Erick had never encountered someone as cruel and torturous as Henry. Desperate to leave, he said, "I'll go on my own."
With his joints dislocated, Erick could only crawl out. Henry opened the door, and Erick crawled out before Henry closed the door behind him. How Erick managed to get to the elevator was his own problem.
Henry's skill lay in causing immense pain without leaving permanent injuries. Even if Erick went to the hospital, the joints could be easily reset. Reporting the incident wouldn't matter much, as forensic experts couldn't find significant injuries. If Erick couldn't deal with Henry, he'd face this torture daily, making death seem preferable.
Erick struggled to stand, using the elevator door for support, and pressed the down button. With one leg useless, he crawled out of the elevator on the first floor, intending to call an ambulance. Suddenly, he saw a pair of elegant high heels and legs. Looking up, he saw Victoria.
Instead of blaming her, Erick felt a pang of sympathy. If he, a man, suffered so much under Henry, who knew what Henry did to Victoria?
Victoria crouched down to help, causing Erick to scream in pain. "Don't move, Victoria. Call an ambulance!"
Victoria called for an ambulance. Despite using Victoria as a tool, Erick felt grateful and moved, seeing her by his side. He asked, "Victoria, I'm sorry. If you're willing, let's get married now."
Victoria knew Erick was sincere in his current state. But she also knew feelings could change with circumstances. Erick, in his desperate state, saw her as a lifeline. But once he recovered and succeeded, would he still honor his promise?
When Erick first claimed Victoria, he had vowed to cherish her forever. But as he succeeded, surrounded by beautiful women, he wanted to discard Victoria. Victoria didn't see him as a bad person but knew his feelings would change with circumstances. She wouldn't fall into the same trap twice.
Victoria, expressionless, said, "Focus on recovering. Henry isn't a normal person. His cruelty and savagery are beyond human. Learn from this and stop trying to break unbreakable barriers."
Erick nodded, "I know. He's too cruel. There's nothing he can't do."
The ambulance arrived quickly, and Victoria accompanied Erick to the hospital. Watching from the window, Henry sent a message to Kevin and Ruby: "Done."
Ruby replied: "Impressive, my little brother!"
Kevin replied: "Received."
Henry knew Kevin's brief response indicated his recognition of Henry's capabilities and trust in him. He didn't even remind Henry to destroy the videos or send them to him.
Ruby's "little brother" message carried a different connotation, but she was too far away to be of immediate help.
Seeing missed calls from Avery and her messages, Henry realized it was past 2 PM. Unsure if she was available, he messaged: "I was busy earlier. Are you free to take a call now?"
Avery, in a meeting, appreciated Henry's thoughtfulness. She sent her location and messaged: "Come to my office. I need to talk to you."
Henry smiled, thinking Erick's demand for 1 million had practically delivered Avery to him. Imagining holding Avery in Victoria's clean, comfortable bed excited him.
He hailed a taxi to the development zone committee office, where a guard directed him to Avery's office on the third floor.
As he reached the third floor, he saw people leaving a meeting. His phone rang, and he saw Avery coming out of the conference room. "Hello, Avery!"
Henry greeted loudly, making it clear he was there on business. Avery smiled, hung up, and led him to her office.
Avery offered him a seat and prepared tea. "Avery," Henry said, "no need to trouble yourself. I don't drink tea."
Avery smiled, "If you don't drink tea, there's only water. Is that okay?"
Henry replied, "Don't trouble yourself. What did you need to talk about?"
Avery locked the door casually, which Henry knew was intentional. "Can't I call you without a reason?" she asked, batting her eyes.