Storms of the Heart novel Chapter 9

The guards moved in at once, reaching for Trina's friends to haul them away.

"Stop!" Trina slammed her wineglass to the floor. It exploded into shards, glass skittering across the tiles.

"This is my birthday party! I dare any one of you to touch them!"

The guards hesitated, clearly troubled. "Mrs. Hauser, orders are orders. Please don't make this harder on us..."

Trina looked from Julian's retreating back to her friends' terrified faces. A wave of fury and helplessness crashed through her so hard that she could barely breathe.

She clenched her teeth and said, "You really want to beat someone? Fine! This is my party! Everything here is on me! I'll take every single strike for them!"

"Trin, no!" Her friends grabbed for her, crying as they tried to hold her back.

Trina shook them off and met their eyes, her gaze steady and unflinching. "This started because of me, so it should end with me. Go home."

Then, she turned to the guards. "Lead the way."

Out on the open ground beside the military detention block, the sound of wood striking flesh rang through the cold night, one heavy blow after another.

Trina lay bent over the bench, biting her lower lip until it bled. She refused to let a single scream escape.

By the time all 80 strikes were done, her back and thighs were a mess of torn skin and blood. She could hardly feel her own body.

"Mrs. Hauser..." The soldier swinging the baton looked shaken, guilt written all over his face.

Trina pushed herself up from the bench, every movement sending stabbing pain up her spine. Her legs trembled as she forced herself to stand.

Her face was white as paper, and her forehead was slick with cold sweat, but she still managed to straighten her shoulders and turn to her tearful friends with a faint smile.

"I'm... fine. Go home."

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