Caleb let them in. After hearing about what these women had endured in the village, his anger was palpable. Vera looked him in the eye. “I want to get them out of here.“They were forced to stay. Outside this mountain, their families are still waiting for them.“They shouldn’t be trapped here, forced to have children against their will.” At the mention of that, the room fell silent. Even Sera hesitated. Some of these women already had children. Leaving meant abandoning them. As mothers, the thought was unbearable. But what choice did they have? Stay and continue to suffer? Vera could see Caleb was thinking it over, so she pushed forward. “We have to move quickly. It won’t take long before the villagers realize they’re gone.“Once they start searching, it’s only a matter of time before they come here.“We won’t cause trouble for you. We just need a car.” There was a road leading out of the village. Otherwise, Caleb wouldn’t have been able to get in.
Vera didn’t want to leave Caleb behind to face this alone. But there were people in the car depending on her. She took one last deep look at Caleb. Through the rearview mirror, she could see his tall figure shrinking into the distance as the car sped forward. Even as his silhouette blurred, his stance remained firm. Vera blinked back the heat in her eyes and slammed her foot on the gas. The car shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. The next second, a mob of villagers—armed with hoes and shovels—swarmed around Caleb. *At the local police station, a distress call came in. The officers were stunned when the caller arrived, bringing four rescued women with her. After verifying their identities, it was clear that their bodies bore the marks of prolonged captivity and abuse. “There’s still someone back there! You have to save him!” Vera’s voice was urgent, almost pleading. She had driven all night without stopping.No food. No rest.Only a few
Inside the hotel room, the place was a mess. Nina Walker woke up, her entire body sore and achy. She rubbed her temples, preparing to rise, and glanced at the tall figure lying next to her. His strikingly handsome face boasted sharply defined features and deep-set eyes. He remained sound asleep, showing no signs of waking.Nina sat up, the sheets slipping off, revealing faint marks on her fair, sensual shoulders. She got out of bed, bloodstains clearly visible on the sheets.Glancing at the time, realizing she was almost late for work, she grabbed her scattered professional attire from the floor and changed into it. Her stockings were already torn by him. She balled them up and tossed them into the trash, slipping on her high heels. There was a knock at the door. Nina was already neatly dressed, back in her role as an efficient secretary, holding her purse as she headed out. Entering was a pure-looking beauty. Nina had called her. The type that Nash York liked. Nina said, "You ju
Upon hearing the voice, Nina's face jolted with surprise, nearly stumbling.With her balance faltering, her body leaned towards him. Nash felt her body tilting and reached out to steady her by the waist. The scorching warmth instantly reminded her of the scene from last night when he ravaged her recklessly.Nina composed herself, lifting her head to meet his deep gaze. His eyes were too serious, containing both questioning and doubt, as if trying to see through her with just one look. Nina's heart raced rapidly. She dared not hold his gaze for another second, instinctively lowering her head.When he assumed it was the woman from earlier, he flew into a rage. If he were to discover it was her, her fate wouldn't be any better. Yet, she couldn't accept it. If Nash knew it was her, could their marriage last a little longer? She dared not meet his eyes. "Why would you ask such a thing?" Only she knew she was hoping for it.However, Nash chuckled lightly. "You don't have the courage."
She looked up to see Miranda wearing an apron, holding a ladle. Upon seeing Nina, her smile faltered for a moment, then she warmly greeted, "Are you Sally’s guest? I just made some extra soup. Come in and have a seat." Her demeanor was composed, entirely that of the lady of the house. It was as if Nina was the guest from afar. Indeed, before long, she would become an outsider.Nina frowned, feeling deeply repelled. When she married Nash, Miranda even sent a congratulatory letter. It was impossible for her not to know Nina was Nash's wife. Seeing her standing motionless at the door, Miranda quickly came over and took her hand, "A guest is a guest, don't be shy, come in." As she approached, a faint jasmine scent filled the air, the exact same fragrance of the perfume Nash gave her on her birthday last year. She felt her throat ache, and her breathing became heavy, as if there were a thousand pounds on her feet, making it difficult to move. Sally noticed Nina standing there m
