Tabitha's attempt to shut the door was futile. With one swift kick, Lance swung it open, sending her sprawling to the floor with a yelp of pain. Behind her, Howell and Shawn instinctively fled, but Lance's men were quicker. Within seconds, both were pinned face-first, their arms painfully twisted behind their backs. Lance sauntered in, his gait uneven due to a permanent limp. He glared at the trembling Shawn.
"You still think you can outrun me, huh?" Lance's voice dripped with malice. "Go on. Try it again!"
His boot connected brutally with Shawn's shin, eliciting a howl of pain.
"Mr. Thompson, please! Just a little more time, and I swear I'll have the money!" Shawn begged, tears and snot streaking his face.
Lance plopped onto the couch with a dramatic sigh. His eyes fell on the small cake on the table. He picked up a fork, took a bite, and then spat it out.
"What the hell is this? Stale cake?" he muttered, smacking his lips in disgust.
Howell and Shawn exchanged nervous glances, swallowing hard. Unbeknownst to Lance, the cake was heavily laced with sedatives, intended for Felicia. With that single bite, he began to feel the effects.
"Mr. Thompson? Are you okay?" One of his men noticed Lance swaying and rushed to his side.
"I'm fine," Lance mumbled, shaking his head to stay alert. He managed to stave off unconsciousness but was left fuming. "Give them all a good beating! But don't kill them yet."
His men sprang into action, their fists and boots raining down on Howell, Shawn, and Tabitha. The room erupted in chaos as the three cried and screamed under the relentless assault. Lance leaned back on the couch, regaining his composure. His gaze fell on a knife tucked under the table. His strength returning, he pulled out the blade, holding it up to the light.
"Well..." Lance said, a sinister grin spreading across his face, "you even brought me a toy. How thoughtful." The grin sent chills down Shawn's spine; his pupils dilated in terror.
Brody, the Fuller family's driver, approached Mina's hospital ward, only to be met by her furious yelling. The door flew open, a bag of fruit tumbling out, nearly hitting him. One of Dexter's bodyguards stood stiffly inside, his expression cold and unyielding. Dexter had sent him with a token of goodwill, given Ruben's long employment. Mina, however, was unreceptive.
The bodyguard snapped, "I'm warning you! This is a gesture of kindness from Mr. Fuller. Don't be ungrateful. Your husband's death wasn't his fault, and he's already compensated you with a replacement vehicle. What more do you want?"
Mina's chest heaved with suppressed rage.
"Not his fault?" she choked out, her voice trembling with fury. "If it weren't for his daughter, Ruben wouldn't be dead!"
The ward fell silent. Brody cautiously entered, his heart sinking at the devastation on Mina's face. She wasn't wrong. If Dexter and Myra hadn't indulged Kayla so excessively, allowing her to become so reckless and entitled, none of this would have happened.