Chapter 4

I calmed myself, closed my eyes, and let them have their way with the surgical instruments.

Bradon sneered, pressing the drill right against the top of my head, "Scared now? Too late."

He fired up the machine, and I could feel my skull about to be split open.

But my mom stopped Bradon again, tossing me one last scrap of mercy. She said, "Lilith, if you tell us why Sophia attempted suicide, we can make things easier for you. You know, we hardly ever get cases like this.

"We'll even use electric shocks, so you'd better think twice. If you keep your mouth shut, once the experiment's done, we'll ship you right back to the orphanage, so Sophia won't have to see you and get all sad."

The orphanage? That place was a hyena lurking in the dark, just waiting to pounce.

I snapped my eyes open, chills running down my spine, my face twisted in terror.

I started struggling like crazy on the operating table.

I would rather die than go back to the orphanage.

Bradon sneered, "I knew it. You just can't resist the lure of money."

His voice was cold as ice as he continued, "You're so damn selfish. You've got cash, but you never give a dime to the orphanage, and you don't even bother to visit. All you care about is showing off.

"What? Are you just waiting for Mom and Dad to croak so you can live it up with their money? Gold-digger."

He was right. Ever since I left the orphanage, I hadn't set foot there once.

Whenever they went off to do charity work or threw those donation parties, I'd come up with some excuse to skip out.

But I always took my cut of the money.

Now, just one threat from him, and I was panicking all over again.

That only made them even more sure I was a selfish gold-digger who didn't know the meaning of gratitude.

I murmured, "There's something in the orphanage."

I tried to say it, but my throat seized up, like something was clamping it shut.

Turns out, my dad had locked a restraint collar around my neck. He said, "That's enough, you stubborn thing. Dr. Lee, get in here."

William came in, dressed in surgical scrubs and a mask, only his eyes visible. His gaze was intense as he nodded to my dad and moved to stand by my head.

My dad picked up the scalpel and said, "Let's get started. Cut here. This is where Sophia had the worst damage."

My dad did it himself, while my mom and Bradon stood by, watching every move.

William grabbed the drill and started drilling into my skull, while my dad's scalpel sliced through my scalp.

I lay there, numb on the operating table, as they cracked open my skull. William picked up three electrodes.

He said, "You three put these on. We're going to use electric currents to stimulate her brain. We won't trigger any of her memory playback at this stage, which should really up our chances of success.

"But there's a limit to how much electricity we can use. If we go overboard, it could seriously damage her brain. And if things go south, it could be fatal."

Bradon said, "I need to know why Sophia did it. The memories are gonna show up anyway, so it won't mess with the experiment. Just zap her a few extra times."

Bradon was already in his seat, slapped the electrodes on his temples, telling William to get a move on.

But William refused. He said, "If we shock her now, it'll just hurt like hell. Wait till the drugs kick in, then it'll work a lot better."

Bradon just grabbed the switch himself and said, "If you won't do it, I will."

With my parents silently giving their approval, William picked up a cloth and covered my eyes.

My mind felt groggy and dazed, but not enough to knock me out completely.

William soothed me, dialing the current down to its lowest setting.

He said, "Lilith, the current will gradually increase. Try to relax. It'll help ease the pain and keep your brain in an optimal state for the procedure. Just let your mind wander back over the past two years."

My brain tingled, and for a split second, a flood of images burst through my mind.

A memory fragment flashed before my eyes.