Chapter 7

Two days later, when Penelope was discharged, Damian had promised to pick her up, but by the time all the paperwork was done, there was still no sign of him. Before, in situations like this, he would've shown up an hour early just to be with her, and if he couldn't make it, he'd text ahead and arrange everything. Now, he had simply vanished. It didn't matter, because she was leaving this place today anyway. Her lawyer had already submitted the divorce petition and all supporting documents two days ago. Damian would be receiving the notice soon. The moment Penelope stepped out of the hospital doors, someone came up from behind and knocked her out cold. When she opened her eyes again, she was locked inside a meat freezer. The freezing air bit into her skin, making her shiver uncontrollably. Around her, slabs of frozen pork hung from hooks, with no sign of another living soul. She stumbled toward the door, trembling, and tried to pull it open. After struggling for what felt like forever, she realized it was locked from the outside. "Open the door! Somebody! Help"! No matter how loud she screamed, no one answered. She kept shouting until her throat was raw, but still, no one came. It wasn't until she had completely run out of strength and was curled up on the icy floor that the freezer door finally creaked open. Jasmine stepped inside, moving slowly. Her eyes gleamed with satisfaction at the sight of Penelope's shivering, disheveled state. "Awake?" Her tone was almost gentle, but her gaze was laced with pure malice. A chill spread through Penelope's chest, and she instinctively tried to back away, retreating deeper into the freezer. Before she could take more than two steps, Jasmine's high heel came down hard on her wrist. Penelope's face twisted in pain as she let out a scream. "Jasmine, what the hell are you doing? Aren't you afraid Damian will find out?" The words had barely left her mouth when Jasmine threw her head back and laughed like she had just heard the funniest thing in the world. Her heel pressed down even harder. "Penelope, you're not as important as you think you are. All of you listen up! Beat her, and don't hold back. Mr. Ingram said if anything happens, he'll take care of it." Penelope stared at Jasmine in shock, unable to believe what she had just heard. Her voice came out rough and strained. "Mr. Ingram? Damian? Are you saying… he arranged this?" No, it couldn't be Damian. He might not be willing to punish the twins for hurting her, but he would never send people after her like this. She didn't believe it. Jasmine tilted her head, smirking. "What's the matter? You don't believe me?" Bending at the waist, she leaned in closer, her smile razor-sharp. "Do you trust him that much? Penelope, do you even know which part of me he likes best?" Frost had already settled on Penelope's lashes, but at those words, her eyes still flickered involuntarily. Over the years, she and Damian had always been in sync in bed. He was considerate, gentle both in foreplay and when he was inside her. But in the past two years, he had grown more forceful, so much so that there had been nights she simply couldn't keep going. She opened her mouth to steer the conversation away, but Jasmine cut her off. "He says his favorite part of me is soft and pink, like a peach. Do you know what he loves to do after we're done? Hahaha… Every time, he tells me, 'Jas, why is your body so soft? With her, it's like being with a block of wood—boring as hell.'" "Stop it!" Penelope clamped her hands over her ears as she trembled, tears spilling silently down her cheeks. They froze instantly in the cold, stinging her skin. Jasmine pulled out her phone, a smug smile on her lips. "You don't believe this was his order? Fine. I'll let you hear it for yourself." She dialed Damian's number. It rang only once before he picked up. His deep voice came through the speaker. "Well?" Jasmine glanced at Penelope, who was curled up on the floor. "Got her, but she's not saying a word." "Then beat her until she does. I don't believe there's a mouth I can't get to talk." Jasmine's lips curved as she deliberately hesitated. "But what if I hit her too hard and something happens?" Damian let out a cold laugh. "You've got me. What are you afraid of?" A chill ripped through Penelope's chest, and she couldn't hold back any longer. "Damian! Why are you doing this to me?" Why? Even if he didn't love her anymore, did 20 years of history between them mean so little that she didn't even deserve a clean ending? But the call had already been cut off. Penelope's breath came in ragged bursts. Her throat was raw, and after shouting just now, it burned even worse. She coughed hard, barely catching a breath before the first steel rod came down. The cold and the pain hit her together, nearly knocking her unconscious. The first blow slammed into her head, and her already-injured forehead split open again. The second struck her ribs, and she let out a muffled cry as her body doubled over. The third smashed into her leg. There was a sharp crack, and she knew her bone had broken. She didn't know how many blows followed, only that at some point, the pain dulled into a heavy numbness. Lying face-down on the icy floor, barely clinging to consciousness, she still managed to lift her gaze toward Jasmine. Her voice was barely a whisper. "Why…" Jasmine tilted her head, taking in Penelope's broken, bloodied state with pure malice. "Because last night, his precious twins were kidnapped, and no one knows where they are." "What… does that… have to do with me?" Did Damian think she had taken his children? Jasmine's lips curled into a slow smile. "So, you do know everything. Which means you saw those messages that night? Good. Then, you won't die without knowing why. Boys, keep going. Don't stop." With that, she turned and walked out of the freezer. The guards' blows grew harder, more deliberate. Penelope's mouth twisted faintly. Damian did want to see her dead. A moment later, blood gushed from her mouth—hot and metallic, coating her skin. Her vision swam, and the world slid into darkness. She shut her eyes against the agony. "Damian, I hate you. And I curse you. May everything you want be out of reach and everyone you love be forever lost to you," she thought.