The days that followed were the same—numb, tense, and shadowed by fear.
Giselle was plotting ways to get past the building's front doors when Orin sought her out. "I'll take you to a hospital outside today. We'll get your body checked."
For a moment, she wondered if she'd heard him wrong. Her heart soared, and she chirped, "Really? You're willing to take me out?"
Orin coldly ordered her to change and wash her hair before leaving.
To avoid drawing the attention of the customers who came here, she usually went out of her way to look as unappealing as possible. She slouched when she walked, and sometimes she even pretended to limp. She left her hair unwashed for a week until it was greasy enough to fry an egg, smudging dirt on her face to make herself look unkempt.
Giselle was overjoyed when Orin said he'd take her to the hospital. She took a shower, washed her hair, and put on something clean.
The clothes provided here were all skimpy and revealing—the kind no one could wear outside. So, she put on what she had arrived in—a plain T-shirt and a pair of jeans.
However, these clothes weren't hers. Back when she'd been abducted, she'd been knocked out, and when she came to, her biker outfit had been stripped away and replaced with someone else's clothes.
After cleaning up, she felt fresh again. Even in old, plain clothes, her beauty still shone through, so much so that Orin caught himself staring at her for a few seconds.
Giselle followed him out of the hellish old building for the very first time. She climbed into his car and sat in the back with him, while a driver took the wheel in front.
When the car pulled away, she kept her eyes on the window. It felt unreal to see the bright light of the day, as if she had just climbed out of hell and back into the world of the living. Her heart pounded against her chest.
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