"Nina seems to be in a bad mood today. She didn't want to come to deliver the documents, so I had to come instead," Miranda placed her scalded hand in front of him. "Nash, don't blame Nina. I don't think she did it on purpose. I hope it didn't delay you."It was the first time Nina had done something like this with the company's documents in someone else's hands. Nash's expression was grim, but he restrained himself in front of Miranda. He just adjusted his tie and replied calmly, "It's okay." Changing the subject, he added, "Since you're here, stay for a while."Hearing him say this, Miranda felt a sense of relief. At least he accepted her and didn't dislike her. "Aren't you supposed to have a meeting? Will I disturb you?" Nash made a call, "The meeting is postponed for half an hour." Miranda smiled faintly. Before coming, she had wondered if her departure without notice would make him resentful. It didn't seem as bad as she had imagined. Lost time could be made up for. Sitting
Nina stopped in her tracks, her demeanor devoid of the harmony that would typically exist between them as spouses, instead exuding an air of detachment more akin to that of superior and subordinate: "Mr. York, do you have any further instructions?" Nash turned his head, gazing at Nina's somewhat distant expression, his tone carrying a commanding undertone. "Sit down."Nina suddenly couldn't fathom what he intended to do next.Nash approached.As he drew nearer, Nina watched, sensing a difference in the air, making it feel thin, tense, and peculiar.She remained still, but Nash took the initiative to grasp her hand.The warmth of his palm against hers felt like a burn, and she instinctively tried to pull away. However, Nash held her firmly, not giving her the chance to withdraw, pulling her aside instead, his brows furrowed as he asked, "You've injured your hand. Didn't you notice?"His concern caught Nina off guard. "I... I'm fine," she stammered."Your hand has blistered," Na
She saw stars, feeling dizzy all over, only hearing someone urgently saying, "What's going on with you guys? How could such a mistake happen! Nina, Nina..."As the voice faded into the distance, Nina passed out.When she woke up again, Nina was in the hospital, staring at the white ceiling, still feeling woozy and with a severe headache."Nina, you're awake!" Taylor, with red eyes, sat up from the chair, anxiously inquiring about her condition. "Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere? Should I call the doctor?"Looking at her, despite still feeling very weak, Nina subconsciously sat up. "I'm fine. What about the construction site? Are there any other injuries?"Taylor said, "You don't need to worry about the construction site right now. You've got a concussion. You scared me to death. I thought you wouldn't wake up."With that, she started crying again.Taylor was Nina's assistant who always accompanied her. Nina had always taken care of her. She was young and had never encounte
Vera didn’t want to leave Caleb behind to face this alone. But there were people in the car depending on her. She took one last deep look at Caleb. Through the rearview mirror, she could see his tall figure shrinking into the distance as the car sped forward. Even as his silhouette blurred, his stance remained firm. Vera blinked back the heat in her eyes and slammed her foot on the gas. The car shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. The next second, a mob of villagers—armed with hoes and shovels—swarmed around Caleb. *At the local police station, a distress call came in. The officers were stunned when the caller arrived, bringing four rescued women with her. After verifying their identities, it was clear that their bodies bore the marks of prolonged captivity and abuse. “There’s still someone back there! You have to save him!” Vera’s voice was urgent, almost pleading. She had driven all night without stopping.No food. No rest.Only a few
Caleb let them in. After hearing about what these women had endured in the village, his anger was palpable. Vera looked him in the eye. “I want to get them out of here.“They were forced to stay. Outside this mountain, their families are still waiting for them.“They shouldn’t be trapped here, forced to have children against their will.” At the mention of that, the room fell silent. Even Sera hesitated. Some of these women already had children. Leaving meant abandoning them. As mothers, the thought was unbearable. But what choice did they have? Stay and continue to suffer? Vera could see Caleb was thinking it over, so she pushed forward. “We have to move quickly. It won’t take long before the villagers realize they’re gone.“Once they start searching, it’s only a matter of time before they come here.“We won’t cause trouble for you. We just need a car.” There was a road leading out of the village. Otherwise, Caleb wouldn’t have been able to get in.
Vera watched as Leonard stumbled out of his house in nothing but a pair of pants, rushing toward the fire. Disgust churned in her stomach, but more than that, she worried about Sera’s safety. The darkness of the night concealed the emotions on her face, and no one noticed anything unusual. Women in this village were nothing more than tools for childbirth—no one paid them much attention. Especially now, with the fire raging, no one was thinking about her. The village chief had come by to ask how the fire started, but she had convinced him with a quick excuse. With all the men busy putting out the flames, Vera quietly slipped away toward Leonard’s house. Inside, Sera had been startled by the commotion outside. But the moment she saw Vera rush in, she understood immediately. “Was this you?” Sera’s eyes widened. “You set the fire?” Vera grabbed her hand. “There’s no time to talk about that!“We have to go—now. Do you know where the other women are being held?
