Hell?


    From the looks of it, this ce was just an old, poorly equipped hospital. Why would Alexia call it hell on earth?


    Elsie''s body twitched, her consciousness fading in and out. She vaguely recalled a time when she and Harvey were drinking in the wine cer after The Velvet Haven had closed. She had only gotten close to the man to gather information, never wanting to be associated with him.


    Harvey had told her that Sir was involved in the pharmaceutical business and had considerable influence in Country M, with connections to many local government officials and elites. His business was thriving.


    Any drug development required clinical trials, and Sir had his own private hospital in Country M. But that hospital was a front. In its three basement levels, the beds were filled not with patients, but with human subjects for his drug experiments.


    Elsie felt a horrifying sense of recognition. This ce was exactly like the hellscape Harvey had described.


    Could this be Chad and Alexia''s research facility?


    “Heh..... hell on earth... You think... that scares me?” Elsie gasped for breath, staring at Alexia''s twisted, malevolent face, resolved to take her down with her. "All those years with Avery... every day... was like living in hell... The worst that can happen is death. What is there to fear...?"


    "Death? You wish!" Alexia''s eyes zed with fury as she grabbed Elsie''s chin. "Listen to me, you bitch. In here, I am God. If I''m in a good mood, I might treat you humanely. If I''m not, I''ll make you beg for a death you''ll never get."


    Seeing no reaction in Elsie''s eyes, Alexia grew even more enraged and pped her hard across the face. “What was Avery? He was nothing but a dog raised by Sir, and you were his pet, used by a thousand men, slept with by ten thousand. You couldn''t be more worthless! Now that you''vetched onto the Ashbourne family and are with Elvis, you think you''re some nobledy? Elvis has just never seen you on your knees, desperately pleasing men to survive. If he had, he wouldn''t want you. The sight of you would make him sick!"


    Elsie''s longshes trembled, and tears of pain streamed down her cheeks. She had always thought these things about herself, but hearing them from Alexia''s mouth made them infinitely more cruel.


    "Since you''re never getting out of here, I might as well tell you a few things," Alexia said, caressing Elsie''s beautiful face with a sinister whisper. "I was the one who killed Avery."


    Elsie''s pupils contracted.


    "And Jeff isn''t the only one whose blood is on my hands. So, don''t cross me. I''m capable of anything."


    With that, Alexia, in a victor''s stance, turned and strode out with the two nurses. The heavy iron door mmed shut and was locked.


    Elsiey on the bed, unable to move anything but her eyes. She nced at the blinking green light of the surveince camera in the upper left corner.


    Silently, she prayed.


    Not for someone to rescue her, but for Evadne and Mr. Thaddeus to find her lost phone and the evidence she had buried, so they could bring Chad''s entire world of darkness Crashing down.


    That evening, after collecting thetest experimental data, Alexia stepped out of thest ward.


    In the hallway, Hans''s towering figure stood like a dark shadow, his presence imposing and oppressive.


    Alexia sneered and walked up to him.


    "That woman is being held here. She''s about to be one of Sir''s many test subjects. At least her life will have some value then."


    Hans''s eyes, hidden in the dim light, narrowed to slits, a bone-chilling coldness emanating from them. It was as if a beast was trapped inside, ready to break free at any moment.


    "You failed the mission Sir gave you. But he is magnanimous and chose not to punish you, given your past loyalty." Alexia pulled a small stic vial fr?m h?rn co?t packet inside was the blue pill Chad had given her.


    She held it out to Hans, her voice cold. "Sir calcted that your medication was running low. He asked me to bring you this. It''s more effective than what you''ve been.. taking. It will greatly alleviate your headaches."


    Hans nced at the vial.


    After a few seconds of hesitation, he reached out and took it.