Chapter 100
Chapter 100
Aria’s POV
Sweat dripped from my face, hitting the ground one drop at a time.
The sun was merciless above my head, and my leg still fucking hurt. Not far from us, that huge male nurse loomed over everyone, keeping a
close eye on our every move like some prison guard.
“Ah!” someone cried out behind me.
A patient was pulling the weeds too slowly. The male nurse marched over and kicked her hard in the back.
“Move your lazy ass!” he snapped.
“Hey!” I threw the rock I’d been holding, my voice sharp. “Don’t fucking touch her!”
The nurse turned and gave me a nasty look. “What’s wrong with you? She ain’t your friend.”
I clenched my jaw. “No, she’s not. But I’m not gonna stand here and watch you abuse these poor people. What are you, a nurse or a fucking thug?”
He started toward me, heavy footsteps pounding the dirt. “You want the other leg broken too? Keep talking.”
“Go ahead. Break both of my legs. In fact, break all my limbs if you want!” I stood up straight, glaring at him. “But just know this–I’m not staying in this hellhole forever. And the second I get out, you’re fucking done.”
He froze mid–step. Something like panic flickered across his eyes.
“In fact,” I pushed further. “what’s your name? Come on, tell me. So when I walk out of here, I know exactly who to deal with. You think Otto and Isla give a damn about you? Please. They’d throw you under the bus without blinking.”
The nurse’s face twitched.
Then he muttered something like “you better remember this” and turned and walked away.
I could feel everyone’s eyes on me. This time, though, no one was laughing. Their expression was a mix of shock, unease, maybe even a
flicker of respect.
I didn’t look back at them. I just bent down again and kept ripping up weeds.
twasn’t doing it for them. I wasn’t doing it to be thanked. I did it because it was the right thing to do.
“Hey… that was… pretty brave.”
I glanced over my shoulder. The girl I’d defended earlier had moved beside me. She gave me a small smile.
“I’m Elle, by the way,” she said.
“Aria,” I replied, then added, “You don’t have to talk to me if you don’t want to. If you think everything they’re doing is fine, that’s your call.”
She looked a little uncomfortable. “Hey, it’s not like we agree with how the nurses treat us here. It’s just….we don’t have a choice.”
“What do you mean? If you wanted to leave, what, they’d stop you?”
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Chapter 100
“They wouldn’t stop us. But they’d stop treating us,” she said with a sigh. “Most of the patients here have rare conditions. No healer has been able to help us, except Alpha Otto’s team. So yeah… if doing labor and getting beaten up means we get to survive, then it’s worth it.”
1 froze.
Shit. I hadn’t known that.
“He’s not a good healer,” I said after a moment. “A good healer doesn’t use patients like this.”
“But he gets things done. That’s all that matters, right?” She shrugged. “And if you behave, they even assign you better work. Like me. I’m in charge of cleaning the meds room.”
My head shot up.
The meds room?
Was that where they stored all the medicines, including the injection Otto gave me?
If I could get into that room, or even see the label, Malik might be able to figure something out.
“Hey,” I grabbed her arm, lowering my voice. “Can I ask you for a favor? I need to a quick access to the meds room. There’s something in there I need to see.“.
Her eyes widened. “You want me to unlock the door for you? Are you insane?”
“You don’t have to do anything except leave the door cracked open. That’s it. If I get caught, you can say you didn’t know anything.”
“You think they’re that stupid?” Her face turned cold. “Look, I’m grateful for what you did earlier. But forget it. I’m not risking my one shot at
treatment for you.”
And with that, she scooted away and started pulling weeds again.
I sighed internally.
Alright. Maybe I pushed too hard. Now I needed to find an alternative way.
We worked through the blistering afternoon, drenched in sweat, until we were finally allowed back inside for dinner.
I was exhausted. And now I was even more determined to call Grayson the second I got back to my room and tell him what the hell was going
on in this place.
“Aria Collins,” a nurse called as we walked into the building. “Come here. It’s time for your shot.”
I tensed and slowly walked over. She held a metal tray with a vial and a syringe on it.
“What is that?” I asked.
“A special serum Alpha Otto made just for you. Her voice was dismissive. “Roll up your sleeve.”
“I meant, what’s in it?”
“And if I told you, would you even understand it? Are you a healer now?” she snapped. “Just roll up your sleeve. I don’t have all day for you.”
I muttered a curse and rolled up my sleeve. Her hands were rough, and she jammed the needle in so hard I bled a little.
“You’ve got 10 minutes to get cleaned up and change, then head to the cafeteria,” she said. “If you’re late, you don’t eat.”
