For the next three days, I was imprisoned in an abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city. Lorraine unleashed every cruel method she could think of—whipping, sleep deprivation, and forcing me to swallow filth. She shattered my body, humiliated my soul, and seemed to delight in every moment of my agony.

By the time she was done, I was barely breathing. She finally ordered her men to throw me back to the hospital emergency room like discarded trash.

I didn't know how long I was unconscious. When I finally opened my eyes, the doctor sighed in relief.

"You're awake... we almost lost you. I'll notify your family to handle the paperwork."

He handed me my phone. The first message I saw was from Madam Montgomery.

[The divorce papers are ready. Leave Renald as soon as you can.]

I let out a hollow laugh, my throat dry and burning. Knowing his obsessive nature, I weakly dialed Madam Montgomery's private number.

"Please…" my voice was barely a whisper. "Help me fake my death. Use an unclaimed body from the morgue... let him think I'm gone for good."

"If I simply disappear, he'll hunt me to the ends of the earth. But if he thinks I'm dead... everything ends."

There was a long silence on the other end. Then Madam Montgomery exhaled deeply.

"Follow the people I send. I'll handle the rest."

Under her arrangement, I left the hospital quietly through the back door and headed straight for the airport.

Meanwhile, Renald was pacing his office, eyes fixed on his watch. The moment the seventy-second hour struck, he called Lorraine. His voice trembled with tension.

"Three days are up! Where's Danica? I warned you—no killing!"

"Why so anxious?" she replied, feigning innocence. "Relax, I sent her back to the hospital."

He slammed the phone down and rushed out the door. By the time he arrived at the operating room, the light above the door had just gone out.

The doctor removed his mask, face heavy with sorrow.

"Mr. Montgomery... I'm sorry. The patient's injuries were too severe. We did everything we could."

A stretcher rolled out, covered with a white sheet.