Vera put on her best obedient act. “Of course, I know that. I was just making conversation. I’ll be sure to keep my distance from him.” That was all Chloe needed to hear to feel reassured. She was starting to think she had made the right call by letting her son bring this woman home. After ordering Vera to wash the rice, Chloe busied herself with other tasks. By the time Vera finished, the sky had already darkened. Her thoughts drifted to Sera’s situation, and her chest tightened. Tonight was the night. If she didn’t act now, who knew how long these women would remain trapped here? *That evening, Vera carried a few bottles of liquor up from the cellar. Chloe’s eyes widened in distress. “What are you doing with those? Put them back! “We only drink those on holidays and special occasions.“It’s not like we’re throwing a wedding right now. This is a waste!” Vera hesitated deliberately. “But I heard the doctor say he can fix Peter’s leg.“I though
“First, we get a free doctor for my son, and now, a beautiful wife just lands right in our lap!“God must really be smiling on the Cooper family!” Caleb’s frown deepened at the mention of a "wife." He had read enough news stories to know how these situations usually played out—women lured into remote villages, tricked, and trapped with no way out. He decided to dig deeper. “That’s some unbelievable luck. Where exactly did this beautiful wife come from?” Alice perked up, practically beaming. “She got lost in the mountains! I found her and brought her home.“My brother’s crippled, and no woman wanted to marry him, so I asked her to stay and repay us by becoming his wife.“She agreed!” Caleb’s expression turned colder as he listened to their casual justifications. This was nothing but moral coercion. Chloe beamed with excitement. “It’s just a shame she’s got such delicate hands—doesn’t look like she’s ever done a day of real work. We’ll have to break her i
Vera tilted her head, looking up at him with an obedient expression. Peter grinned, his crooked teeth showing. As he set down the basket of supplies, he chuckled. “You really know how to read the room.“Who would’ve thought I’d get this lucky?” He patted his bad leg and let out a loud laugh. “Even with this bum leg, I still managed to land a beautiful, obedient wife.” His eyes darted around the room. “Where’s my mom and Alice?” Vera pointed outside. “A doctor came to the village—he’s doing free check-ups.“Everyone lined up to see him. Your mom went too. She said he’s really skilled, and there’s a chance he could fix your leg.” Peter’s eyes widened in shock. “You’re serious? If he can actually fix my leg, my life would be perfect.” Vera nodded, playing along. “Yeah, you should go check it out.” “Good idea.”The thought of finally having his leg fixed filled Peter with excitement. He hurried toward the door but paused to issue a warning. “
“Everyone in this village is in on it. There's no way to escape during the day, and at night, they lock us inside the houses.“There's no chance to get out.” Even as the woman spoke, Vera’s eyes remained firm with determination. “You can’t think like that. As long as we escape, there’s hope.” The woman let out a bitter laugh. “You’re too naive. There was another woman who was sold here before. She tried to run.“She actually made it to town—only to be caught and dragged back.” Vera stood up, her fists clenched. “We can’t give up. If someone made it that far before, then there’s still a chance. We just have to be smarter.“For now, you should just play along.” Vera turned to her, her expression serious. “If you keep resisting, they’ll just keep beating you.“It’s better to make them lower their guard first.” The woman didn’t respond. Instead, she changed the subject. “Didn’t you ask me to teach you how to cook?“Let’s do that now. We can talk about escapi
Vera shuddered at the thought of the woman locked up, beaten like an animal. How many others were trapped in this village, suffering the same fate? It was unbearable to think about. By the time Vera had finished her water and eaten most of the pastry, Leonard returned—dragging a woman behind him. Her head was bowed, her frail body swallowed by a coarse, tattered dress. Her hair was a mess, and she didn’t even dare lift her eyes. Leonard shoved her forward. “Go on! The girl wants you to teach her how to cook.“Behave yourself, or you won’t be eating when you get home.” Vera’s heart twisted in pain at the sight of the woman trembling. She gripped the chair for support as she slowly stood up. Stepping forward, her lips trembled slightly as she gently took the woman’s hand. “I just got married into the family. I don’t know how to cook yet.“Would you be willing to teach me?” The woman didn’t say a word. A single tear slipped down her cheek, hitting
Leonard stared at Vera eagerly, his eyes full of anticipation. Vera said, “That’s right. Mrs. Watson is always saying how capable you are, a real manly man. I don’t know why, but for some reason, your wife just doesn’t appreciate you.“A man like you deserves better.” It was the first time someone had ever spoken highly of him, and Leonard slapped his thigh with excitement. “That ungrateful woman!“A man like me!” Leonard huffed, growing more indignant. “You won’t find another like me, no matter how hard you look.“If only more people had your kind of good sense.”Vera smiled without saying a word and casually glanced inside the house. “By the way, where’s your wife?” Leonard snorted, his expression instantly darkening. “That ungrateful wench is locked up out back. She never listens.” Vera’s expression hardened immediately. “Why even bring her up? Just ruins the mood.” Leonard quickly perked up and waved Vera inside. “You’re already here, but you haven