At once, it felt like someone was tearing my mind apart. The burning pain shot through my body, making me shake uncontrollably.
Below the gallows, the crowd watched with cruel satisfaction, enjoying every moment of my agony.
“The Memory Extractor had three levels of pain, the faster the process, the worse it felt. Seeing Juliette like this, Owen must have chosen the highest level!”
“Someone who protects a criminal deserves the harshest pain!”
“When the extraction ends, Juliette will be nothing but a fool!”
The mocking voices echoed endlessly in my ears, but scenes from thirty-eight years ago began to flood my mind.
A large, crystal-clear screen appeared before me. It showed the time eight years before the case, the day Zara confessed her feelings to Owen.
When her gentle face appeared, my mother clutched her chest and cried uncontrollably.
“My poor Zara! You had just found love and barely tasted happiness, and now you’re gone with regrets. How can I ever accept this?”
On the screen, Zara blushed as she handed Owen a love letter, her expression shy and warm.
But my eyes stayed fixed on Owen standing before her, my heart filled with longing and unwillingness.