Water bottles, eggs, even stones were hurled at me, raining down in an endless storm.
I stood there, face pale, making no attempt to dodge as the blows split my skin and left me drenched in blood.
In the past, if I so much as got a scratch, Jonah would have carried me straight to the hospital in a panic. But now, he looked at my battered body without the slightest change of emotion.
"Continue the trial," he said indifferently.
On the giant screen, several henchmen knelt trembling before Austin.
"Mr. Hood, we don't know where all those cops came from, but they snatched away all the brats," one said.
The wine glass in Austin's hand shattered on the floor, his veins bulging at his temple. "You're all useless! Get out of my sight!"
They scrambled away in terror, while Austin yanked me out of the cage and threw me to the ground. My clothes were disheveled, my body etched with wounds from relentless torment.
With bloodshot eyes, Austin slapped me hard across the face.
I didn't struggle, nor did I try to flatter him. Only a cold, detached look was on my face. "Just kill me."
"Kill you?" He let out a furious laugh. "Don't think you can fool me. That undercover ex of yours was just a decoy—you're the real mole. Back then, you dug a hole in the mountain lion's den so your lover could escape!
"You knew there were sedatives in the pot of meat. That's why you deliberately withheld the food from those brats. It's obvious that you wanted them to have the strength to escape during today's riot."
The more he spoke, the angrier he grew. He kicked me viciously.
"You bitch! You must have known that Burnett bastard's cover was blown! To keep me from killing him, you cried your way into my mercy, swearing you'd come to my side.
"Had your beauty not swayed me, I never would've let you act recklessly and set him free. You owe me more than life can pay. Even your death won't be enough!"
At that moment, a group of men dragged Alvin inside.
"So this is the rat who's been helping you all along? You're better at brainwashing than I am. No matter what we tried, we couldn't pry a word out of him.
"I heard you promised him a reduced sentence, a decent job, and a chance to live with dignity. Too bad he'll never have that chance."
My deadened expression finally cracked with panic. I clutched at Austin's leg. "Don't hurt him! He was only following my orders. Take your anger out on me instead!"
A cruel smile curled on Austin's lips. "No. You're not afraid of death. Killing you is pointless. Your punishment is to watch the person you wanted to save be slowly tortured to death."
At once, Alvin's agonized screams filled the room.
"No!" I lunged forward, desperate to save him, only to be pinned down by a handful of brutes.
I could only watch as his bones were broken one by one with clubs, his flesh hacked apart with blades.
"Alvin! Alvin…"
Despair consumed me. My last comrade fell before my eyes in the most tragic way.
The most agonizing memory engulfed me once again.
I stared in horror at the screen, at Alvin's final relieved gaze upon seeing that I was still alive. The despair and guilt I once felt flayed me alive, tearing me apart bit by bit.
In the courtroom, the audience was stunned.
"Oh my god… Rose was the real undercover operative all along! Everything she did… was to save people!"
"All this time, we misunderstood her. We scorned her, insulted her, passed judgment on her, and wished her dead, yet she turned out to be the hero!"
Jonah was also dumbstruck, his head snapping toward me.
Then, from the crowd, a piercing scream broke out. "Rose coughed up blood! There's no pulse, and she's stopped breathing… It's cardiac arrest! Someone help her. Quick!"
