Chapter 8 Maxine returned home alone. In silence, she tended to the wound on her forehead, then began packing her things. The necklace, rings, and dresses Reid had given her, his handwritten cards, the photo albums from their time together-everything connected to him, she boxed up, trip after trip, and dumped it all in the trash bins downstairs. When she tossed the last box, a gust of night wind carrying shards of snow brushed against her cheek. Standing beneath the streetlamp, she suddenly found it all absurd. Memories she once treasured were now nothing more than junk in a garbage heap. Just as she turned to go, a burlap sack was yanked down over her head! Before she could struggle, a sharp pain exploded at the base of her skull. The world went black, and she lost consciousness completely. When she woke, Maxine found herself still trapped in the sack, her hands tied tightly behind her back, her mouth stuffed with a rough cloth. Through the weave of the sack, she could make out Reid sitting on a high-backed sofa with Kelsey in his arms, surrounded by a ring of bodyguards. One of the bodyguards reported respectfully, "Mr. Merrow, we caught him. This is the ringleader Ms. Valemont sent to rough up Ms. Sutter." Kelsey cowered in Reid's embrace, her voice small and timid, "Reid, maybe just let it go... You got here in time, I wasn't really hurt..." Reid let out a cold laugh. "No way." His long fingers brushed gently over Kelsey's cheek, his tone so tender it was almost chilling. "I can't bring myself to hurt Max, but if she dares lay a hand on you, I have to give you justice. "If this is the thug she hired, then I'll make an example out of him-so she'll never dare do it again." A chill ran down Maxine's spine. 0.0% • 06:32 She finally understood. Kelsey had orchestrated the whole thing! After faking an attack by some thugs, Kelsey had paid people to kidnap her, then lied to Reid, claiming Maxine was the mastermind, all so he would punish Maxine without knowing the truth! Maxine struggled desperately, trying to call out his name, but the cloth in her mouth muffled her cries into faint, helpless whimpers. Kelsey sighed, pretending to be kind. "Just... go easy, okay? After all, he's Ms. Valemont's guy..." Reid's eyes grew cold. "Easy? Not a chance. "If she dared touch you, I'll show her what it means to wish for death." The next moment, Maxine was dragged up onto a platform. Below, a swimming pool yawned open, the water icy and deep, reflecting the harsh white lights above. Still bound in the sack, tied with rope, she was shoved off the edge. Freezing water flooded into the sack, the impact battering her insides like a sledgehammer. Water surged into her nose and mouth, making her vision swim with darkness, her lungs stabbed with a thousand needles, the pain forcing her to curl up in agony. "Help... help..." Her feeble cries for help were swallowed by the water. The sack soaked up water, growing heavier and heavier, dragging her down like an anchor. She fought to break free, but the rope only cut deeper, strangling the breath from her chest. Just as her consciousness began to fade, the rope suddenly tightened and yanked her out of the water. Coughing violently, she spewed bloody water from her lungs, barely catching her breath before she was shoved back down again. Once, twice, three times... Each plunge felt like being thrown into an ice pit, and each time she was hauled up, it felt like her skin was being ripped away. Again and again, a torment worse than death. 31.0%. 06:32 Maxine's mind grew hazy, a roaring in her ears, her lungs burning as if they might explode at any sec- ond. She had no idea how many times she'd been dragged up when Kelsey finally called out, "That's enough... Reid, stop torturing her..." But Reid only sneered. "We're not done." He took the iron rod handed to him by a bodyguard and stepped up to Maxine. "You touch what's mine, you pay the price." Crack! The first blow slammed into her back, her body arching in agony like a shrimp jolted by electricity. Pain exploded from her spine, radiating through every nerve, and even with the cloth in her mouth, a muffled groan escaped. Crack! Crack! Crack! One blow after another, merciless and brutal. Every strike felt like it would shatter her bones and rupture her organs. Maxine felt warm liquid trickle from her mouth, dripping down her chin onto the floor. Ninety-nine lashes. He dealt with every single one himself. By the end, Maxine couldn't even feel the pain anymore. Her mind was slipping, blackness crowding her vision. Her body felt torn to shreds, like she'd been tossed into a meat grinder. When the final blow landed, she collapsed to the floor like a ragdoll, blood spreading beneath her, soak- ing her clothes, and staining the ground red. Crunch! He lifted his polished shoe and ground it down on her exposed fingers, The bones cracked, the sound sharp and clear. Maxine's body convulsed with pain, but she couldn't even scream. 62.7 %' 06:32 205 Vouchers Only then did Reid seem satisfied. He turned and pulled Kelsey into his arms. His long fingers gently stroked her hair. "Did that scare you? "It's over now.' He waved dismissively to the bodyguards, as if taking out the trash. "Dump her back where you found her." With that, he scooped Kelsey up and walked away without a backward glance, his shoes squelching through the pool of blood. At last, the cloth in Maxine's mouth loosened. She summoned the last of her strength, her voice hoarse and broken, to call his name. "Re... Reid..." The sound was barely more than a dying ember in the wind, but it took everything she had left. 88.6%. 06:32 Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!