Their Queen's Back - Chapter 72: Chapter 72

Richard's existence in the psychiatric hospital was sheer torment. The brutal truth dawned on him—his very survival now rested on Skye's whim, for she had long ceased to regard him as a father.
Ever since he drove Sophia and her sisters out—or simply turned a blind eye to them—memories of his past actions haunted Richard. His mind began to drift, his gaze growing increasingly vacant and clouded.
"Chow time!" a menacing voice barked.
Richard instinctively flinched when he saw a portly middle-aged man pushing a meal cart toward him.
Richard's eyes widened in terror as he clutched the wheelchair armrests with a death grip.
"Oh, Mr. Hughes," the portly man grinned, "I've gone out of my way to make your favorite today. You're gonna love this."
The man lifted the lid, revealing a revolting lump of something unidentifiable. At the sight, Richard recoiled, his face turning ghostly pale as he gagged uncontrollably.
"Don't like my cooking, Mr. Hughes? Maybe I should call Skinny Sue over instead."
At the mention of Skinny Sue, Richard's eyes went wide with fear. "No! No, please! I'll eat it—I love it, I swear!"
With trembling hands, Richard picked up the stale, moldy bread and forced it into his mouth, tears streaming down his face. "That damned Skinny Sue," he thought, shuddering. "She's old enough to be my grandma, yet she keeps making lewd advances—her groping hands are the worst part of this hellhole."
Richard was drowning in regret. "Why didn't I just listen to Skye?"
He thought to himself, "All she wanted was for me to kick Jessica out and make her revert to her original surname, Clark. Jessica was never really my daughter—so why did I have to play the doting father? Now, the bitter taste of regret is as hard to swallow as this disgusting, moldy bread in my mouth."
"Damn Linda and her meddling ways," Richard thought bitterly.
"Could I make a phone call?" Richard pleaded, his voice trembling. "Please, just for a few minutes."
The man sneered, gripping Richard's chin. "Still sick in the head, huh? A phone call won't fix that. Hurry up and eat—you've got your 'therapy session' right after."
Richard didn't dare say another word. "So-called 'rehabilitation therapy'"—he knew only excruciating torment awaited him.
If I hadn't fallen out with Skye, I'd still be the esteemed Mr. Hughes. Honestly, that girl wasn't so bad—she even bought me that expensive watch. It was my own damn fault for trusting the wrong people.
I was seduced by Linda's flattery, all just to protect my pathetic ego.
Skye stood by the window, overlooking the city skyline. "Ms. Sky," Lauren reported, "Jessica's contact is Christina Foster. Here's Christina's dossier."
Skye gave the documents a cursory glance, curling her lips in a knowing smile. "Just the stepping stone I needed—and look, it's been delivered right to my doorstep."
Lauren lowered her head and replied respectfully, "Ms. Sky, your subordinate understands why you've been letting Jessica go unchecked."
"Oh, right. How's our guest at the psychiatric facility doing?" Skye inquired.
Skye wasn't ready to let Richard meet his end just yet—after all, he was still far too useful to discard.
"As you instructed, Mr. Hughes has been having a particularly difficult time lately. Would you like us to... intensify the measures?"
Skye eased into her seat, tapping her fingers lightly on the desk. After feigning hesitation for a moment, she said, "Let's leave it at that for now. Lauren, some issues have come up in the Middle East—I might need to go there personally."
Lauren suggested, "Ms. Sky, given the volatile situation there, perhaps we should send Rowan instead. She should be able to handle it, which would spare you the trip."
Lauren understood that Ms. Sky's remark was subtly seeking her input. If the boss had really intended to go herself, she wouldn't have said "might"—that word was practically an invitation for Lauren to suggest an alternative.
She knew Skye's "might" was just a prompt for her to propose the perfect idea.
Skye gave a satisfied nod. "Mm-hmm, send Rowan then. Tell her to stay sharp."
Skye simply replied, "Yes."
Just as Lauren was about to go notify Rowan, Skye suddenly called out, "Double your bonus this month."
Lauren was overjoyed and bowed slightly. "Thank you so much, Ms. Sky!" she exclaimed.
"Seventy grand, in the bag!"
Jessica was sure it was in the bag this time—Hughes Corporation was as good as bankrupt. All she had to do was sit back and wait for the fallout.
Jessica was humming cheerfully as she climbed the stairs, completely at ease. Suddenly, everything went black—a sack was thrown over her head, swallowing her whole. "What the—?!" she thought in panic, but before she could scream, a sharp blow to the head sent her into unconsciousness.
After loading her into the car, the young driver called Charlotte. "The package is en route."
Right.