[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-26032289AC7C-167":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},167,6,"Chapter 6: The Fifty Thousand Dollar Public Execution","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Maya Cole!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Peter Cole stormed out of the private suite, his face contorted with rage. He pointed a shaking finger at her. \"You ungrateful girl! After everything Alexandria has done for you? She’s only ever asked for a fraction of our time, and you’re trying to destroy her?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Martha followed, tears streaming down her face. She gazed at Maya with a look of profound, surgical disappointment. \"Maya, how did you turn into such a person? We thought you were just headstrong, maybe a little jealous of your sister, but we never imagined… we never imagined your heart could be this vicious.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Callahan Meyer stood behind them, his eyes ice-cold. He wore that familiar, exhausted expression of someone who felt they’d seen the worst of her all along.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maya watched the performance with a detached gaze. As she looked at their flushed, angry faces, the last of her numbness finally settled into a hollow silence. She didn't bother to defend herself.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"So?\" she asked, her voice chillingly calm. \"How are you planning to punish me for her sake this time? Make it quick. I’d like to return to my room and get some rest.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Her indifference was the final straw.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">*Smack!*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">A sharp, stinging blow landed across her face. It was Peter. He stood there, his face turning an ashen shade, but as his hand dropped, he froze. A flicker of panic crossed his eyes. He quickly shoved his hands into his pockets and paced away, refusing to look at the mark he’d left.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maya kept her head turned, her cheek blooming with heat. She wiped a trickle of blood from her split lip with the back of her hand and looked back at her father. Her expression was hauntingly calm. \"Is that all? Can I go now?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"You—!\" Peter choked on his words, his jaw clenching tight.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Callahan stepped forward, his chest heaving. He paced a tight circle before stopping to loom over her. He looked at her swollen cheek and those terrifyingly empty eyes, and a surge of blind rage took over.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Punishment?\" Callahan spat. \"If you have the guts to do the damage, you’d better have the guts to pay the price. You’ll suffer exactly the same.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He signaled the bodyguard waiting nearby. \"Take her to the hospital lobby. Put a bounty on her. Tell everyone passing by: hit her once, and they get fifty thousand dollars. Don’t stop until she’s paid for every single mark.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The parents stood stunned, staring at Callahan in disbelief.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maya jerked her head up. There was no fear in her eyes, no begging—only a desolate, weary silence.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Her gaze was a cold blade, striking Callahan’s heart when he least expected it. He winced, a sharp pang of regret and panic seizing his chest. *What am I doing?* He tried to backtrack, his voice betraying a faint tremor. \"If... if you’re willing to apologize to Alexandria and promise never to do it again, I can… I can take back what I just said.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maya stared at him. After a few seconds, she let out a slow, mocking smirk.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She said nothing. That silence cut deeper than any retort, fueling Callahan’s fury. He saw no sign of repentance, and his last shred of hesitation vanished. Burning with shame, he waved the bodyguard forward.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"What are you waiting for? Take her!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Two bodyguards seized her by the arms. She didn’t fight back, letting them drag her away. As they passed the room, she saw her parents huddled by Alexandria’s bedside, whispering over her as if the chaos outside had nothing to do with them.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maya let out a soft, hollow laugh—a sound so filled with despair that a tear slid down her swollen cheek, hitting the floor in silent surrender.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">They dragged her to the main entrance of the hospital. The lead bodyguard pulled out a checkbook and began barking at the curious crowd.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Hit this woman once, and you get fifty thousand!\" he shouted. \"Cash or transfer on the spot!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">At first, the crowd hesitated, whispering. Then, a man with a desperate, greedy look rushed forward, gave Maya a shove, and actually received a hefty payment from the bodyguard.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The crowd exploded.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"It’s real! They’re paying!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Fifty grand for one hit!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Let me at her!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">They swarmed her like a tidal wave. Fists, slaps, and shoves rained down on Maya’s frail body. She collapsed, curling into a ball, trying to shield her head.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Pain struck from every direction, her bones feeling as though they were shattering. Her insides bruised under the onslaught. A dull, high-pitched ringing filled her ears, drowning out the frenzied shouts. Her vision blurred, painting the world in shades of red.\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272930189]