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Chapter 16 Punishment
Being here meant following Shane’s rules.
Anyone who disobeyed faced something much worse.
Sierra had no idea what that lunatic had planned this time.
She quietly found a spot to sit, pressing her back against the wall, trying to make herself as invisible as possible.
When sight was taken away, other senses sharpened.
She thought she heard something–movement, maybe.
But when she strained to listen, there was nothing.
The unknown was always the most terrifying.
Was this his punishment for today?
Sierra wasn’t sure. She curled in on herself, but every muscle in her body remained tightly wound.
Silence.
No sounds.
Had she imagined the earlier noises?
Time passed, but she had no way of knowing how long she had been in there.
Her clothes were already soaked in cold sweat, yet she barely noticed.
This kind of torment could drive anyone mad.
She bit her lip, forcing herself to focus on something else–her grandmother, her research.
Anything to stop her mind from spiraling.
Then, a sudden click.
At first, she thought she was hallucinating again.
But the next second, the pitch–black room was flooded with light.
Footsteps echoed.
Steady. Unhurried.
Stopping right in front of her.
She looked up and saw Shane.
He gazed down at her, unimpressed.
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He almost sounded disappointed.
She was still holding it together.
“Get up.”
As his words fell, the rest of the lights turned on, glaringly bright.
Sierra knew this meant it was over.
For now.
She turned to leave.
But before she reached the door, Shane’s voice rang out again.
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“Your brothers love you so much. Why don’t you tell them about what happens when you’re with me?”
Sierra didn’t stop walking.
Love her?
She wasn’t that naive anymore.
She knew exactly what Bradley and the others felt–maybe some guilt.
But love?
No. Tell them? And then what?
They’d get angry. Retaliate. But in the end, she would be the one suffering for it.
She wasn’t stupid.
Shane was too powerful.
Officially, he was just a prison warden.
But who knew what his real identity was?
His influence was everywhere.
No one dared to cross him.
And the Xanders?
They wouldn’t risk going against someone like him for her.
As soon as she stepped outside, the blinding sunlight hit her.
She hadn’t realized until now–she had been locked in there all night.
That lunatic.
She inhaled deeply, her body finally registering the stiffness in her muscles.
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She was exhausted, aching all over.
She needed to go to the hospital.
To see her grandmother.
Pulling out her phone, she saw that it had shut off at some point.
She had started recording before she entered the house, but in the end, it had been useless.
Shane was even more cautious than she had thought.
A car passed by.
Then reversed, stopping beside her.
Sierra tensed, thinking it was Shane again.
But the window rolled down.
Jonathan’s voice was as calm as ever.
“Sierra? Need a ride?”
His eyes flickered over her face, his brows knitting together slightly.
How had she ended up looking like this in just one day?
“No.”
Her response was immediate.
She didn’t need help from anyone.
She didn’t trust anyone.
When she first arrived in prison, there had been people who had asked if she needed help.
She had been naive back then.
She had believed them.
Only to realize later that it had all been a cruel joke.
She had learned her lesson.
No one could be trusted.
Jonathan saw the wariness in her eyes.
“You should go to the hospital,” he said after a moment.
“You can call someone yourself.”
She had no idea how bad she looked–her face pale as a sheet, her clothes drenched in sweat.
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Jonathan had no idea what had happened to her.
But for some reason, he had already helped her more than once.
Maybe it was her eyes.
Bright.
Defiant.
Fragile, yet refusing to break.
Sierra wasn’t listening anymore.
His voice blurred in the background, the words blending together.
She was already irritated.
She took a step toward him, ready to snap-
But before she could say anything, the world tilted.
Everything spun.
Then, darkness.
When Sierra woke up, she smelled disinfectant.
For the first time in a long time, she let herself relax.
No one knew this, but hospitals made her feel safe.
Because here, it meant she had a few days of peace.
A break from everything.
No one could hurt her here.
Then, she heard a voice.
Turning her head, she saw Jonathan standing by the window, on the phone.
“Yeah, something came up. Can you cover my class for today?”
“Nothing serious. A friend needed help.”
“Thanks.”
A friend?
Did he mean her?
Sierra’s eyes flickered slightly.
Jonathan hung up and turned around, noticing that she was awake.
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He smiled.
“Awake? You should eat something. The doctor said you’re dehydrated.”
And severely malnourished.
And suffering from extreme stress.
But he left that part out.
“I got you some porridge. It’s still warm. Try to eat a little.”
Sierra stared at the bowl for a moment.
Then, her lips moved.
“…Thanks.”
He had helped her more than once now.
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“No need,” Jonathan replied. “The doctor wants to keep you for observation for two days. Do you have anyone who can stay with you?”
Sierra gave him a surprised look.
She had assumed he would have already called Bradley.
They were friends, after all.
Jonathan seemed to understand what she was thinking.
He chuckled.
“I figured you wouldn’t want them here, so I haven’t called.”
“But if you want, I can let them know.”
Sierra actually smiled at that.
Even with her pale face, it was a genuine smile.
“Thanks.”
Jonathan smirked slightly.
“Glad I made the right call.”
Then, he added casually, “By the way, do you need a lawyer?”
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