Chapter 16 Joaquin, I'm Dying

• Zayla felt as if she had plunged into freezing waters, her skin prickling with cold. She couldn't suppress the shivers running down her spine, her bright eyes again clouding with fear. As the click of the door locking reverberated from outside, Zayla realized Joaquin intended to subject her to three days without food.
• The thought of enduring three days without food would be unbearable for anyone, let alone someone battling advanced stomach cancer. Zayla pounded on the door forcefully, her voice trembling, "Joaquin, please let me out! My stomach is killing me... I'm terrified… I'm really scared..."
• Joaquin rattled the keys outside the room after locking the door, his gaze sharp as he fixated on the closed door, as though he could envision Zayla crying and pleading on the other side. He chuckled darkly, "Why should I care?"