Her expression hardened. Instead of retreating, she stepped forward boldly, stopping a few paces ahead, and said coldly, "Come out, I know you're nearby!""Mmph... mmph..." A muffled sound came from behind a large tree.Arin emerged, her hands bound, her face pale, struggling desperately with tears still in her eyes. Behind her was a man who sneered at Nina, "I've been waiting for you. If you don't want her to die, come here quietly and don't make a sound."Nina laughed, "You've gone to great lengths to catch me. If you'd just told me you wanted me, I would've come without all this trouble.""In the village, it wasn't easy to catch you. We had to use some tricks," Wes sneered.The previous assassination attempt by Wes had failed. If they had gone into the village, they would have been swarmed and killed before they even found Nina. He had timed Captain Nash's departure perfectly and knew that Arin and Nina were close. This allowed him to capture Nina successfully.Nina looked a
Wes's expression changed. "How do you know? Who told you?"Nina squinted, pretending to know more than she did. "I know a lot. Otherwise, why would the person behind you want to kill me?"Wes scoffed, then realized something. "It was Mr. Micah who told you, wasn't it? You really have a way of deceiving him."His hostility towards Nina increased."But why don't you talk about how ruthless your young lady is?" Nina retorted."Don't you dare speak ill of her!" Wes pressed the knife against Nina's neck, his voice menacing. "You're about to die, and you still have so much to say. Do you think I won't kill you?"Nina's breath caught, and she dared not move.Following Wes out of the forest, she noted how familiar he seemed with the terrain."You're very familiar with this place," she remarked. "You must have walked through here many times."Wes sneered. "I grew up in these mountains. This forest is nothing. I know every inch of it.""How much longer do we have to walk?" Nina asked.
Upon hearing that, Ivy's expression changed dramatically. "What nonsense are you spouting now?"She looked around at her followers, her panic turning into rage. "Someone, gag her! Shut her up!" Then, an even more malicious thought struck her. "No, cut out her tongue. I want her to never speak again."Her threats and frantic behavior revealed her insecurities. The more she tried to silence Nina, the more evident her guilt became. If it weren't for the things Micah had told Nina, she wouldn't have been able to provoke such a reaction.Nina let out a cold laugh.Ivy looked at her with satisfaction. "What? Are you scared? Beg me for mercy, and maybe I'll consider leaving you in one piece!"Nina retorted, "You won't answer me directly and now you want to silence me. Feeling guilty, aren't you? Even if you kill me, a lie won't become the truth.""Shut up! Shut up!" Ivy had hoped to see Nina grovel. Faced with death, she should be afraid like everyone else who cowered under Ivy's po
"When? That depends on how many more days Miss Ivy decides to let you live," Wes said coldly. "You'd better watch yourself!"With that, they left. Nina was not locked up and she could walk freely within the place. A few Yaren women walked past her. She greeted them, but they did not respond, walking silently with their heads down. In today's world, they were not much different from being servants in a historical drama. Nina couldn't figure out what this place was for.She went to check where they had left and saw that the entire compound was locked, with high-voltage wires on top. There was no way to get out. She could only move around within the compound, which was quite large. It took her about twenty minutes to walk around the perimeter, all lined with high-voltage wires.Crash—Nina heard the sound of something breaking, followed by the sound of a whip."Ah—don’t hit me! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to break the bowl. Please, Mrs. Quintana, forgive me!""Forgive you? How many t
Arin ran back, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they saw her. "Arin, where did you go? We were worried sick.""Where's Captain York? I need to find him," Arin said, her eyes red with worry."Captain hasn't come back yet. Where's Nina? She went to find you, but you're alone.""Nina was taken! We need to find Captain. He's the only one who can save her," Arin said, pacing frantically. "Where is he? I need to tell him quickly.""Nina sent someone to get him when you disappeared. He should be back soon."As soon as Arin heard the sound of a car, she knew Nash had returned. She rushed out to meet him, seeing his serious expression as he got out of the car."Captain, Nina's been taken! You need to save her!"Nash's expression darkened. "Who took her?""I don't know," Arin cried. "I didn't ask enough questions. They were after Nina. She's in danger. We need to save her..."Arin's clues were sparse, but Nash had a pretty good idea who might be involved. There were only a fe
Mrs. Quintana said, "You must not be a local. Here, all sorts of powers coexist. Slavery is just one part of it. You should be thinking about how to survive."Nina realized she was being treated like a slave. No wonder the compound was so large, and the people inside were so scared and silent. They had been beaten into submission. There was no way out for them.After all, they were involved in illegal activities. They couldn't afford to let anyone leave.Nina continued, "Is this Pharaoh's territory?"Mrs. Quintana's face turned pale. "Girl, what business do you have asking about Pharaoh? Keep your mouth shut."This confirmed Nina's suspicion. Pharaoh was someone they all feared."Have you seen Pharaoh?" Nina pressed.Mrs. Quintana, now visibly shaken, replied, "No one in this compound has the chance to see Pharaoh. For your own safety, stop asking about him."This confirmed it. This was indeed Pharaoh's territory. Nina had gambled and won, but she knew she was treading on dange
