You will thank me later.

Mrs. Wales turned away without a second glance, her heels clicking against the cold floor as she made her way toward the door.

There was no hesitation in her steps, no flicker of doubt-just the certainty of a woman who believed she had won.

As soon as the door became closed, the five men closed in.

Charles barely had time to draw a breath before the first punch landed, snapping his head to the side.

A sharp kick to his ribs followed, forcing a strangled gasp from his lips.

"Arrgh!"

Blow after blow rained down on Charles, each strike more merciless than the last.

Charles vision blurred, his ears rang with the sickening sounds of fists meeting flesh, and his body jerked like a rag doll beneath their relentless assault.

Charles wanted to fight back, to scream, to beg-but he couldn't.

He was drowning in a sea of pain, and there was no one to save him.