Chapter 615

Chapter 615

While the kids were glued to the TV, Zoey leaned in close to Henry, her voice barely above a whisper. "What happened to the woman who hurt Gabriel?"

Zoey's fingers unconsciously gripped the bedsheet, her knuckles whitening.

Henry didn't answer right away. Instead, he gently placed his hand over hers, prying her tense fingers open one by one until their fingers intertwined.

"I've got people in the prison," he murmured, his lips barely moving, his voice so soft that only Zoey could hear. "She'll never forget the price of hurting our son."

Zoey's shoulders relaxed slightly.

She didn't need to know the details. Just knowing that the woman who hurt Gabriel was suffering a hundredfold was enough.

That was the Windsor family rule: anyone who harmed their family, no matter how far, would pay.

Outside, the sky over Marigoldia was a clear, bright blue, with a few white clouds lazily drifting by.

In the hospital room, the cartoon on TV switched to a new episode, and the children's laughter filled the air again.

Zoey leaned against Henry's shoulder, closing her eyes, letting herself sink into this moment of peace.

In the dead of night at Marigoldia Women's Prison, moonlight filtered through the barred windows, casting stark white lines on the concrete floor. The red-haired woman, the one who had thrown Gabriel to the ground, was curled up on her narrow bed, sleeping lightly.

Even in her sleep, her brow was furrowed, as if sensing the impending doom.

At 3:17 AM, the lock on her cell door clicked softly, and the door was silently pushed open.

Three burly female inmates slipped in like ghosts, one of them lifting a rag to cover the surveillance camera.

"Get up, you bitch." A tattooed hand yanked the red-haired woman by her hair, dragging her roughly from her sleep.

The red-haired woman woke with a start, instinctively struggling. "What are you doing? Let go of me!" Her voice was shrill in the quiet prison.

Another inmate clamped a hand over her mouth, nearly suffocating her. "Shut up, the game's just starting."

The red-haired woman's pupils dilated in the darkness as she finally recognized the faces of her attackers—three of the most notorious drug dealers in the prison, feared even by the guards.

She began to struggle violently, her throat emitting muffled whimpers.

"Warden! Help! Someone's trying to—" Her plea was cut off by a slap, her left cheek instantly swelling with a burning pain.

The leader, Karina, a woman serving a life sentence for murdering her husband, grabbed her by the chin, sneering. "You think anyone's coming to save you? The warden who took the bribe?"

Karina leaned in close, her breath reeking of tobacco. "You messed with the wrong people, and almost killed their son. Now, it's time to pay."

The red-haired woman shuddered, suddenly understanding.

The image of a three-year-old boy's clear eyes flashed through her mind, quickly drowned by fear.

She shook her head frantically, saliva dripping from the corners of her gagged mouth. "No... I didn't know they..."

Before she could finish, her head was slammed into the wall.

Once, twice, three times... the inmates took turns smashing her head against the concrete, as if performing some ritual.
"This is for that little boy," Karina whispered in her ear, her voice sickly sweet. "I heard his head swelled up just like this..."

The red-haired woman's vision began to darken, warm blood trickling down her neck into her collar.

Her pleas grew weaker, finally turning into incoherent moans.

When her body crumpled to the floor like a broken doll, the inmates let go.

"That's enough," Karina said, nudging the limp body with her foot. "Any more and she'll be dead."

They left as silently as they had come, even thoughtfully closing the cell door behind them.

The red-haired woman lay in a pool of blood, her pupils dilated, a vacant smile on her lips. The heaviest blow had damaged her frontal lobe.

Fifteen minutes later, the warden "arrived" on the scene, leisurely calling for the medics.

When the flashlight beam hit the red-haired woman's vacant eyes, the medic shook his head. "Brain damage. She's done for. Even if she survives, she'll be a vegetable."

The warden nodded impassively, jotting down "Inmate altercation resulting in accidental injury" in his log, then signaled for the body to be taken away.

As he turned, he patted the pocket where his new check was, a satisfied smile playing on his lips.

When the first rays of morning sunlight filtered through the curtains into the children's hospital room, Henry's phone vibrated.

He opened his eyes immediately, years of vigilance making him sensitive to the sound even in light sleep.

The screen showed an unfamiliar number.

Henry glanced at the sleeping Zoey, Gabriel, and Travis, then quietly stepped into the hallway to take the call.

"Speak," he said, his voice low and alert.

"Mr. Windsor, it's done." The warden's voice was hushed. "That woman had a 'prison fight' last night and suffered a head injury. The doctor says it's permanent brain damage. She won't remember who she is, let alone who she hurt."

Henry's expression remained unchanged, his fingers unconsciously tracing the edge of his phone. "Any loose ends?"

"Absolutely clean," the warden assured. "The cameras 'happened' to malfunction for fifteen minutes, and the duty logs are all set. The inmates who did it are lifers anyway; one more charge won't make a difference."

Henry gave a curt nod. "The rest of your payment will be in your account today."

He hung up and stood by the hallway window for a moment, watching the early risers in the hospital garden.

A few of Marigoldia's native birds flew by, their calls clear and bright.

On such a beautiful morning, a woman had lost the ability to enjoy the sunlight forever. The thought lingered in Henry's mind for just a second before the sound of children's laughter from the hospital room dispelled it.

"Dad!" Travis's voice came through the door. "Gabriel took my cookie!"

Henry walked back in, a gentle smile already on his face.

On the bed, Gabriel and Travis were wrestling over the last animal cracker while Zoey, still groggy, tried to mediate.
Sunlight bathed them, creating a perfect, peaceful family morning scene.

"Who was that?" Zoey asked, trying to hold down Travis's flailing hand.

Henry walked over, breaking the contested cookie in half and giving each son a piece. "The warden. That red-haired woman had an 'accident' in prison last night. She's a vegetable now."