Chapter 7

Julian Foster froze in place, his face alternating between pale and flushed with anger.

He fixed his eyes on my expression. "Nicole, what nonsense are you talking about? The one I love is you, and the one I want to marry is you. What does this have to do with Chlo... with Chloe Miller?"

Watching his flustered panic, a faint, mocking smile touched my lips. "Why so nervous? I'm just curious how my RAW files ended up in Chloe Miller's hands."

"I almost thought you stole them and gave them to her."

Julian Foster was stunned. Only after a long pause did he squeeze out, "How could I ever do something like that?"

I didn't press further. Instead, I ladled out the chicken soup and ate with large bites.

Now was not the time for an open fallout. I just wanted to rattle him and make him uncomfortable.

His misery was my joy.

I scooped a spoonful of soup to his lips, pretending everything was normal. "You have some too. It tastes great."

Only then did Julian Foster relax. He lowered his head, drank the soup, and his expression softened once more.

"As long as you like it. Our wedding is next month, so rest well during this time and leave everything else to me."

I smiled, focusing on eating the chicken without responding.

Halfway through the meal, the doorbell rang frantically.

Julian Foster got up to open the door.

Sebastian Vance was the first to rush in, followed by Lucas Shaw, Clara Reed, and my parents.

Except for Chloe Miller, every member of the Shaw family was present.

The moment Lucas Shaw stepped through the door, he pointed straight at my face. "Where did you take Chloe?!"

I froze. "What are you talking about? What kind of game is Chloe Miller playing now?"

The moment Julian Foster heard something had happened to Chloe Miller, he dropped all pretenses and asked urgently, "What happened to Chloe? She was with me before I came home. What went wrong?"

Lucas Shaw sneered, "It's all her doing! Chloe is missing—she definitely kidnapped her!"

Tears were already streaming down my mother's face as she lunged forward, clutching my hand. "Nicole, consider it a mother begging you! You and Chloe are sisters after all. Please, let her go, okay?"

Before I could say a word, my father slapped me across the face.

The force knocked me to the floor, the metallic taste of blood spreading in my mouth.

My father glared at me with pure hatred. "Why are you begging her? If I knew she was this vicious, I should have beaten her to death back then!"

Growing up, he had scolded me countless times, but this was the first time he had ever struck me.

For Chloe Miller's sake, he abandoned even the last shred of father-daughter affection.

A flicker of pain flashed in Julian Foster's eyes, and he instinctively took half a step forward to help me up.

Yet he stopped himself almost immediately.

In his heart, Chloe Miller being missing was far more important than the slap I had just taken.

"Nicole, I took your photos, and I gave the RAW files to Chloe. If you're angry, take it out on me. Chloe is innocent."

Pushing myself up from the floor, I let out a cold laugh. "Julian Foster, so you admit it?"

His face turned ashen as he stared at me, silent.

Just moments ago, he had claimed he could never do such a thing; yet the moment Chloe Miller was in danger, he didn't even bother keeping up the facade.

Sebastian Vance couldn't help but step forward and help me up. "Nicole, stop being stubborn. I'll compensate you for what happened with Chloe. Just tell me where she is first, all right?"

Clara Reed rushed forward, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me violently. "Nicole Shaw! Can you stop causing trouble? Do you really have to tear apart a perfectly good family?!"

I shoved her off fiercely. "Clara Reed, did you forget who brought you into the Shaw family in the first place? If not for me, you would have worked yourself to death in that boba shop! What right do you have to lecture me?!"

Flushed with humiliation and turning furious, she snapped, "I'm talking about Chloe! Don't change the subject! Where did you take Chloe? Are you going to talk or not?!"

"I already said, I haven't even stepped out of the door today. I don't know where Chloe Miller is!"

Clara Reed grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the utility room, gritting her teeth. "Fine. You won't talk, right?!"

She was much stronger than me; I couldn't break free.

Lucas Shaw picked up the case left at the entryway and followed behind.

Only then did I notice that case—they had prepared it before even walking in.

Clara Reed shoved me into the utility room. Julian Foster and Lucas Shaw followed inside, pinning me firmly to the floor.

I struggled desperately. "What are you doing? Let go of me! I'm calling the police!"

Lucas Shaw swung his hand and slapped me across the face. "Shut up! If anything happens to Chloe, you're dead to me as a sister!"

Julian Foster increased the pressure of his grip. "Nicole, the moment you tell us where Chloe is, I'll let you go immediately."

"I said I don't know! What you're doing is illegal!"

Standing at the doorway, my father sneered coldly. "Disciplining my own daughter—what law am I breaking? Clara, do it!"

Clara Reed hesitated no longer and popped open the case.

I recognized it: a set of electric shock equipment.

Clara Reed was a doctor. She knew better than anyone what using this on a human being would do, yet she had specifically procured this equipment to use on me.

The electrode pads were stuck onto my wrists and temples.

Sebastian Vance looked tormented. "Nicole, just tell them, please, I'm begging you..."

Julian Foster snapped sharply, "Sebastian Vance, shut up!"

My mother turned her head away, unable to look at me.

The current switched on.

Excruciating agony exploded from my temples. My entire body convulsed, my teeth biting right through my tongue.

Only after a long time did the current cut off.

Clara Reed leaned down to look at me. "Nicole, are you going to talk or not?"

The light in the utility room was dim; half of her face was cast in shadow, resembling a malevolent demon demanding a life.

I spat at her. "Karma will get every single one of you!"

Without even looking at me, Julian Foster told Clara Reed, "Again!"

The current surged through me again, even more violent than before.

Black spots flooded my vision, and my internal organs felt as if they were being shredded. The screams caught in my throat.

I struggled with all my might, but my limbs were pinned down immovably by Julian Foster and Lucas Shaw.

Unable to watch any longer, Sebastian Vance and my mother stepped out of the utility room one after the other.

Clara Reed demanded harshly, "Nicole Shaw, are you going to talk or not?!"

Gasping for air, I looked at her. "Clara Reed, you pitiful wretch! You still don't know, do you? In truth—"

Lucas Shaw immediately cut me off, "Why are you wasting words on her? Crank up the voltage!"

Clara Reed shot him a suspicious glance, but without thinking further, she twisted the dial.

Agony tore through my entire body. I arched off the floor, my consciousness shattered to pieces.

A wave of warmth gushed between my legs.

Clara took half a step back, her brow furrowing in disgust. "She lost control of her bladder. Are we still doing this?"

Right then, Sebastian barged in, clutching his phone. "Chloe’s been found!"

The electric shock cut off instantly, and the hands pinning me down let go at once.

Everyone scattered in a rush, scrambling over each other to find Chloe. Not a single person looked back at me.

The storage room door hung wide open. I curled up on the cold floor as fluid continued to seep from between my legs. It was blood.

The metallic stench of blood grew thicker and thicker.

Struggling, I managed to grope around for my phone on the floor and dialed 911.

The moment the call connected, I barely had enough strength to gasp out my address before darkness swallowed my vision.