Magnolia Psychiatric Hospital.
Aline thrashed and screamed, pinned to the bed by a group of orderlies as the electric shock hit her. The chains bit so deep into her wrists and ankles that her skin broke and bled. Soon, her cries faded and she lost consciousness.
The staff glanced at her limp body with a look of unmasked disgust.
"Finally, some peace and quiet."
"Honestly, this woman is a fool. If she managed to escape from a hellhole like Mirage Cay, she should’ve just kept her head down and lived quietly. But no, she had to go and mess with the royal family. Did she really think she was good enough for them? She pissed off the wife, and here she is, locked in the psych ward."
—
Not long ago, after Citrine led a raid on Mirage Cay and took down the whole operation, Aline seized her chance and escaped.
But freedom didn’t bring her a better life. She scraped by for over a month, penniless and desperate. Just as she was about to give up, she crossed paths with a wealthy man—he mistook her for a beggar and handed her a wad of cash. That moment sparked an idea.
For days, Aline schemed to get closer to him. She landed a job as a hotel maid, and with access to his room, she drugged his drink and slipped into his bed.
She thought she’d hit the jackpot, convinced she was about to marry into luxury. But the man turned out to be not just rich, but royal—and married on top of that.
Afterward, the man wanted nothing to do with her, openly expressing his disgust. His wife, furious, used her influence to have Aline committed to the psychiatric hospital.
Citrine knew all about the whereabouts of Aline and her daughter, Jeanette.
A month later, Jeanette died of exhaustion in Africa. When Citrine learned of it, she immediately had the news delivered to Aline.
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