Chapter 626

When the whole house had finally gone quiet, Broderick Ackerley and Leslie Green quietly headed downstairs. Their car pulled away without a sound, eventually stopping outside the villa where Edward Ackerley was being held. It had been months. For Edward, these months felt like an eternity in hell — time lost all meaning. No one spoke to him. Each time Leslie showed up, it was just to mess with him, throwing vicious words like knives. But the worst part? He couldn’t even die if he wanted to. As soon as he heard movement, Edward jerked up, trying to rush to the door — only to be yanked back by the chains. The iron chain had been driven clean through his shoulder blades, straight out of a horror movie. At first, he'd cursed Leslie day after day, calling her a demon, a witch, a lunatic… until his voice gave out. Now, his throat was dry and hoarse, his brain muddled. Sometimes he’d go completely off the rails, screaming like a madman. Other times, he just sat there, blank, like he’d already