened the door as quietly as ever, and she even started doubting if this is her cos the former Monty would be barging in instead of this silly easiness.
But now... The deed is already done, he saw her nakedness with the rest if his godforsaken cult, so she has to thread with caution.
She expected Bronx to be bullying students inside as usual, but he's not even inside, so her arms dropped.
Where could he be?
She needs to do this confrontation, now that she's still feeling like it.
"Looking for me?" His voice said from the top, and she looked up to see him staring down at her from the stair railing, his face having more wounds that it had yesterday.
She quickly climbed the staircase, running upstairs to him, but by the time she arrived, he was already gone.
"Bronx!!! Come out you bloody motherfûcker!!!" She yelled, kicking the railings in rage till her sneaker peeled.
"Bronx!!!!" She yelled again, turning around as her headphones fell from her neck.
"Monty?" Tina said, entering the amphitheater.
Monty didn't even reply, she just kept breathing out heavily.
Tina climbed the stairs to go meet her.
"What's going on? I found you naked days ago and you've been acting strange, you wouldn't even tell me what's up" she said.
"I'm not ready to talk about it, Tina" Monty replied, her voice restless.
"Shall we go to the hideaway party tonight then? Everyone is going including Bronx" Tina said, and Monty faced her.
"Him?"
"Yeah" Tina replied.
--
"Shall we storm the hideaway party tonight?" Kelsey asked Serena as they walked to the park together.
"Party with my face like this?" Serena replied under her mask.
"C'mon, I can help you with the makeup and cover your scars, we can't miss this party. It's the first time the Satan's Heirs would be hosting one" Kelsey replied.
Serena halted, thinking about it in another way.
She'd get to see her crush among the guys, so it's not a bad idea after all.
"Fine" she agreed.
"My bad bi+ch!" Kelsey hailed as they got in their cars.
As they drove out of the campus, Bethel appeared with one of the flyers in her hand.
"Are you coming?" Clover asked, joining her.
"You again? At this rate, I need to call the cops" she said.
"I don't mean any harm, u just wanna be friends with your brother but he's not making it easy" he replied.
"Give up, Romeo has always been a lone wolf so he's not the type to make friends, and about the party, of course I'm coming, everyone is coming" Bethel said, leaving him.
"Will Romeo be coming to the party too? Haven't seen him around" Clover muttered.
--
[Capetown, La Residence | Franschoek]
As a top tier hotel with stunning 360-degree views of mountains, vineyards and orchards, it's exceptional service and beautiful setting made top choice for the lodging for Stonia and Ixora
Stonia never goes for less, and Ixora loves it a lot here.
Though, the misses Nadine like mad, but at least, she gets to enjoy the serenity and peace she lacked in California.
There's no Warren, no Romeo, no Satan's Heirs, no blood and gore and hate. She's free...for now.
Also, she enjoys the South African foods more than she expected, especially the Bobotie and Boerewor.
Stonia is currently preparing to go for a night meet with her staffs, and she'd have loved to go with with her and wait in the lobby till the meeting would be over, but she just wants to stay indoors.
She helped Stonia with her lip combo, and the woman gave her a deep peck which left imprint of her lips on her cheek.
"If you want anything, call room service, and if you detect even a slight anomaly, call me. I won't mind leaving my meet to come back" she said.
"I understand, don't take long" Ixora replied, and Stonia stroked her hair before exiting with her managers and guards who are waiting by the door.
The receding sounds of their exit was reaching Ixora in the room till they entered the elevator.
She wandered around the expensive suite, touching everything she could touch till she got bored out of her mind
Maybe she should have followed Stonia after all.
She was about to fall in bed and slumber when she sighted her bikini in her open wardrobe.
Five minutes later, she's already dressed in the bikini, walking out of the room.
She made her way to the suite pool hall which is as silent as the rest of the suite, and she had no idea how much she missed swimming till now.
She adjusted her bra before jumping into the blue water, and the water responded to her intrusion with a loud splash.
She began swimming with deep side strokes, then back strokes before switching to the butterfly.
She later went underwater to stay some minutes, trying to balance her thoughts and cool her head more than it already is.
She surfaced after thtee minutes, taking deep inhales to allow air into her starved lungs.
And that's when she felt her bra hook has unhooked behind her.
Did she not hook it very well before leaving the suite?
She stretched her hands behind herself, trying to take the two ends and hook it back, but someone else took it before her, causing the air she inhaled to filter out of her nostrils hotly.
Feeling the cold deadly hands on her skin made her pupils dilate, and she gasped.
Someone else is in the pool.
SOMEONE ELSE!
TBC.
No comments