“Lise, when you schemed against me, did you never think this day would come? I’m telling you, this is your own doing!”

In the blink of an eye, Lise drove Zoey’s head into the floor with brutal force. Zoey’s face twisted with rage, while Lise continued to slam Zoey’s head down repeatedly. The thudding impacts echoed through the room.

Overwhelmed by the pain, Zoey lost all composure and let out a piercing scream.

Lise laughed in a deranged way.

“You had the audacity to meddle in my affairs? Breaking one leg clearly wasn’t enough for you! Turn on the dough press!”

Katelyn’s heart raced as fear surged through her. She instinctively stepped back, only to accidentally land on Vincent’s foot. Realizing what she had done, Katelyn quickly withdrew her foot.

Vincent, unfazed, gently pulled her closer and whispered in her ear, “Stay calm, or they’ll notice.”

Mosquitoes buzzed relentlessly around. Vincent removed his jacket and placed it over Katelyn’s shoulders. Katelyn, who had been irritated by the mosquito bites, instantly felt more at ease.

Meanwhile, the group inside the factory had already powered up the dough press. The motor roared to life.

Realizing Lise’s horrifying intent, Zoey shook her head desperately, her eyes dilating in panic.

“No, you can’t do this!” The thought of being crushed by the industrial dough press filled her with dread. Even if she survived, the aftermath would be worse than death.

Calvin and the others watched with their faces drained of color and fearful, swallowing hard. The factory’s industrial dough machines were immensely powerful; the horrors of being crushed by them were easy to imagine.

Lise chuckled darkly, dragging a chair across the floor before settling into it. She gave her order with chilling ease.

“Start with her fingers, then her legs. Don’t kill her right away. It’s no fun if she dies too quickly.”

Her words were merciless and dripping with cruelty, yet she spoke them as if discussing something ordinary.

Zoey, shaking with terror, cried, “Miss Bailey, I was wrong! I swear I’ll change! I’ll even help you win Neil back—whatever you want, okay?”

Zoey stared at the whirring dough machine, feeling as if it were a monstrous beast ready to consume her whole. The memory of her broken leg still haunted her, the pain unbearable. If her limbs were crushed by this machine, there would be no chance of repair.

Katelyn drew a sharp breath. While Zoey wasn’t blameless, the cruelty of what was unfolding was beyond imagination. Katelyn couldn’t suppress a flicker of pity as she watched.

Lise’s voice rang out sharply.

“What are you waiting for? Do it now!”

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