Mrs. Quintana's face turned pale as she stared at the bullet hole in the wall and the broken whip in her hand. "Everyone, get ready!" she shouted, clutching her head and instinctively trying to find cover, momentarily forgetting about Nina.Panic spread among the others. Those used to living in a war-torn area often reacted to gunfire or even the sound of fireworks as if a battle had begun. But nothing followed.Mrs. Quintana peeked out cautiously, trying to understand what had happened. Nina saw a tall man stride in through the window. His expression was stern and unyielding as he opened the door, his imposing presence dominating the room.Mrs. Quintana froze in place. "Mr. Joker... why are you here?"Mr. Joker was the right-hand man of the boss’s son. Now he was here in person, which explained why someone had dared to fire a gun in this area. Mr. Joker stopped in front of Nina and said coldly, "This person is not to be harmed."Mrs. Quintana hesitated, stunned by the realiza
They even allow fights, drug testing, and various experiments here. Those experiments are worse than death.Hearing this, Nina felt a chill run down her spine.The girl let out a bitter laugh. "Even our bodies are used after we die."She went on to explain how corpses were utilized, making Nina's skin crawl. This place shouldn't be called a slave camp. It should be called a hell camp!Meanwhile, in another part of the building, a lavish bedroom with a grand bed and luxurious decor stood in stark contrast.Ivy was in her room, surrounded by luxurious jewelry, exquisite pastries, and drinks. She was enjoying herself when suddenly, the door was pushed open with a loud creak.Two tall men stood on either side of the doorway, instantly recognizable by their attire.A moment later, a figure cloaked in black, completely obscuring his face with a black fanged mask, entered. Even his eyes were hidden.Ivy immediately stood up and respectfully approached the man. "Father."The man stood
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.“Haven’t I been just fine lately?“Or do you think my hand isn’t injured enough? If that’s the case, go ahead—do it yourself. “You already know I wouldn’t fight back no matter what.” Without warning, Yelena stretched out her injured hand, an act that instantly enraged Liam. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He snapped. “I was just making a casual remark. Is that really what you think of me? I already told you—I’m not going to lay a hand on you.“It wasn’t intentional before, and you know it. We both do. Stop acting like you’re above all this when we both know who sent you here.” Yelena felt a pang of sadness. They had spent so much time together, yet this was how he treated her—always choosing to hurt her. “I know—I wasn’t someone you chose, and none of this was intentional. But after all this time we've spent together...“I thought maybe I was a little different to you. But I guess I was wrong. Nothing has changed at all.
“Why do you even care about what happens to other people? Haven’t I made myself clear enough already?“Whose card is this—yours or mine?” His assistant immediately apologized upon hearing Caleb’s tone. “I hope you won’t hold this against me. I really wasn’t thinking clearly at the time—I should have considered this more carefully.” Caleb didn’t bother responding. After hanging up, he focused entirely on investigating Vera’s brother. *Meanwhile, Vera was deeply worried. If things had been somewhat under control before, now they were completely off track. The situation on both sides was far more complicated than she had anticipated. “Don’t worry. That’s exactly how it is. If you don’t want to go in person, I can go for you—but it won’t be cheap,” the private investigator said.Since Caleb had warned her about the private investigator, Vera started testing him, probing for inconsistencies. And sure enough, his story had too many holes. “Why are you so sure my b
As Caleb spoke, he looked at Vera with a hint of helplessness. After all, her hand had been injured because of Luna. “Don’t feel guilty about this. Honestly, it’s nothing to me.“And I’m not the type to carry burdens over things like this.“Besides, it’s been so long. If this had happened back then, I might have cared. But now? I just don’t think it matters anymore.” Vera’s voice was steady and sincere. But Caleb’s expression darkened. “Why would you say that? Why do you think it doesn’t matter? Do you really see me as just the same as everyone else?” For some reason, at this moment, Caleb took it personally. Vera couldn’t help but laugh. “Of course not. You’re different from the rest—so obviously, I wouldn’t see it the same way.“You’ve helped me so much. The least I can do is acknowledge that, instead of stubbornly nitpicking about what’s right or wrong, don’t you think?“Besides, whatever happened between you and Luna, that’s none of my business. It’s in
