Chapter 451: The Person Is Indeed Dead

However, if Janessa were to take the drug, at the very least, there would be a glimmer of hope for her survival. As long as she could escape the hellish prison alive, she was determined to make Madelyn pay, no matter the cost!

Whenever she thought of Madelyn, her hatred intensified. “Madelyn, you unscrupulous woman! I swear I’ll take my revenge on you! If I get out of here alive, I’ll make sure you wish you were dead!”

With those thoughts in mind, Janessa steeled herself. Then, tilting her head, she swallowed the drug, packaging paper and all. It caught in her throat briefly, but eventually slid down.

After ingesting the drug, Janessa’s heart calmed, and she waited patiently for its effects. “Finished eating yet?” Suddenly, the prison officer returned to check on her. The officer found Janessa sitting impassively, holding a piece of bread uneaten.

“Why have you stopped eating? Didn’t I tell you there shouldn’t be any leftovers?” The prison officer roared, furious at Janessa’s calm demeanor. However, Janessa calmly replied, “I’m sorry, I can’t eat anymore.”

“Even if you can’t stomach it, you must eat!” the livid officer insisted. “Eat it now!” Janessa snorted, ignoring the officer’s shouting. The officer was taken aback; her intimidation tactics were useless. Consumed by anger, she flung open the cell door.

“I don’t care what you want! You’re going to eat!” The officer barged in and struck Janessa. Janessa grunted in pain. The officer intensified her blows. “Since you know pain, eat! If you refuse, I’ll beat you to death!”

For a moment, the prison echoed with the crack of whips and the officer’s furious roars. The other prisoners watched, reveling in the spectacle.

“No wonder the officer hasn’t been bothering us lately. She’s moved on to tormenting the newcomer. This is such a relief.”

“Ha, the officer should hit that prisoner harder! It’ll be even better if the prisoner dies from all the beatings. Then, that officer won’t be able to act all arrogant anymore.”

Janessa, battered and bruised, stubbornly refused another bite of bread, remarkably silent. This was because the drug was taking effect. At first, she felt the whip, but all sensation gradually faded. Her limbs grew numb, her vision blurred, and she was plunged into darkness. Her body stiffened, collapsing onto the ground.

“Ah!” The other prisoners cried out in shock. “Is she dead?”

“What utter nonsense!” The prison officer glared. “She merely got knocked unconscious. You’ll end up the same way if you don’t behave.” The prisoners fell silent.

The officer nonchalantly kicked Janessa. “Hey, stop playing dead and get up!” Janessa remained still.

“F*ck! Still pretending, are you?” the officer cursed, shoving and slapping Janessa. Janessa remained unmoved, unconscious.

“Why isn’t she moving? Is she really dead?” The officer shuddered, panicking. She checked for breath. Her eyes widened in horror. She stumbled backward.

“She… She’s stopped breathing? That can’t be possible.” The officer muttered, incredulous. “I only hit her a few times! How could she be dead?”

A female inmate from the next cell yelled, “The prisoner’s dead! The prison officer has killed someone!” All the female prisoners joined the excited outcry.

Those prisoners, long accustomed to the officer’s bullying, had been itching for revenge but feared retaliation. The officer’s accidental death was cause for celebration; their shouts grew louder.

The prison warden arrived, her voice booming. “Enough with the commotion! Everyone shut up! Anyone who continues will have their sentence extended by ten years!” Silence fell.

The warden found the flustered officer and Janessa’s lifeless body. The warden calmly instructed an officer, “She’s dead. Take the body away and notify her family.”

“Understood,” the officer replied. They moved Janessa’s body. The warden then addressed the officer who had beaten Janessa. “Come with me!” The officer obeyed.

Three hours later, at Thornton Corporation, Cyrus rushed to Madelyn with alarming news. “Ms. Thornton, there’s been a terrible incident. Janessa has unexpectedly died in prison!”

“What?” Madelyn stood, skeptical. “Cyrus, did you perhaps mishear?”

“I swear I didn’t,” Cyrus assured her. “The prison has confirmed it. She’s dead.”

Madelyn was disbelieving. “How could a perfectly healthy person die after just two days in prison?”