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Chaptec 100
1 tried to feel for any reaction in my body after the shot. Whatever was in that syringe, it wasn’t poison. Or at least, not immediate. I didn’t feel
sick or dizzy.
But that didn’t mean Ofte was clear yet.
1 got back to my room to change. But the second I stepped in, I froze.
The door was wide open.
1 rushed inside and got even more astonished.
My bags were all over the floor, dumped and torn open. My clothes, personal belongings were thrown everywhere. Someone had clearly searched through everything.
Rage surged through me. I stormed back into the hallway and stopped a nurse passing by.
“What the hell happened to my room?!” I snapped.
She rolled her eyes. “Stop yelling you rude girl. It was just a routine check for forbidden items.”
“Forbidden items? What do you think I’m smuggling in here–bombs?”
“I meant phones or laptops. Anything that connects you to the outside world. You don’t need that crap during treatment.”
I lunged forward and grabbed her by the collar.
“You took my phone?” I growled.
Gasps filled the hallway as all the patients turned to stare. The nurse went pale. She clearly didn’t expect me to snap.
“Hey, d–don’t come at me like that,” she stammered. “It wasn’t my idea… it’s Lady Isla’s rule!”
Of course it was.
“Where the fuck is she? And your Alpha?”
“P–Probably in the cafeteria. If you’ve got a problem, take it up with them. This is my business.” she stammered.
“Oh, trust me. I will.” I shoved her aside and marched toward the cafeteria.
By the time I burst in, most patients were already seated. They all turned their heads in unison as I stormed through the doors.
Isla and Otto sat at the far end of the long table. I marched right up to them and slammed my hands on the table.
“Where the hell is my phone?!” I gritted.
Otto leaned back in his chair, looking calm and relax. Isla gave me a pleasant smile. “What do you need your phone for, Aria?”
“To tell Grayson what the hell is going on in this abusive–ass facility! And I don’t really need a reason to get my personal belongings back!”
“We believe peace of mind is an important part of healing. Less contact with the outside world does you good.”
She paused, and added with a bright smile:
“And you don’t need to contact Grayson. I’ve been calling him and giving him regular updates about your condition.”
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Chapter 100
SHE WHAT?
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I stared at her in anger and disbelief. “You think that’s the same thing? I’m his damn girlfriend! I should be able to talk to him whenever I want!”
She stood up too, meeting my eyes with a cocky expression. “See, that’s the problem. You think just because you’re his girlfriend, you’re entitled to bother him anytime. But that’s very selfish. Grayson is a great Alpha. He doesn’t always have time to deal with your little dramas.”
“That’s none of your business!” I shouted. “Give me my phone!”
She raised her voice as well. “He left you in my care! And I believe part of that means helping you fix your attitude. Stay here, heal, learn how to be a decent lady. And maybe in 3 months, you’ll actually be worthy of him.”
I blinked.
Then I let out a sharp, sarcastic laugh.
Her smile dropped. “What’s so funny?”
“Oh, I see what’s going on here,” I smirked. “You think you’re his real mate. And I’m just some fling or mistress you get to punish. But take this -you are nothing. He doesn’t want anything to do with you. And you are just a pathetic, pretentious, old-”
Her hand flew up to slap me, but I caught her wrist mid–air.
I stared into her furious eyes with a smirk. “Which word pissed you off the most? Old?”
She yanked her hand back, just as Otto finally stood up too.
“Ok that’s enough,” he cut in. “The phone rule applies to everyone, Aria. Not just you.”
“I’m not the only one who finds it unfair. Everyone else thinks the same way!” I snapped.
“Sounds like someone has been putting the wrong ideas in your head,” he said coolly. “I wonder who that was… oh! Was it the girl who chatted with you earlier?”
He snapped his fingers.
Two male nurses rushed forward and dragged a horrified Elle from her seat into the center of the room.
“Leave her alone!” I screamed. “You fucking cowards!”
“I don’t like disobedient patients,” Otto sighed. “Elle, I’m very disappointed in you. I thought we are finally getting somewhere.”
Elle looked scared as hell. She burst into tears. “N–No, please! It was her, she talked to me first! I swear–please, Alpha Otto, I was very
good…”
“Miss Collins is a very important patient here. And you made her question our facility. That’s very serious.” Otto said with a cruel grin. “I think Elle deserves a punishment. What do you have in mind, Isla?”
Isla’s eyes gleamed with malice.
“Disobedient patient… might as well be dead,” she said coldly.
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