“I didn’t mean to just now. Besides, you’ve been acting all sneaky lately—so really, who else is to blame?” Seeing Yelena in tears, Liam, who had been furious just moments ago, felt a small pang of guilt. He was never good at expressing emotions. But watching her like this made him a little uncomfortable. “Go get your hand treated. Otherwise, people who don’t know any better might think I’ve been abusing you.” With that, he turned and walked away. Yelena watched his retreating figure, feeling a bit helpless. This wasn’t something she could decide on her own. Installing surveillance? It wasn’t as easy as it sounded. Liam was naturally suspicious. If he caught wind of it, the consequences would be disastrous. But she had no choice. She had a mission to complete, and there was more at stake than just this moment. Letting out a deep sigh, she finally decided to head to a clinic to get her hand treated. *“What happened to you? That’s a serious injury. You
And just like that, the conversation fell into a brief silence. Meanwhile, on the other side, Hunter received a call from Yelena. “What did you just say?” Yelena told him that her hand was broken, and on top of that, Liam seemed to be getting suspicious. She wasn’t sure what to do, so she called Hunter for advice. “I don’t really care what happens to you, but at the very least, take care of yourself.“Otherwise, if something else goes wrong later, I’ll have to step in and clean up the mess. Don’t you think so?” Hearing this, Yelena was a little taken aback. “It’s not just about my injury. The real problem is, I’m scared of what he might do now.” Sure, she had taken the two hundred thousand dollars, but she had to stay alive to spend it. At this rate, she wouldn’t even make it through in one piece. “I already told you—protect yourself. If you need anything else, I’ll try to provide it. But right now, I need you to do something for me.” Hunter had been look
“Yes, it’s in that mountain area. If you’re worried, you can go check it out yourself. But as for anything else, we don’t really have much more information.”Compared to everything else, this was the most baffling situation.“You make a good point. But given the current circumstances, I think it’ll be difficult to pull off.”Vera was speaking with the private investigator. Deep down, she was more worried than anything else.“Don’t worry,” the private investigator reassured her. “Aside from what we discussed earlier, nothing else seems too extreme. Plus, we’ve already looked into it pretty thoroughly.”By the time he finished speaking, his expression had grown more complicated.“Alright. I understand.”After hanging up, she anxiously looked straight ahead. If she had been mentally prepared before, now she was starting to feel uneasy. “What’s going on?” Caleb asked while driving, glancing at her. Vera hesitated, debating whether to tell him or not. But seeing the strange
“I only had one surgery today,” Caleb said as he drove, his voice calm but firm. “Now that it’s done, I want to know why this happened.” After that, he said nothing more. Vera sat in silence, her heart uneasy as the car pulled up in front of an upscale club. Even though her hand was already bandaged, she still felt a sting of pain every time Caleb showed concern. “So this is what it feels like to have someone care,” she thought to herself.Back when Vera had been stepped on, her only concern had been the contract—whether the deal would fall apart and if her suffering had been for nothing.If it had been anything else, she probably wouldn’t have cared as much.But Caleb’s concern made it impossible for her to brush aside.It kept lingering in her mind, refusing to let her feel indifferent.“Don’t overthink it,” Caleb said, his voice firm. “Whatever happened between Luna and me doesn’t change the fact that this concerns me too—and I owe it to you to make things right.”
“Oh? So this is the apology you wanted?” Vera’s forehead was covered in cold sweat from the pain, but the two women standing over her barely reacted. As if this was normal to them. As if humiliating her was just another game. “I asked you a question.” Vera remained half-crouched on the ground, her hand still pinned under Luna’s heel. Helena smirked. “Yeah, I’d say that’s good enough.” She hadn’t expected Vera to be this stubborn, but it didn’t matter. With an exaggerated sigh, she casually scribbled her signature onto the contract. The deal was officially secured. Vera didn’t waste another second. She cast one last glance at the two women. “I have no interest in getting involved in your personal drama. As for Caleb and me, that’s between us. We both made our choices.” Luna’s expression twisted slightly. “I won’t bother commenting on your relationship,” she said, voice dripping with disdain. “But don’t think for a second that this will ever earn
The moment Vera heard her assistant’s words, her expression darkened. Her previously calm tone turned firm. “If that’s the case, I understand. But I still have to go. This is my responsibility, and no one else can handle it.” If she didn’t take the lead, the other party would only grow bolder. However, the moment she glanced at the name on the negotiation list, she couldn’t help but frown. Because the person she was supposed to meet wasn’t just anyone. It was Helena Xander. Vera had encountered her before—back when her relationship with Caleb hadn’t yet escalated. Even then, Helena had openly mocked her, saying that since Caleb had been Luna’s devoted lapdog for years, he should know his place and never overstep. She had also thrown a few sharp words at Vera, telling her to recognize her own status—as if warning her that getting involved would only bring trouble. Back then, Vera hadn’t taken it seriously. She never thought she would cross paths with the