CHAPTER 7 Celeste's POV A sharp clatter in the hallway jolted me awake . Then I heard hurried footsteps . Something was wrong . I pushed myself up from the cold , hard floor , my body aching from days of neglect . Since being locked away in this filthy. utility room , nothing had changed - except for the daily medication forced down my throat . And the scars multiplying on my arms , I pulled my sleeves down , hiding the evidence . The small , deliberate wounds were my only anchor - reminders that I was still here . But the side effects of the drugs were getting worse . My heartbeat slowed unpredictably . My limbs weakened at random . Several times , I had felt my consciousness slipping away , my breath growing shallow . I'd tried to get help , but no one really cared . My beloved husband , Damien , probably knew I was here and did not give a damn at all I used to think I couldn't survive without him . That if I just tried harder , loved him enough , he would finally look at me the way I once dreamed What a joke . Now I had gone from sorrowful to completely indifferent . I'm never crying over Damien Vaughn again . He can't break me and he can't destroy me . I forced myself upright despite my trembling legs , and inched toward the door . Pressing my ear against the cold surface , I strained to catch the sounds outside . Wait a minute . Something's really off . There were more people than usual . The footsteps outside my door had been hurried voices hushed and tense What's going on ? 1 was still trying to piece it together when the door to the utility room swung open . A group of nurses entered , eyes scanning me , whispering among themselves . "Is it her ? " 1 stiffened A pang of defensiveness surged through me . Their stares made my skin crawl , as if I were some spectacle they were sizing up . Before I could even process what was happening , rough hands seized me without warning . No warning . No explanation . I thrashed , trying to resist , but the days of starvation had drained me . My body was sluggish and weak . It was useless to fight them - I would only be wasting what little strength I had left . And yet , I couldn't stop the panic rising in my chest . " Where are you taking me ? " I whispered with fear , my pulse racing like crazy They shoved me onto a stretcher , pinning me down with practiced ease . The cold leather straps tightened around my wrists and ankles . My heart pounded violently . +25 BONUS " No- " I tried to twist , to push back , but it was pointless . I craned my neck , desperate to catch a glimpse of where we were going , but the fluorescent lights overhead blurred together as the stretcher moved faster . I could hear the faint hum of voices . Nurses whispering . Footsteps shuffling . Someone gave a low chuckle . I wanted to jump off and run . But it would be impossible to escape in my present condition . Then suddenly , we stopped . They took me into a room with bright , blinding lights . I braced myself for another round of forced medication , but instead , warm water hit my skin A shower I blinked , disoriented , as my surroundings came into focus . White tiles . A row of sinks . We're inside a bathroom , I realized Hough hands scrubbed at me , stripping away the layers of grime and dried blood . The sting of soap against my raw wounds made me wince , but I bit my tongue , refusing to react . I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction . They worked in silence , mechanical and efficient Like I wasn't even a person . Just something to be cleaned up . When they were done , they wrapped fresh bandages around my wounds . Tight enough to stop the bleeding , but not gentle enough to show care . Then came the clothes- fresh and clean . Truly contradictory to the filthy condition they'd left me inside that utility room . They dressed me in a new long - sleeved shirt , carefully covering every mark . I sat there , dripping and disoriented . Now I was certain that something was definitely wrong Why are u they cleaning me up like this ? Is this what they do to a patient before finishing them off ? My instincts screamed that they were not just being kind , or doing it out of pity . I tried to break free , jerking my arms , but the nurse beside me only tutted in annoyance and pressed me down onto the chair . " Don't make this difficult , " she muttered I gritted my teeth as they pulled me forward and placed me on a wheelchair before dragging me down another long hallway . Then just as we neared a door , one of them leaned in , her breath brushing my ear . " Don't say anything you shouldn't ," she whispered smoothly . " You wouldn't want to see your old janitor go through all sorts of trouble . " A cold chill crawled down my spine . I turned my head sharply , glaring at her , but she only smirked and straightened . Fucking bastards . They were threatening to harm the old janitor who had been kind to me ! I swallowed back my fury , forcing myself to stay composed as they led me through the door . And there , sitting right in front of me , was a ghost from the past . A familiar face that brought tears to my eyes . Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!