\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
The way minutes te\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
The two minutes rule\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hades\u00a0<\/p>\n
When I was younger, a psychologist once recommended something called the two\u2013minute rule. To be honest, I still don\u2019t know why my father dragged me into therapy in the first place. There was nothing wrong with me. I wasn\u2019t broken. I wasn\u2019t unstable. I was just different.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Unlike most people, I didn\u2019t waste time pretending to want what was good for me. I did what I wanted, took what I wanted, claimed what I wanted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To me, the best things in life had always been the bad and forbidden ones.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I had an appetite for the things I shouldn\u2019t touch, especially when they belonged to someone else. Therapy didn\u2019t cure me of that. If anything, it gave me tools to enjoy it more. The two\u2013minute rule was one of them\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was simple, give people two minutes before doing anything. Let them talk. Let them dig their own graves. Let them feel safe enough to make it fun when I pulled the ground out from under them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I learned that the longer they rambled, the more mistakes they made. The more they tested me, the worse it got for them. I turned a coping mechanism into a test, a way to see just how far people could push me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And in all these years, I had never broken it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Well, until now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The man\u2019s groans and panicked moans echoed down the mall\u2019s hall as I slammed his face against the wall.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAhhh!\u201d he choked out, blood already smearing on the pale surface. Behind us, startled screams rippled through the small crowd that had gathered. The woman with him yelled his name, but I barely glanced at her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I tilted my head, watching him struggle, my voice flat and edged with danger.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a long time since I\u2019ve been this pissed,\u201d I said, low enough for only him to hear. \u201cPass her to you? Have a taste?\u201d My grip on the back of his neck tightened. \u201cYou must want an early grave talking about her that way.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before he could respond, I drove his head into the wall again. His knees buckled, a strangled sound breaking from him as his body started to slump. I kicked the back of his legs out from under him, sending him crumpling to the floor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He groaned, clutching his head. \u201cAh\u2026 please, stop. I\u2019ll apologize,\u201d he whimpered through the blood clogging his\u00a0<\/p>\n
nose.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His voice cracked, high\u2013pitched and pathetic. I didn\u2019t feel a shred of sympathy. I\u2019m not the type to feel bad for someone, and even if I were, this man wouldn\u2019t be worth it. There are always consequences to one\u2019s actions, and right now, he was choking on his.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I pressed my foot down on his head, grinding his cheek into the cold floor until I felt bone scrape bone. \u201cToo late for apologies,\u201d I said, my tone as casual as if we were discussing the weather. \u201cTrash like you should\u2019ve never thought you had a chance with her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cW\u2013what are you doing? Get off him! You\u2019re going to kill him!\u201d The woman yelled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She spun toward one of the sales associates, her voice cracking. \u201cCall security! Why are you just standing there? You\u2019re the assistant manager, for fuck\u2019s sake!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The girl looked pale: \u201cI\u2013I did, but none of them answered. even called the police, they said they\u2019d be here soon, but they\u2019re not\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her words trailed off, and that\u2019s when a man in the crowd spoke up. \u201cI saw the white\u2013haired guy talking to the\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
police earlier. After that, they all just left.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJust who is he, that even the police turn a blind eye to an assault?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I met their stares with the same bored look.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This was already dragging, and Violet was waiting for me. I had no interest in wasting another second on these people. I stepped away from the man. He groaned in relief, curling into himself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The sound of shoes clicking against the floor reached me from behind. \u201cMr. Hades,\u201d a familiar voice said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned just enough to see Levi, impeccably dressed in his usual dark suit, the same man who had brought Violet flowers the other day. His face was unreadable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stepped forward and handed me a black handkerchief. I took it without a word and began wiping the blood from my knuckles.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When I was done, I tossed the handkerchief onto the man\u2019s head. Then, without haste, I turned toward the seating area. My steps were unhurried as I sank into the couch, one arm draped lazily along the backrest, my leg crossing over the other.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My gaze swept the room once, meeting the eyes of everyone still staring at me. They all looked away immediately.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I leaned back, resting my chin on my hand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
All that remained was deciding whether I was finished with them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll ask you one simple question.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My gaze shifted to the man, who was still crumpled on the floor, blood on his shirt and fear in his eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDid she, in any way, flirt with you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course-\u201d the woman began.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, sir!\u201d the man blurted, cutting her off. He winced as he crawled toward me, his every movement strained with pain. He shook his head hard enough that fresh blood dripped from his nose. \u201cThat woman didn\u2019t flirt with me in the slightest. She ignored me all day.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHoney!!\u201d the woman gasped, horrified.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d he snapped. \u201cDon\u2019t call me honey! I\u2019m beaten this badly because of you in the first place. And you probably lied about her. I know exactly the kind of person you are. You were jealous because she\u2019s pretty. You make it hell for other women when I pay attention to them. You ruin their lives, and make them look like the terrible ones, when it\u2019s you all along.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSee? I knew she was lying,\u201d someone muttered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t believe she\u2019d make up something like that,\u201d another hissed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPoor girl, she had to suffer because of them, she\u2019s just-\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned my head and looked directly at the one speaking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She swallowed, closed her mouth, and stared at the floor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Who were they to pity her?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shifted my attention to the assistant manager, the blonde woman who had so casually demanded Violet\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
The two minutes hale\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
apologize earlier.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew the truth,\u201d I said flatly, \u201cand you stood there and told her to apologize.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She flinched under my gaze. \u201cI\u2013I didn\u2019t have a choice,\u201d she stammered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat a pathetic excuse.\u201d I replied, my tone indifferent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it. I turned away from her and let my gaze sweep the crowd.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe next time you don\u2019t know anything,\u201d I said, \u201ckeep your mouth shut.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The crowd shifted, heads ducking, throats tightening. No one met my eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I let my gaze fall on the woman again. I looked at her like she was the most disgusting thing I\u2019d ever laid eyes on.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re lucky you were born a woman,\u201d I said, my voice almost a growl. \u201cI don\u2019t hit women.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She actually had the audacity to look relieved.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stood, sliding my hands into my pockets.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLevi,\u201d I said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, sir.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much would it take to destroy his company, leave him penniless, and ensure the woman spends the rest of her life in jail?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The man and woman froze, the color draining from their faces.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAn hour, sir.\u2018\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDo it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c}\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Levi replied without hesitation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Nights Burn With Regret \u2014 by Nathan Perez 44 \u00a0 3\/3\u00a0 The way minutes te\u00a0 +25 Bonus\u00a0 The two minutes […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[83],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27960","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-craving-the-guardian-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27960","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27960"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27960\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27960"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27960"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27960"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}