Chapter 5

Eileen trudged along, weighed down by exhaustion. She had just picked up her passport and suitcase when she caught a reflection in the mirror.

It was Ethan.

Only a single thought echoed in her mind. "Run!"

But it was already too late.

…

When Eileen regained consciousness, she found herself trapped inside a pitch-black underground dungeon.

"W-Where am I?" Eileen rasped out, only to hear the heavy clank of iron chains as someone walked toward her.

"3071, time to eat."

Before she could even process what was happening, a bowl of slop mixed with dirt and grit was shoved in front of her.

She looked at the food delivery worker's blank expression and the words printed on that uniform. Finally, she realized what was going on.

This place was an asylum!

She tried to cry out, but her throat felt as though it had been stuffed with raw cotton.

Looking up, she crashed straight into Rebecca's cold gaze.

"Let me out!" Eileen cried out, lunging forward in a desperate wave of panic.

Rebecca simply stood there in silence.

Eileen instantly remembered Ethan, the man who had ambushed her before she was knocked out.

"Rebecca, you're the one who had me abducted, aren't you?"

A cruel, malicious flash crossed Rebecca's eyes. "So what if I did? You tainted Uncle Trevor. He's mine and mine alone."

"If you two truly love each other, I'll step aside," Eileen said, a deep sense of despair washing over her.

Yet Rebecca acted as though she hadn't heard a word. She let out a sharp, chilling laugh. "As long as you're locked away down here, Uncle Trevor will never find you. He will be mine alone."

With that, she turned on her heel and walked away.

The days that followed blurred into a living hell inside the dark, cramped basement.

She was forced to fight for scraps of food alongside other female patients, drink filthy water, and endure random, brutal beatings.

Day after day dragged on in agonizing torment.

Thinking of her parents far away abroad, Eileen refused to let herself give up hope of escaping.

One day, she saw the man who had appeared in her dreams a thousand times before.

Trevor looked out of place in his suit. His voice was cool and detached as he asked, "Have you found Eileen?"

Eileen's heart leaped wildly into her throat.

She never imagined that Trevor had actually been looking for her.

"Rebecca's kidney function is failing rapidly. Only Eileen's kidney is a match. Make sure Rebecca never finds out that her time is running out," Trevor continued coldly.

In that instant, Eileen's heart sank.

Of course. To him, she was nothing more than an excuse Trevor used to deceive himself.

How could she have ever foolishly expected Trevor was searching out of genuine care for her?

The last flicker of light in her eyes died completely as she stared blankly up at the ceiling.

Right then, Rebecca suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

She blinked innocently as she tossed a clean bun into the basement cell.

It instantly triggered a frenzied, clawing riot among the female patients.

Trevor's pupils violently constricted. "Rebecca, tell me the truth. Did you actually enjoy your time here?"

Rebecca tilted her head, looking confused. "Yeah! The people here told me that as long as I endured the electric shocks, took my daily injections, and swallowed all my pills, my sickness would go away and I could see you sooner."

A smile bloomed across her face. "So I was always a good girl while I was here!"

All the color drained instantly from Trevor's face at those words. He pulled her fiercely into his arms.

Rebecca looked up with an innocent expression. "What's wrong, Uncle Trevor?"

Trevor didn't utter a single word, yet quiet tears spilled from his eyes, dampening Rebecca's shoulder.

Smiling, she reached up to wipe away his tears. "Uncle Trevor, don't cry."

Trevor's lips trembled as he pressed a tender kiss onto her forehead before making a determined vow. "Rebecca, I'm never, ever going to leave you behind again for as long as I live."

Eileen thought she'd become numb to it all, but the sight still cut deep.

Suddenly, a deranged inmate stumbled into her, knocking her hard to the floor.

Several other patients trampled right over her body as they rushed past, leaving Eileen utterly broken and battered.

Trevor noticed the commotion, but he merely cast an indifferent glance before gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind Rebecca's ear.

Finally, his assistant, Caleb Burke, stepped forward, respectfully interrupting the embracing pair. "Mr. Durham, we've confirmed that Mrs. Durham's last known location was this facility."