Chapter 195 Laura’s demise

The hours ticked by in a haze of pain and fear, Franco's screams echoing through the cavernous warehouse as Mariama's men expertly plied their trade. Through it all, she remained a silent sentinel, her presence an inescapable weight bearing down upon her captive's psyche. Finally, when Franco was little more than a broken, whimpering husk, she stepped forward once more. Her movements were deliberate, unhurried, as she crouched before his battered form. "Are you ready to talk now, Franco?" Mariama's voice was soft, almost gentle, as she crouched before his battered form. Franco could barely make out her features through the haze of pain that enveloped him. Every breath was a ragged, agonizing struggle, his body a tapestry of bruises, cuts, and burns. He tried to speak, but only a pitiful whimper escaped his bloodied lips. Mariama tsked softly, shaking her head as if chiding a petulant child. "I had hoped it wouldn't come to this," she murmured. "But you left me no choice." She lean