Semua Bab Forced into the Arena, I Made Her Join Me: Bab 1 - Bab 9

I held up the remote and yelled at the surveillance camera, "Sasha Fields! This is the master switch for the electric fence gates around every predator enclosure. If I press the buttons, it won't just be Caesar."Every animal in here will get out! This zoo is right in the middle of downtown. Think about the casualties. You and Hugh would both face the death penalty!"My voice shook with rage, but every word landed clean.The loudspeaker cut out for a beat, then Hugh Archer's terrified scream came through. "Lucian! Don't do anything stupid! Calm down!"Sasha Fields scoffed, nothing but contempt in her voice. "What are you so scared of, Hugh? He's bluffing! Only the actual zoo director has the master switch. You actually think an animal trainer like him could pull that off?"Alright, folks. Want to see me rile up the Lion King? Light up the live chat. Tip big, and I'll make it happen!"I almost laughed from pure rage. Keeping my eyes locked on Caesar, I shouted into the loudspeaker

When I fell silent, Sasha flashed a satisfied smile. "Lucian, you don't have parents or anyone else. You're an animal trainer. If the animal you trained kills you, people will call it a workplace accident, right?"So just die peacefully. I'll use what you bring in now to raise our kid."Our kid?My ears rang. I barely had time to process before Hugh eased up and settled a hand on Sasha's belly, casual as anything.His voice was syrupy and gross. "Lucian, relax. I'll take good care of Sasha and the baby for you. After all, they're both mine now. Oh, and when you're dead, the zoo should pay out a nice death benefit, right?"That's a tidy sum. I'll do you a favor and spend it for you."They played off each other, shameless as hell, and my stomach lurched. I swore if I made it out alive, I'd tear them limb from limb!Their shameless trash talk lit up the live stream, kicking off another wave of tips.To flatter the gawkers watching, Hugh grabbed a long pole and jabbed at me through

The tiger in the next enclosure caught the scent of freedom and crept toward the open gate."Lucian Hart! Are you insane? How dare you?"Sasha let out a bloodcurdling scream and dropped the phone she was using to live-stream onto the pavement. She spun to bolt, but the moment she looked back, she froze.Two hulking brown bears had already lumbered out of the enclosure behind her, risen onto their hind legs, and were watching them with beady, curious eyes.Sasha screamed again and grabbed Hugh beside her, trying to shove him in front of her as a shield. But Hugh wouldn't budge. He was already rigid with fear, his face white as a sheet.Fortunately, Sasha had closed the predator zone to visitors for the day, making sure no one could come to my rescue. This nightmare was theirs to bear alone.My eyelids grew heavy. The animals roared and bellowed, and the gut-wrenching screams of Sasha and Hugh rang in my ears."Help! Anybody out there?""Hurry! Let's find a way out!"They still

The comments under the video were already flooded with angry viewers."Lock up this power-abusing piece of trash!""Lucian's wife and coworkers have already spoken out against him. What else is there to say? He's a total scumbag!""Poor vet. His hand is ruined! Throw the book at the guy who did this!""He's a menace to everyone! I say give him the death penalty!"I stared at the three hypocrites on the screen—Sasha, Hugh, and Ronald—and the stabbing pain in my chest faded. In its place, a chill settled deep in my bones, and my anger surged.Fine. The real show was still to come.…The door to my hospital room burst open. Several officers filed in, grim-faced, with a crowd pressing in behind them.Flashes pounded the room like a downpour, so hard I had to squeeze my eyes shut. Sasha and Hugh muscled to the front, phones up, shoving their cameras in my face."Officers, it's him," Sasha said, her voice dripping with performative outrage.She pointed at me, all righteous, her wo

That was an unprompted confession.The screen went black, and Sasha's bloodless face stared back at me in the reflection. "It's fake! It's all doctored! Lucian Hart, you animal! You even forged the evidence just to save your own skin!"With two black-suited bodyguards towering between us, she couldn't lay a finger on me. She thrashed and kicked, cursing me nonstop.Hugh had already collapsed at my feet. Snot and tears mingled, his whole face a wreck. There wasn't a trace of the so-called "heroic vet" left in him."Mr. Hart, I was wrong. I really was. It was her. Sasha's a snake. She forced me. She said you were just a hired animal trainer, and if you turned up dead, no one would come after us. I didn't dare cross her!"He reached for my pant leg. I jerked back in disgust, dodging his hand.The officer who'd been giving me a disgusted look a minute ago, the one who'd tried to cuff me, now looked embarrassed. "Mr. Hart, I'm sorry. We didn't investigate properly, and we misjudged yo