Chapter 6

Felicity walked out of the heavy iron gates of the Mckinney estate, the release papers clutched tightly in her hand.

Before she could even hail a cab, three black Rolls-Royces roared down the private road, swerving aggressively to block her path. The tires kicked up gravel.

The door of the lead car opened. Ellsworth stepped out. The storm in his eyes had settled into a terrifying, absolute zero coldness. He walked up to her and threw a thick, leather-bound document at her feet.

He reached out, snatched the NDA release from her hand, and ripped it down the middle.

"What are you doing?!" Felicity screamed, her body trembling with rage.

"The NDA is void," Ellsworth said, his voice devoid of any emotion. "But the two million dollars you embezzled from the corporate accounts to pay for your mother's medical bills is a federal crime."

"You gave me that money!" Felicity yelled, her nails biting into her palms. "You transferred it to me as a gift!"

"Prove it," he challenged, adjusting his cufflink. "Sign the employment contract on the ground, or my lawyers will have you arrested for corporate fraud in five minutes. You'll rot in a federal cell, and your mother's life support will be shut off."

Felicity stared at the monster standing before her. She looked at the massive bodyguards surrounding her. She had no choice. She dropped to her knees, picked up the pen, and signed the draconian contract.

The moment the ink dried, two guards grabbed her arms and shoved her into the back of the car.

They drove straight to the Hamptons, pulling up to the ultra-luxurious Clifton Seaside Sanatorium. The wind coming off the ocean was freezing. Felicity looked up at the beautiful, gilded cage. Her eyes hardened into shards of ice.

She was escorted into a VIP suite that looked like a five-star hotel room. Camila was propped up on velvet pillows, sipping a bowl of expensive bird's nest soup. A victorious, sickening smirk stretched across Camila's face.

"You're late for your shift, nurse," Camila mocked, pushing the scalding hot bowl of soup toward the edge of the tray. "Feed me. Use your hands."

Felicity didn't get angry. She walked calmly to the bed, picked up the bowl, and dumped the boiling soup directly onto Camila's pure silk blanket.

Camila shrieked, scrambling backward as the hot liquid soaked through the fabric. "Are you crazy?!" she screamed, dropping her fragile act entirely.

Felicity pulled out her phone. She opened her banking app and showed Camila the screen. It displayed a massive transfer of funds-a loan she had secured from Brennan Potter using the penalty clause of her new contract as leverage.

Felicity walked to the door and snapped her fingers.

Five heavily built, fiercely intimidating nurses marched into the room. Brennan Potter was a man who planned ahead. Knowing exactly where she was headed, he had already dispatched this specialized, elite "care" team as a welcome gift for their new partnership. They had been waiting in the parking lot for her signal. They were led by Brenda, a massive woman chewing gum loudly and cracking her knuckles.

"Meet your new 24/7 premium care team," Felicity announced, crossing her arms. "I paid for them out of my own pocket."

Brenda didn't waste a second. She grabbed Camila by the shoulders and shoved her forcefully back onto the mattress. "Time for your deep tissue physical therapy, honey," Brenda barked, digging her thick thumbs brutally into Camila's shoulders.

Camila screamed in actual pain. "Security! Get them out of here!"

The head nurse of the facility rushed in, but Felicity handed her Brenda's fully licensed, top-tier medical credentials. The facility couldn't legally intervene.

Felicity pulled up a chair, crossed her legs, and watched.

To add to the atmosphere, Felicity connected her phone to the room's Bluetooth speakers and blasted heavy metal rock music at maximum volume. The bass shook the walls.

Camila covered her ears, weeping hysterically. She reached for the landline to call Ellsworth. Felicity calmly walked over and yanked the phone cord straight out of the wall.

"If you complain to him," Felicity whispered over the music, leaning close to Camila's terrified face, "the recording goes to the press. Suffer in silence."

For three days, the VIP suite became Camila's personal hell. Felicity canceled the gourmet meals and forced Camila to eat bland, nutrient-dense hospital paste. Brenda's "massages" left Camila bruised and exhausted.

Camila's skin turned sallow. Her eyes were bloodshot. Every time Felicity walked into the room, Camila flinched.

On the afternoon of the fourth day, the door opened without warning.

Ellsworth walked in for a surprise inspection. He stopped dead in his tracks. The room was filled with massive nurses, heavy metal music was playing, and Camila looked like a withered ghost.

Camila saw him and lunged forward, desperate to cry for help.

Felicity caught Camila's eye and simply tapped her own phone. The threat was clear.

Camila swallowed her tears. She forced a horrific, trembling smile onto her face. "Ellsworth," she choked out. "I'm... I'm doing so well. The care here is... very intense."

Ellsworth frowned deeply. He looked at Felicity, who was sitting quietly in the corner, looking perfectly innocent. He felt a deep unease, but since Camila didn't complain, he couldn't object. He stayed for ten minutes before his phone rang, and he had to leave for a meeting.

The moment the door closed, Felicity walked over to the bed. She patted Camila's rigid cheek.

"Your acting is getting sloppy," Felicity mocked. She grabbed her coat. "Keep up the good work, Brenda. I have a farewell party to attend in the city."

She walked out, completely unaware that Camila's eyes were burning with a psychotic, murderous hatred behind her.