Caleb was growing dizzy. 

He'd been pinned to the floor for what felt like an eternity now, Victoria (still perched on his back like he was some wild animal and she the mighty huntress who'd slain him) pinching him with her pointed acrylic nails every time he so much as wriggled to try to get some air into his crushed lungs. He wished like crazy he'd never stepped foot out of that bedroom-- never stepped foot into this stupid mansion.

Thundering footsteps coming down the flight of stairs made his heart pick up pace to a painful, frantic rhythm-- those were angry footsteps. Griffin was the first to come into view; his face was an infuriated mask of stone, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Oliver followed, a line of worry creased in his brow, then Bella trailed behind. She was still 'crying', subtly licking her fingertips to help smear her mascara when no one was looking. The few tears she forced out weren't quite enough. 

Griffin stomped over and took Victoria's wrist, hauling her up and flinging her off of him, and Caleb felt the slightest prick of hope stab through his chest that maybe he'd seen through the act. But then Griffin yanked him up with the same amount of angry force, holding Caleb's wrist high above his head, practically dangling him like an unsavory stray kitten. 

"What the fuck is the meaning of all of this?" He growled, turning Caleb as he glared between Bella and Victoria. 

Caleb struggled in the stone-like gasp, wanting to put as much distance between him and the man who'd brutally assaulted him only hours ago. He whimpered when Griffin's grip tightened, and Griffin shot him a warning look. 'Stop moving, or I'll give you something to really cry about.'

"We were just walking back to our bedrooms, when we saw him coming down the hallway. We just wanted to say hi-- talk to him a little-- but he was so dismissive." Victoria whined, making up a story, twisting the events that'd happened in the way she thought would most rile up her husband. "So we teased him a little-- and then suddenly he was all over us! He slipped his hand up Bella's skirt, and when we tried to get him to stop, he got rough." Victoria glanced at Bella, her face furrowing in dramatic sympathy. "Poor thing-- he touched her, Griffin." Her tone held a hidden threat-- she'd cause a problem if Griffin didn't take her side. She moved to Bella, wrapping her am around the other's shoulders protectively.

Griffin yanked Caleb closer to him, twisting his wrist. "Is that true? You started something? Touched my brother's wife?"

Caleb bit his lip to stop himself from crying out. "No! I would never-- I didn't do anything. I was headed to the kitchen and they came out and started harassing me--"

Griffin wrenched his wrist, cutting him off. "You're lying. You're both lying." He turned to Victoria, whose face fell when she heard that. "And I don't appreciate that."

Oliver, who'd been standing there the entire time doing nothing, stepped forward. He gently pried Caleb's bruised wrist from Griffin and pulled him away, sensing how terrified Caleb had become of Griffin-- especially after the earlier events. 

"I agree, they're both lying." Oliver actually believed Caleb's word over his wife's. . . but that would only make matters so much worse. Plus, who was to say that Caleb really was telling the truth? There was just no way to know for sure. "So just let the issue go. Come, Caleb--"

"Don't you dare walk away from here with him," Griffin growled. "He is going to be punished for what he's done."

"Griffin--" 

"Don't test me, Oliver. I won't relent on this matter. He will be punished."

"You believe them?" Oliver accused, jerking his head at the women, who stood with a gloating gleam in their eye at news of Caleb's punishment, despite their outer appearance being disheveled and upset. "They very clearly are trying to get him in trouble. You know how they lie." he ignored their offended scoffs. "You said so yourself just moments ago."

"Correct." Griffin snatched Caleb's wrist back, and the boy crumpled, all hope of safety gone. "That's why they will be punished too. No one lies to me."

The women were too stunned to speak. They stood with their mouths open, eyes showing their hurt. They'd thought they'd gotten Caleb in trouble and were looking forward to his punishment-- without thinking that maybe they would have one, too.

"Hold on, let's just think about this for a minute--"

"Fuck off, Oliver." Griffin started to drag Caleb away, in the direction of the bedrooms, supposedly for his 'punishment'.

Oliver followed, fearful of what his brother might do. 

              Part 26 Coming Soon
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By the time this is published (9am, 4/1) I'll literally only have written this entire thing only a few hours ago lol. 

So please forgive me-- I didn't realize I had no part ready until I came to get it scheduled. I was met with an empty draft-- only my notes. So I wrote this entire thing at 1-2 in the morning. So please, if there are any mistakes, overlook it lol. I'm begging you for the sake of my already-extremely-poor sleep schedule. 

Have a great day Darlings♥

And don't forget to vote and comment! It really encourages me to keep going.