"What? Still not giving up?" Jessica mocked.

When she saw me standing there dazed, she thought I was dumbfounded by the blow, and her disdainful expression deepened.

"Are you jealous? Jealous that my husband pampers me so much? I'll have you know that some people are born with silver spoons, while others are born with nothing! No matter how jealous you are, you can't change your fate!"

At that, she lost her last shred of patience and waved a hand at the two security guards.

"Stop wasting words with her! Someone who disrupts the hotel's business like this should be taught a good lesson! Drag her to the storage room in the back!"

She then turned to face me. "If you don't come up with money for the Internet costs today, don't even think about leaving through that door!"

"Yes, Ms. Shields!"

The two security guards pounced on me like preying beasts.

I instinctively stepped back, but they grabbed my arms from left and right. Their strength was terrifying, and my resistance was a futile effort.

"What are you doing? Let me go!" I shouted sternly.

"Let you go? Sure." Jessica followed slowly behind with a cruel smile on her face. "Come up with the money, and I'll have them release you immediately. If you can't, then don't blame me for being rude."

She leaned in close and whispered in my ear, ensuring only the two of us could hear. "There are no surveillance cameras in the storage room. I can do whatever I want to you. Even if I cripple you, my husband will handle it for me."

I felt my heart plunge into the deep end at those words.

The guards roughly dragged me through the opulent lobby and into a dimly lit hallway. Then, with a loud bang, I was thrown into a storage room reeking of mildew and filled with cleaning tools.

The door was slammed shut, cutting off all light and sound from outside.

In the darkness, I could hear Jessica's footsteps approaching slowly, as well as the heavy breathing of the two security guards behind her.

"Now, no one can help you."

Jessica's voice echoed in the cramped space, her tone carrying a hint of wicked pleasure. "I'll ask you one more time—are you going to pay the 200 grand or not?"

I leaned against the cold wall and looked at her coldly. "I told you, I have no money."

"No money?" Jessica sneered. "You have no money, yet you still dare to act this tough? It seems you need to learn the hard way who the big dog is around here!"

She shot a glance at the security guards behind her. "Hit her! Keep hitting her until she agrees to pay!"

One security guard walked toward me with a sinister grin on his face, raising a palm and swinging it hard toward my face.

I dodged by turning my head, but I couldn't evade his other hand, which grabbed my hair harshly and slammed it against the wall.

The blow echoed loudly throughout the room. Intense pain and dizziness hit me instantly, stars danced before my eyes, and a ringing filled my ears.

"Still being stubborn?" Jessica asked, her tone hissy like a venomous snake's.

Gritting my teeth, I spat out a mouthful of blood-tinged saliva and replied, "If you have the guts, just beat me to death."

"Great! Just great!" Jessica snarled, infuriated by my attitude. "Let's see just how tough your bones are! Keep hitting her! Break her arms and legs! Let's see how she acts tough then!"

The two security guards' punches and kicks rained down on me like a storm. I curled up on the ground, using all my strength to protect my vital areas.

Every impact made my internal organs feel like they were shifting, and my bones groaned under their blows.

I felt my consciousness begin to blur, and the pain in my body gradually numbed.

Just when I thought I was really going to die, the storage room door was suddenly pushed open from the outside, creaking as it did.

A beam of light shone in. A tall, straight figure stood silhouetted in the doorway.

I couldn't see his face clearly, but the silhouette and that familiar Armani haute couture suit…

"Honey!"