Chapter 10
ht for a long time
After hanging up the phone, Harry sat in the chair, staring blankly ahead. He remained lost in thought before finally getting up and walking out of the study.
Standing in front of the bedroom door, he hesitated, unable to summon the courage to open it. The closed door felt like an invisible barrier, keeping him separated from Camila, who lay inside,
Even though he believed her condition was entirely her own doing, his heart still ached, heavy with guilt and pain.
As he stood there, a servant rushed over. “Mr. Jackson, Miss Jackson’s birthday banquet is about to start. You should head
over now.”
Harry hesitated for a moment, glancing one last time at the bedroom door. Finally, he turned silently and followed the
servant.
In the banquet hall. Agnes was surrounded by guests, the center of attention like a princess. She stood before a lavish cake. and everyone sang “Happy Birthday” in unison.
When the song ended. Agnes took a deep breath and blew out all the candles in
none
In an instant, colorful balloons and ribbons filled the air, and everyone cheered “Happy Birthday!” to her. The sound echoed throughout the hall, lingering in the air.
Harry stood among the crowd, watching the cheerful faces. But in his mind, Camila’s pale, frail figure lying in bed kept appearing. He wanted to smile, but no matter how hard he tried, it wouldn’t come.
While the guests gathered around the cake, happily serving slices, Harry moved off to a corner by the champagne tower. He grabbed a glass of champagne and downed it in one gulp.
The liquid spilled down the corner of his mouth, soaking his collar, but he didn’t care. One glass followed another, as if he were trying to numb the pain and guilt clawing at him.
Soon, his steps grew unsteady. The cheers and laughter around him faded into the distance. Barely holding on to the last bit of his awareness, he staggered toward the exit of the banquet hall.
Before he could even reach the bedroom, the nausea hit him hard. He rushed into the bathroom, gripping the sink as he emptied his stomach.
Afterward, he gasped for air, his mind slowly clearing. He turned on the tap and splashed cold water on his face. This time. he was fully awake.
Bracing his hands on the sink, he raised his water–drenched face and looked into the mirror. His hair stuck messily to his forehead, water dripping from his strands. The sharp angles of his face seemed even more pronounced.
He gave a bitter laugh. I didn’t do anything wrong, so why am I torturing myself? I must be crazy.”
Just then, his phone rang. He pulled it out and saw that it was Sebastian Wright calling.
Harry wiped his face with his hand before answering. “Hello?”
“Mr. Jackson, I’ve found everything you asked about, Sebastian said.
“Go ahead.” Harry’s voice was cold.
Sebastian hesitated, sounding uncomfortable.
Harry frowned. “What is it?”
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Chapter 10
“Well, Mr. Jackson, you’d better prepare yourself. Sebastian’s voice was heavy, almost strained.
Harry’s heart clenched. He knew that what was coming would be painful, but he steeled himself. “Alright, tell me.”
cbastian took a deep breath before slowly recounting the details of Camila’s time in prison.
“Mr. Jackson, after Miss Jackson was sent to prison, she was beaten almost every day.
“This included, but wasn’t limited to, slaps, being forced to drink toilet water, not being allowed to sleep, forced to beg and endure humiliation, and if she disobeyed, they would stab her with needles…”
Harry’s grip on the phone tightened, his breath catching. Through gritted teeth, he demanded, “Needles? Where did they get needles in prison?”
“Because Miss Jackson had to learn needle work while incarcerated, so…”
The veins on Harry’s forehead bulged, his anger barely contained. “Go on.”
“The worst beating she endured happened when some of the prisoners broke six thick wooden sticks, each the size of an adult’s arm, and used them to break her leg. She was immediately rushed to the hospital.”
Harry’s heart twisted in agony, the pain so sharp it made him tremble. His eyes burned with rage.
“Mr. Jackson, I also found out that someone had instructed the prisoners to target Miss Jackson, and all the prisoners involved in the beating had their sentences reduced.
“A year ago, Miss Jackson was hospitalized again. I couldn’t uncover exactly why, but it seems like it was another severe beating. After that, she was moved to a single cell, and she was never beaten again.”
At this, Harry’s anger erupted uncontrollably. He couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Who did this?”
Sebastian, who had worked closely with Harry since his takeover as CEO, immediately understood what was being asked. He besitated before responding. “It was… Mr. Commor.”
Harry thought, William! Emily’s older brother. He was Agnes’s betrothed since birth. Technically, he should have been Camila’s fiancé, since Camila was the true heiress of the Jackson family.
The air seemed to freeze as silence stretched on, thick and heavy.
Sebastian, speaking cautiously, asked, “Mr. Jackson?”
“Cancel all collaborations with Connor Group. Block their business operations completely.” Harry’s voice was hoarse and cold. The four sent a chill through Sebastian.
“Mr. Jackson, if we do that, it will also affect Jackson Group’s interests.”
“Do as I say. And I don’t want to see the people who hurt Camila walk out of prison unscathed
“Understood
Harry slowly put down the phone, his hands hanging limply at his sides. His mind was overwhelmed with images of Camila, broken and helpless from the beatings.
She had once been an innocent, bright girl, and now she had been tortured beyond recognition. He thought though she had made mistakes and was sentenced to live years, no one deserved such abuse.
After a long pause, he stepped out of the bathroom. Standing again in front of the bedroom door, he steeled himself before slowly pushing it open.
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Chapter 10
But before he could take a step miside, he heard Camila’s faint, pained voice. “I’m sorry… I’m guilty… Please don’t hit me..”
Each word felt like a knife to his chest, and Harry lost all resolve. He slammed the door shut, cutting off the sounds, and rushed into the study.
Late that night, the study was pitch dark. Harry’s phone rang incessantly, the calls continuing for what felt like an eternity, yet no one answered. Finally, the phone disconnected on its own,
Meanwhile, Arthur, who had been deep in sleep, was jolted awake by the phone’s ringing.
He groped around on the night stand until he found his phone. “Hello?”
The voice on the other end of the line said something that made Arthur, still groggy, sit up straight in bed. “What?”
His shout woke up Belinda as well. “What on earth is going on at this hour?”
Arthur was livid, his face turning bright red. “That bastard, Harry, actually canceled our cooperation with Connor Group. In less than one night, they lost 300 million dollarsTM
“That’s impossible.”
Impossible William himself called demanding an explanation!”
Arthur threw the covers off and stormed out of bed, fuming as he rushed to Harry’s bedroom. With a furious kick, he slammed the door open.
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