Chapter 101
Aria’s POV
“No!!” I screamed without thinking.
My heart was slamming against my ribs. No way. No freaking way. Otto wouldn’t actually murder one of his own patients… right? Even if he was cruel, he wouldn’t go that far. He couldn’t!
I clenched my fists and stared at him, holding my breath. He was staring right back at me–calm, smug, like he was enjoying the panic on my
face.
A few seconds later, he finally chuckled and said, “There’s no need to stain our hands with blood, Isla. If a patient refuses to behave, all we need to do is stop treating them.”
Elle let out a terrified scream.
And my heart dropped like a stone.
No more treatment? That’s the same as a death sentence.
Otto folded his hands behind his back and looked down at Elle with a chilling smirk. “You were only two sessions away from a full recovery, Elle. But now… what a shame. Once you leave this place, your condition will deteriorate in about a week. You probably have a month left to
live. Use it well.”
“No! No, please! I–I don’t want to die…” Elle collapsed to the floor, sobbing so hard her body shook. “Please forgive me, Alpha Otto. I swear
I’ll behave. I will never speak to her again! I’ll be the best patient you’ve ever had–PLEASE!!!”
“But it’s too late now,” Isla said sweetly. Too sweetly. “Thanks to you, Ms. Collins is starting to doubt our facility. And we simply can’t risk that. So unfortunately, kicking you out is the only option. You’ll just have to blame her for it.”
Bull. Shit!
I could feel the weight of every hateful stare in the room turning toward me. Even Elle was glaring at me now, her face twisted with hatred. A cold chill ran through my body.
This was exactly what Isla wanted.
She wanted me to carry the guilt. She knew guilt could eat me alive–it was more effective than any physical punishment.
I had never met anyone so vicious in my life. God I fucking hate her!
“Let her stay,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “I swear… I’ll follow the rules from now on.”
A slow smile curved across Isla’s lips.
She was loving this. Watching me fold must’ve been the highlight of her day.
“Oh? Are you saying you’re sorry, Aria?” she asked sweetly, pressing her advantage. “You’re done crying about seeing Grayson? You’ll behave
now and focus on treatment?”
God, if I could rip that smug expression off her face-
“Say whatever the hell you want. Just let Elle stay!” I growled.
1/4
12:43 Sun, 10 Aug
Chapter 101
She laughed. “I like this attitude of yours. Unfortunately, no can do. Rules are rules, and Elle has to go.”
3 57%1
The two male nurses yanked Elle off the ground and began dragging her out of the cafeteria as she kicked and screamed. The other patients watched in stunned silence, frozen with fear.
“If the rest of you don’t want to lose your treatment, I suggest you remember this moment,” Otto said loudly, then turned to flash me a triumphant smile.
My whole body was trembling with rage. Coming here was a mistake. A huge, stupid mistake! My instincts had been right all along.
“If Grayson can’t get in touch with me, he’ll start asking questions. When he comes here, everything you’ve done will come to light,” I hissed.
Isla chuckled. “Oh don’t worry. I just spoke with him earlier today. He’s very comfortable with you being here.”
God knows what lies she’s been feeding him. And who knows how long they’ve been talking behind my back?
And the worst part? Grayson actually believed her. How could he!
Anger flared inside me like wildfire.
“You really think you can hide this forever?” I snapped. “I will see him again. And when I do, he’ll find out everything.”
“Of course you’ll tattle,” Isla said with a cold smile. “You’re exactly that type–a little girl who whines behind people’s backs. But I’m hoping to fix that. To turn you into a real lady. Maybe one day you’ll even thank me.”
SCREW YOU.
I spun around and stormed out of the cafeteria.
Behind me, Isla’s voice rang out in a singsong tone: “Rest up tonight, Aria. You’ve got another day of hard work tomorrow!”
Back in my room, I paced around like a caged animal, chewing at my thumb.
Contacting Grayson was a dead end. But if they thought I was giving up that easily, they were dead wrong.
I could tell there’s something wrong with Otto’s treatment. I just had to find proof.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Someone was knocking on my window.
I rushed over and threw it open. Malik clambered inside, dirty and breathless.
“I heard about what happened in the cafeteria! Shit–what the hell was that?! Alpha Otto is just going to let that girl die? That’s…” He trailed off, completely stunned.
“Yeah that’s your beloved Alpha,” I snapped. “He doesn’t give a damn about human life. He’s got no medical ethics, no basic compassion. He’s not a healer. He’s a goddamn monster.”
Malik looked sad. “That girl… Elle… she didn’t deserve this.”
I grabbed his hand. “We’re not giving up just yet. I’m not letting Otto and Isla get away with this.”
He blinked. “The what are you going to do?”
2/4
12:43 Sun, 10 Aug
Chapter 101
“Find Elle,” I said, climbing out the window.
We followed the route Malik had taken to speak in. My room wasn’t far from the ground, and now that it was dark, so no one saw us as we dropped down and sprinted toward the gate.
1
I heard soft crying before I even reached the iron bars.
Elle was curled up on the other side, sobbing into the dirt,
“Hey… hey, Elle!” I whispered urgently, grabbing the bars. “It’s me. Aria.”
She whipped her head up, eyes full of rage and hatred. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I know you’re angry. But can’t you see? This is exactly what Otto and Isla wanted. They’re trying to turn us against each other.”
“All I know is, I said one sentence to you and now I’m out here waiting to die!” she snarled. “So get away from me!”
“Shh! Keep it down,” Malik whispered, glancing around nervously.
*Listen to me,” I said under my breath. “You still have a chance. Otto doesn’t care about any of us–but screw him. You deserve better.
Someone with real skill. Someone who actually gives a damn.”
“Oh yeah? Where am I supposed to find someone like that?” she snapped.
I yanked Malik forward. “Right here. This is Malik. He’s the most talented healer at the academy. He’s my personal doctor. And I swear, he can cure you. Faster than Otto ever could. Right, Malik?”
His eyes widened and he looked taken aback. I jabbed him hard in the ribs.
“Uh–yeah! Yeah, totally,” he stammered.
Elle stared at us suspiciously.
“Look,” I said quickly. “Just help us get into the med room. And we’ll make sure you get treated.”
“How do I know you won’t throw me under the bus when this is all over?” she hissed.
“Because I’m not Alpha Otto,” Malik said quietly, his expression dead serious.
They stared at each other for a moment. Then Elle exhaled and muttered, “Fine. What have I got to lose… Listen up. The med room password is #9128407.”
Malik and I shared a wide–eyed look.
We got it.
“Thank you! Thank you so much!” I reached through the bars and squeezed her hand. “Stay close. We’ll keep our promise.”
We didn’t waste another second. I grabbed Malik’s arm and took off running toward the building.
He was panting behind me, laughing between breaths. “So–so I’m your personal doctor now?”
“If Otto gets fired, I won’t have much of a choice, will I? Now focus!”
Back inside, we crept through the halls in the dark, dodging patrols until we reached the med room.
3/4
Chapter 101
I punched in the password.
Click.
The door unlocked.
“Be quick,” I whispered, slipping inside. “Look for a vial with a blue label and my name on it. It’s what the nurse gave me earlier.”
“Got it. Let’s split up.”
We moved fast, scanning shelf after shelf. My heart was racing.
Ten minutes later, I spotted a label–Aria Collins.
“Hey, Malik!” I whispered. “I think I found it!”
He rushed over, eyes gleaming. “Holy crap, this must be it. Let me check the contents-”
He reached up and grabbed the vial.
And in that exact moment, the room exploded with red lights and a deafening alarm.
“SHIT!” I cursed.
4/4
