Frustrated muffles could be heard as Jolene struggled to get out of the water, but the strong hand held her in place. Her mind was becoming blank and hazy as her lungs burned from the lack of oxygen.
She was slipping into darkness. Was this how she was going to die?
Just before she could pass out, a voice boomed across the space.
“Hey! What the heck are you doing?!”
Jolene felt Lisa’s hand loosen around her neck, and she forced her head out of the water, pushing Lisa away.
A loud gasp tore from Jolene’s throat, her eyes wide as she collapsed onto the floor. She looked up at the person who had intervened-Paisley and some of her minions.
As Lisa made to approach Jolene again, Paisley spoke.
“I asked you a question,” Paisley snapped, and Lisa shot a cold glare at her.
“Mind your business-”
“She is my business,” Paisley cut in. “I should be the one to deal with her, not you. She’s my enemy’s assistant, the one who put me into this hell and caused my husband’s death. The one who caused the separation between me and my son. Let me deal with her.”
Lisa scoffed, her expression unreadable. “Do I look like I give a damn? She’s mine to handle.”
“You’ve got some nerve.”
“If you’re the boss here, don’t push me. I don’t mind killing you too,” Lisa said.
As they argued, Jolene found a moment to escape. Gritting her teeth, she ran as fast as she could and dashed out.
Lisa’s eyes widened, and she moved to follow her, but Paisley blocked her path.
“We’re not finished.”
Without a word, Lisa punched one of Paisley’s minions in the face and kicked the other. She then grabbed Paisley’s neck and slammed her back against the wall. Her movements were fast and deadly-she was a trained assassin, after all.
She had been tasked with drowning Jolene and making it look like an accident. And now, this good-for-nothing woman was ruining it.
“Stop me again, and I’ll kill you,” Lisa growled and left to chase after Jolene.
With heavy breaths, Jolene weaved her way to the yard, where other prisoners were gathered. She glanced back and saw Lisa already on her tail.
Spotting one of the guards, she ran toward them. “Help! Someone is trying to kill me!”
The guard slapped her hand away. “Get lost.”
“Please, just help me! This is really important! She almost drowned me!” Jolene yelled.
—
**[Jolene’s apartment]**
Rowen watched as Jaxon searched Jolene’s room frantically. It had been several minutes.
“What are you looking for?” Rowen asked for the umpteenth time. “Mr. Jaxon?”
Jaxon paused for a moment, his eyes landing on the teddy bear on Jolene’s bed. He had once snuck into her room in the middle of the night and found her clinging to the teddy bear as she slept.
“The teddy… where did she get it?” Jaxon asked.
“From her mother. She told me it was the last gift she received before her mom passed away. Jolene calls the teddy Bruno,” Rowen answered.
Jaxon immediately pulled out a knife. Without hesitation, he tore the bear apart.
“What are you doing?! She cherished that!” Rowen yelled, watching Jaxon destroy the bear.
Jaxon searched through the pieces until his eyes spotted what he was looking for. He reached for it and took a closer look.
The chip.
Jolene was the type who talked to herself a lot. Living alone, the teddy bear had been her confidant.
—
‘Hey Bruno, Tatiana is pregnant… do you think she’ll be okay? Her father used me that night to lead her to the hotel. Could it have been Maximus’s plan, or just an accident? Gosh, I feel so guilty.’
‘Isabella is dead, Bruno. This is all my fault. I can’t believe I let them steal her social accounts. If I’d been more careful, she wouldn’t have been dragged online.’
‘Dylan is so cute. I’m going to meet him tomorrow. I’m so happy Tatiana is coming back tomorrow.’
‘Bruno! Mr. King is Dylan’s father. Ahhhh!’
‘Tatiana and Mr. King are so cute together. I love them! I love them! I love them!!’
‘They’re getting married. Tatiana Wall… I mean, Karen weds Cassius King. Oh my gosh, the big boss looks so gorgeous!’
‘I think I might have a heart problem, Bruno. My heart races whenever I’m around the big boss’s cousin… but he’s way out of my league. He’s the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.’
—
Jaxon’s eyes teared up, recalling the harsh words he had said to Jolene that night. Maximus had been stalking her the whole time. She had never betrayed him.
“W-what is that?” Rowen stuttered as Jaxon clenched the device in his hand.
“They’ve been stalking her the entire time,” Jaxon growled, and immediately dashed out of the apartment. Tristan had mentioned Jolene was going to die, which meant they were planning to kill her in prison, just like they did Nathan.
He rushed into his car and headed straight for the police station.
—
Lisa clutched a knife, its metal glittering under the sunlight. She then hid it under her clothes. She needed to end this and get out of there as soon as possible.
The yard call would be over soon, and she’d get her chance to be close to Jolene. After all, they were cellmates.
She couldn’t wait any longer, but since Maximus had asked her to be careful, she had to be patient. Her eyes were fixed on Jolene, who sat at a distance, her gaze weary.
“Fuck,” Jolene muttered under her breath. She scanned the other prisoners anxiously. Her head throbbed-she still hadn’t recovered from the earlier attack.
Someone wanted to kill her, and the guards wouldn’t even listen!
Or maybe they were working for Maximus.
She needed to do something to stop Lisa. Anything!
Her eyes landed on Lisa again, who was closing in.
“Shit!” Jolene cursed and stormed into an empty hallway. Her breath hitched as she searched for a place to hide. She crouched in a corner and covered her mouth.
“Jo… Jo…” Her eyes shut at the sound of Lisa’s voice. Running in here had been a terrible idea.
“C’mon out, Jojo. Don’t worry, I’ll make it easy-a quick death. But if you delay me, I’ll make it painful. Either way, you’re going to die, so be smart and choose the right option.”
Tears streamed down Jolene’s face. She was scared… so scared. She needed help.
Lisa’s footsteps were almost inaudible-she was trained to move silently. Jolene peeked around the corner to see if Lisa was nearby… but saw nothing.
“There you are, little fella,” Lisa’s voice came from behind, making Jolene jerk in fear.