He then addressed the doctors. "Mr. Burton is mentally unstable and delusional. Please begin with some preliminary treatment."


    "Of course, Mr. Gardner," the doctors replied with utmost respect. Two of them approached the bed and began securing Karl with restraints.


    Karl''s face finally changed. "What are you doing?!"


    "We''re just administering your treatment, Mr. Burton," a doctor said soothingly. "Don''t be afraid. It''s not life-threatening."


    Before Karl could say another word, an electric current shot through his head and coursed through his entire body. He began to convulse uncontrobly, unable to even form words. Two doctors held electroshock devices to his temples. Karl was nearly shocked into unconsciousness, but the doctors were precise, stopping the current the moment he was about to pass out.


    After thirty minutes, Karl was a wreck, his eyes rolled back, foam frothing at his mouth, and having lost control of his bodily functions. Though he had been humiliated during the global livestream, he had never experienced anything like this-aplete stripping of his dignity coupled with excruciating physical torment.


    Sweat soaked his entire body. Through his blurred vision, he saw Joshua watching him with a meaningful expression. "Karl, Star never harmed you, yet you''ve always been convinced she was out to get you. Your persecutionplex is quite severe. From now on, you can recover here peacefully. Think of this as your new home, and the doctors will treat you like family."


    Without waiting for a response, Joshua turned and left. A few secondster, the crackle of electricity filled the room again, followed by Karl''s horrific screams.


    Jake was waiting quietly outside. When Joshua emerged, he immediately stepped forward. "Mr. Gardner, any further instructions?"


    Joshua''s expression was impassive. "Have men watch this ce. Don''t let Karl escape, but don''t kill him either. Make sure he receives his treatment thoroughly."


    As for how long, Joshua didn''t


    specify, which meant Karl was to spend the rest of his life in the asylum. And what if the Burtons found him? It didn''t matter. Before they even realized he was missing, the "treatment" would have turned him into a genuine madman. During the process, they would feed him Burton family secrets, making him a liability his own family would be desperate to lock away again. They had plenty of dirt on the Burtons, especially Sellers.


    From that day on, Karl remained in the asylum subjected to continuous "treatment." The methods included, but were not limited to, electroshock therapy, rotational therapy, hydrotherapy, and medication. Whenever Karl cursed Ste and Joshua the doctors would diagnose it as a hysterical episode and administer electroshock to his head. The shockssted as long as his curses. One particrly vicious outburstnded him in the ICU. After a few more sessions, Karl learned to hold his tongue.


    He knew he had to get out, but his phone was gone, the rooms had iron bars, and the doctors watched him constantly. Escape seemed


    impossible. Yet, Karl didn''t gal ne


    He feignedpliance to lulbthe doctors into a false sense of s security while secretly trying to connect with other patients to find a way to contact the outside world.


    Just as he thought he was close to seeding, the patient he was working with


    turned out to be genuinely insane.