The door burst open suddenly and before I could react, a boot slammed into my chest, sending me sprawling onto the cold floor.
“Didn’t I tell you to shut up?!” the man barked. His hand clamped over my mouth as he grabbed a bottle of scalding hot water and forced it down my throat.
The searing pain burned through my esophagus and my vocal cords felt like they had been shredded. I could only let out strangled, pitiful whimpers as tears streamed down my face, mingling with the blood drying on my skin.
“I’ll teach you to disobey me,” he growled. “If you make another sound, I’ll chop off your hands and feet!”
I shrank into a corner, trembling and too afraid to resist. Seeing my submission, the man smirked and turned to leave.
But as soon as his back was turned, I lunged. My eyes darted to the heavy chain lying on the floor and I grabbed it. Without hesitation, I looped it around his neck and pulled with every ounce of strength I had left.
He gasped and clawed at the chain, his face turning red as he struggled for air. He collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
I didn’t wait to see if he would recover. I bolted for the door, stumbling as I went. My throat ached and all I could manage were weak, broken sounds. No one could hear me—not even Ethan.
Desperate, I spotted a vase sitting on a nearby table. Grabbing it, I hurled it to the floor with all my strength. The sharp crash echoed through the compound.
Ethan, who had been surrounded by a group of men in black suits, paused. He turned, his eyes scanning the hallway.
“Boss, she’s escaping!” a voice bellowed from behind me.
I felt a heavy weight slam into me as a sack was thrown over my head. I thrashed wildly, but it was too late. They dragged me back, kicking and punching me as they went.
I was so close. If the vase had shattered just a moment sooner, Ethan would have seen me.
“You dare chain me up?!” one of the men snarled. His fists and boots struck me repeatedly, the blows landing with sickening thuds. Blood filled my mouth, soaking through the sack as I choked and gasped.
“Who are you beating?”
That voice—it was Ethan!
“Boss,” one of them stammered, “she’s a spy. She stole some of our core information. We were just teaching her a lesson.”
“Don’t kill her,” Ethan said coldly.
I wanted to scream, to tell him who I was, but all that came out was a gurgle of blood.
“Why’s she mute?” Ethan asked, his tone impatient. “Get rid of her. I don’t want her in my sight.”
They shoved me back into the dark room, slamming the door behind them. My body was broken and any hope of escape slipped further away.
One of the men stomped on my hands, grinding his heel into my fingers. “If we didn’t need you to deal cards at the casino, I’d cut these claws off right now. Don’t think you’ll get out of here alive.”
As my consciousness wavered, a familiar voice reached my ears.
“What the hell did you do to her?”
I froze. I knew that voice.
“Relax, sis,” one of the men said. “She’s too stubborn. She refused to work in telemarketing and she wouldn’t deal cards at the casino either. And get this—she claims she’s engaged to Ethan! Can you believe the nerve?”
The woman let out a sharp laugh before kicking me hard in the ribs. “You? Ethan’s fiancée? Keep dreaming. You’re not even worth the dirt on his shoes!”
Her boot struck me again.
“She’s not moving,” another man said nervously. “Did you kill her?”
“She’s still breathing,” the woman replied dismissively. “Don’t kill her. Death’s too easy for someone like her. Let her live and suffer.”
Before they could continue, a voice called out from outside. “Boss wants everyone in the main hall!”
The room emptied in an instant. I lay motionless on the floor, fighting to stay conscious. Slowly, I dragged myself toward the door, inch by inch.
Pressing my ear against the cold surface, I strained to listen. My body was broken, my voice gone, but my hearing was still sharp.
From outside, Ethan’s voice carried through the halls. “Where did you get this ID card?”
A tense silence followed.
Then Ethan’s sharp voice cut through the air. “What about the woman you dragged off earlier?”
“She’s a spy,” someone stammered. “We’ve already dealt with her.”
“I didn’t ask for excuses. I asked where she is.”
“She’s locked in the storeroom,” the man replied nervously.
The sound of rapid footsteps echoed down the hall, growing louder. They were coming straight for me.
“Boss, she’s just a nobody,” another voice tried to intervene. “Not worth your time.”
“Open the door,” Ethan barked.
The door swung open and I was yanked off the ground like a rag doll. My limp body dangled as someone grabbed me by the collar, hauling me upward. My swollen eyes could barely stay open and my vision blurred.
Through the haze, I could just make out a tall figure standing before me. Was it Ethan?
The man’s gaze swept over me, cold and detached, before he shoved me aside like trash.
“How filthy,” he muttered in disgust.
One of his men handed him a pristine white handkerchief, which he took with the same precise care he had as a child. Ethan’s obsessive cleanliness was something I used to tease him about, calling him more fastidious than any girl.
It was Ethan. But he didn’t recognize me.
I caught a glimpse of myself in a nearby shard of broken glass. My face was swollen beyond recognition, bruised and smeared with blood. My clothes hung in tatters, covered in dirt and grime. Of course, Ethan wouldn’t know it was me.
He turned to leave. If he walked out of here now, I knew I’d never make it out alive.
Summoning every ounce of strength left in me, I let out a desperate, guttural scream. It was hoarse and broken, barely audible, but it was all I had. I launched myself toward Ethan, clawing at the air.
Before I could reach him, a heavy boot collided with my side, sending me sprawling back to the floor.
“Stay in your place, you piece of trash!” growled the same man who had tormented me earlier. “You think you can lay a hand on him?!”
Ethan paused, glancing over his shoulder with a frown, but he didn’t stop walking.
Panic consumed me. My hands flailed blindly until they closed around something small and solid on the floor. Without thinking, I hurled it at Ethan with all my might.
The object struck his shoulder and he froze mid-step. His voice was low and menacing when he turned back. “Are you trying to die?”
