Chapter 7

Jade grabbed my wrist and quickly opened the app to check Luis's location.

To my surprise, the address was the hotel where I had been staying.

She dragged me all the way there without stopping.

The hotel room door was slightly ajar. The moment she pushed it open, I froze.

Several cameras had been set up in the living room, their lenses all pointed at a chair in the center. Luis was huddled in a corner, his collar disheveled and his hair a complete mess.

"Ms. Smith! You're finally here!"

His face was pale, and he was still breathing heavily.

However, the moment he spotted me standing behind her, his face tensed.

"Mr. Hoffman, please stop filming! I'm begging you, please don't!

"I'll resign right now. No, I'll leave Luminous City altogether! Just please leave me alone!"

Jade's face turned pale with concern. She hurried over and helped him up.

"Don't be afraid. I'm here now. I'll make sure you get justice."

She helped him into the bedroom and spent quite some time comforting him before finally coming back out.

Then, she picked up one of the cameras on the table and started reviewing the footage.

Sure enough, every video showed Luis being forced into the chair and made to apologize to the camera against his will.

The next second, she hurled the camera straight at my face.

"Look at what you've done!"

The camera struck my forehead. Pain exploded through my head, and my vision went black for a moment.

I touched my forehead and felt a large swelling already forming. However, once the initial pain subsided, my mind began to clear.

First, the peanut butter labels had been switched.

Then, Luis's portrait had been destroyed.

Now, there were those cameras.

Once could be a coincidence. Twice, perhaps.

However, three times?

I suddenly shoved open the bedroom door and reached for Luis, grabbing him by the arm.

"Luis, get up! How much longer are you planning to—"

Before I could finish, Jade shoved me away with all her strength.

I stumbled backward and crashed into the doorframe. My already swollen forehead struck it again, sending another wave of pain through my head. A moment later, a huge bump began to rise.

She stepped in front of Luis, glaring at me through clenched teeth.

"Steve, you still haven't learned your lesson? Fine. If that's how you want it, we'll use this equipment on you instead!"

Jade called in the bodyguards waiting outside and pointed at me.

"Luis was forced to record eighteen apology videos.

"Make Mr. Hoffman record twice as many. Every single one must include a clear admission of what he's done. Once they're finished, deliver them to my office so I can review them."

With that, she took Luis and walked out without looking back.

The bedroom door slammed shut right in front of me.

Sensing something was wrong, I staggered toward the exit. However, before I could take more than a few steps, someone grabbed my shoulder and shoved me roughly back into the chair.

"Ms. Smith ordered us to record thirty-six apology videos from you, sir. It would be best if you cooperated. That way, we can finish the job and be on our way."

I jumped to my feet.

"Get out of my way! If you keep blocking me, I'll call the police!"

However, one bodyguard snatched my phone while another immediately blocked the doorway.

I reached out to grab my phone back, but they shoved me away. My lower back slammed into the corner of the table, and I sucked in a sharp breath of pain.

"Stay still!"

Someone pinned my shoulders down while another set up the camera.

The moment the recording light came on, I glared at them and refused to say a word.

"Mr. Hoffman, don't make things difficult for us."

"Ms. Smith wants thirty-six videos, and not one less."

I let out an icy laugh.

"If she wants an apology, tell Jade to come here and listen to it herself."

The moment the words left my mouth, a fist slammed into my shoulder, knocking me back into the chair.

For the next several hours, they forced me to repeat their so-called apologies in front of the camera, over and over again.

If I refused to speak, they started recording all over again. If my voice did not sound sincere enough, they made me repeat it.

I fought back several times. They snatched away my phone, and my wrists were left covered in dark bruises from all the struggling.

Eventually, I stopped resisting altogether. I simply stared into the camera with a blank expression.

Thirty-six videos.

It was not until the sky outside grew completely dark that this ridiculous ordeal finally ended.

The bodyguards packed up the equipment and left, chatting and laughing among themselves.

I sat alone in the chair, my forehead still throbbing and my wrist swollen to nearly twice its normal size.

The room fell completely silent.

The images from those three dreams kept growing clearer in my mind.

When I entered someone's dreams, I could see more than just their desires. I could also uncover the darkest secrets they desperately wanted to hide.

My father had not left after divorcing my mother simply because of another woman. He had also embezzled company funds, and his crimes were about to come to light.

My mother had not abandoned me just to chase a life of wealth and comfort. She had been pregnant with another man's child and was desperate to find someone to take responsibility for it.

As for Jade...

Of course she had secrets of her own.

My trembling fingers fumbled for my phone. I found the number of the one person Jade hated most and dialed it.

"Help me get divorced. I want more than half of the marital assets.

"In return, I'll give you a gift. It’ll be something big enough to bring Jade down for good."