Pampered By My Three Brothers: The Return Of The Neglected Heiress - Chapter 1616

Chapter 1616: I am… free.
Prison had always been a wicked place, even for the vilest and bravest felons. What more for innocent people who were wrongfully accused?

It took a lot of guts to defy the set of laws that governed these walls. So, many others chose to practically worship those already in power. But that even came at a cost. Since Cassandra had barely adapted to the prison’s ways, she had no one to protect her.

And with the inmate dawdling, what she was here for only meant one thing: trouble.

“I—I…” she stuttered, her entire body shaking uncontrollably as she feared what would happen next.

Seeing her pale, the inmate chuckled. She took another step forward, feeling something hidden at her side. However, before she could pull it out and give Cassandra a taste of real pain, she spotted an approaching officer.

“Hey! What’s going on over there?!”

The inmate quickly raised her hands and took a casual step back. “Nothing, Chief! Just talking with our new friend here!”

“Stop grouping like that!” the officer yelled, stopping near the fences. “Go!”

The three inmates nodded and complied, even if everyone knew they loathed the officers. They still followed orders, albeit mockingly. As they walked away, they gave Cassandra a knowing look and smirked.

Seeing this, Cassandra’s breath hitched.

She had just been warned.

She gulped, unable to imagine what her life would be like in just a few minutes. The mere thought scared her, making her knees buckle as her complexion turned pale.

It’s over for me, she thought. They’re going to kill me.

“Hey,” the officer called, snapping her out of her thoughts. “What are you doing?”

Slowly, Cassandra looked back at the irritable officer. Her lips parted, tempted to beg for help, to tell her that the inmate had just threatened her. But her words caught in her throat when she glanced at the inmates across the yard.

If she spoke, it would only speed up her death sentence.

Her heart sank, her stomach twisted, and all hope evaporated. The corners of her eyes turned red as restrained tears shimmered.

At the same time, another officer approached the one who had broken away from the group earlier. She tilted her head while the officer spoke quietly, her brows furrowing as soon as she received the order.

“The warden did?” the officer asked to confirm, and the other nodded.

“He said, as soon as possible—meaning, now.”

The officer frowned in displeasure and shifted her eyes to Cassandra. Unlike the inmates who had to buy information, the officers knew every inmate’s profile. So, it didn’t take long for her to realize this order was Cassandra’s grandfather pulling strings.

“Hey, you!” Despite her reluctance, the officer’s voice was firm, and she had no choice but to follow orders.

When Cassandra didn’t respond, the officer picked up her baton and scraped it against the wire fence. The loud noise jolted Cassandra out of her daze.

“Y—yes?” Cassandra stuttered.

The officer clicked her tongue, then motioned to the other officer. “Follow her. You’re leaving.”

“Huh?”

“Do you want me to repeat myself again and again?” The officer’s tone grew sharper. “Just follow her. Go! Stop idling.”

Confused, Cassandra shifted her eyes to the other officer, who motioned for her to head back to the building. A part of her didn’t want to go, fearing the officers were in league with the inmates to torture her somewhere else.

But this was a place that gave little to no choice for someone like her.

In the end, despite her growing anxiety, Cassandra complied.

—

Initially, she thought of many scenarios for why the officer was asking her to return inside. Her thoughts grew increasingly negative. But the officer, who was leading her, finally spoke.

“You’re getting an early release.”

Cassandra thought it was a joke—a sick joke the officers were playing on her. Perhaps they were paid to do this, only to take her to another place of torture. But then, they tossed her into the bathroom to shower and change, cuffed her again, and led her to another wing.

In there, she underwent another round of strip searches and security checks.

Cassandra should’ve felt some hope at that point, but she didn’t. Even when she went through all those procedures, changed clothes, and had final interviews, she still didn’t believe she was leaving this wretched place.

The only time she believed it was when she was finally standing at the last gates, staring at the person standing on the other side.

Grace.

Cassandra stared at Grace blankly, while the latter just stood there with a sharp look on her face. Grace studied Cassandra from head to toe. Cassandra’s mental and emotional strain had clearly affected her physical appearance.

Then, the buzz came.

BUZZ!

As soon as it rang in their ears, the last metal bars separating Cassandra from freedom slid open. The sound was sharp and piercing, but for some reason, it felt like a dagger stabbing deep into her chest.

“Are you just going to stand there?” Grace, arms crossed under her chest, raised an eyebrow. “Let’s go.”

Cassandra’s eyes shook, instinctively glancing at the officers who had walked her here. They didn’t react much, but neither did they stop her from leaving.

“I can…” she trailed off, turning to Grace once more. “…go?”

Grace smirked. “Why don’t you try, Miss Smith?”

“…” Cassandra pressed her lips into a thin line, gazing down at the clothes she was wearing. It wasn’t the same as her usual attire, and her hands were no longer cuffed.

It didn’t register to her until now, but she had changed into something else.

Slowly, she raised her head again and held her breath. As dramatic as it may sound, Cassandra carefully took her first step across the threshold. The moment she stepped outside the metal gates, her heart thudded in her chest.

“Congrats on regaining your freedom, Cassandra Smith,” Grace remarked before turning. “Now, let’s go.”

Still processing the situation, Cassandra stared at Grace’s back. Without thinking, she took a step to follow. But after a few more steps, she heard the loud buzz again. She stopped and looked back, only to see the metal bars sliding back into place with a sharp clang.

I am… free.