Chapter 91 : Intense Pain
Nigel was completely buried under the crushing weight. His face was no longer visible, and there was no room left to draw a breath.
A five-foot-eleven man like Nigel was crushed beneath the massive weight until he was unrecognizable. Only one bloodied hand remained visible, veins bulging and fingers trembling as it clawed at the floor, like it was the last thing keeping him alive.
Allison stared stiffly at the scene, as if the blood in her veins had frozen. She couldn't move at all.
Her eyes were red and burning. She tasted the metallic tang of blood in her throat. She wanted to move, to turn away, but her body felt like a rusted machine, every small motion grinding painfully. Suddenly, a painful memory swirled back in her mind. She vividly saw Lauren, the girl who had died playing this kind of game.
Lauren had gone through that kind of severe pain, too. When she died, her eyes were still wide open. Those lifeless pupils in her bruised and battered face stared through the iron bars above her, filled with endless resentment.
When Allison went to see her, those dead eyes still seemed to hold a faint glimmer, as if they were full of words that never got the chance to be spoken.
Just thinking about that moment made it feel as if a hand had clamped around Allison’s throat. She couldn't breathe.
Just as she slipped back into that paralyzed nightmare, a warm hand wrapped around hers. The warmth against her palm soothed her emotions.
Allison blinked back to the present and looked up, her eyes flicking nervously to Jareth’s.
He looked at her curiously, like he didn’t really understand what she was going through, yet the faint smile on his lips offered clear comfort.
Allison took a deep breath. After a few seconds, she finally found her voice. “That’s enough. Stop.”
Jareth slid his arm around her shoulders and guided her away. He had no intention of letting her witness Nigel’s full humiliation.
Nova quickly followed after them.
Only then did the bald man bark, “Alright, get off him.”
The bodyguards slowly began to pull themselves away from the pile.
Even though they were the ones inflicting the damage, those pinned underneath had still felt their organs being crushed. They could hardly catch their breath and felt dizzy.
What kind of person could come up with a wicked game like this? It was meant to kill without leaving a trace of blood!
If they felt this bad, then Nigel, who was trapped at the very bottom, must have felt the pain a hundred times worse.
However, no one spared him a glance. As soon as they stood up, they followed the bald man and walked out.
Nigel lay facedown on the floor and didn’t move for a long while.
Intense pain. The word filled his mind. He couldn't even tell where it was coming from anymore. Everything just hurts.
Pain surged through every nerve until it felt like it exploded inside his head.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but eventually the darkness clouding his vision began to fade. He tried to pull himself up, but the moment he moved, it felt as if every bone in his body shattered.
Cough!
He barely managed to push himself up and spit out a mouthful of blood.
After years of working in medicine, Nigel knew exactly what that meant. He had internal organ trauma. Internal injuries?
He suddenly realized something. Allison had said she was injured internally.
Back then, he hadn't believed her. Could she really have been hurt? And that box of Alphasirox pills… Had it actually been meant to treat her injuries?
But he had forced her to give that box to Sherrie.
Nigel clutched his chest and staggered to his feet, fury burning in his eyes. He turned toward the direction Allison had gone.
No. I have to find her.
He had to ask her, face to face.
He had to ask why she hadn't told him what was really going on. If she had just told him clearly that she was injured, he never would have handed that medicine to Sherrie.
He had to ask how she had managed to survive without it, and whether she had gotten any better since then.
Had she felt pain like this, too? Nigel stumbled forward a few steps, but the world around him suddenly went dark, and he collapsed.
Meanwhile, Allison had been brought back to her hospital bed.
Nova had brought a bowl of warm water and was gently wiping Allison’s hands and face, tears brimming in her eyes.
Jareth wrapped an ice pack in a towel and handed it to Allison.
Allison took it without a word and pressed it to her face, right where the slap had left its mark.
Because of that slap, Jareth had been ready to chop off Nigel’s hand.
Allison’s eyes shifted slightly as she stole a glance at Jareth.
Maybe being with him wasn't so bad after all. He really did protect her.
Jareth sat sideways, casually watching Allison. Maybe because he was used to not caring about other people’s opinions, even when he stared at someone, he never thought it was rude. He looked at her openly, while Allison didn't know where to place her eyes.
Noticing her discomfort, Jareth cleared his throat and said, “You fought back well earlier, but it didn’t help. An evil person never thinks they’re wrong. They never reflect on themselves. They only think it’s your fault, that you’re not obedient enough.”
Allison understood and replied in a heavy tone. “So I need to stand higher than him. I need to be even more evil.”
Instead of foolishly hoping an evil person would repent, it was better to become stronger and force that evil person to look up to me.
Nova said proudly, “Ms. Rogers is very smart. If it weren’t for…”
Nova realized she had spoken too much and stopped abruptly.
But Jareth knew exactly what she meant.
Allison was being held back by her lack of identity. If she had one, she would have already left and built her own career. But now, without an identity, it was like taking an exam without writing her name. No matter how hard she tried, it would all be useless.
Jareth had thought about this as well. Creating a fake identity wasn't difficult, but a fake could never become real.
Allison understood. She didn't want someone else’s identity. She only wanted her own. One day, she would make Sherrie give it back to her.