Aria looked up, only to see a humble-looking couple outside the door, shouldering heavy bags and looking worn from a long trip.Aria retracted her arm. "Yes, it is."Olivia was pleasantly surprised. "Do you know Dr. Carver, then?""It'll be me. Who are you—"Before Aria could finish her sentence, Olivia covered her mouth and broke out in sobs. "Oh, Aria! My poor child! We've finally found you!"She sobbed with so much grief that she'd almost cried herself hoarse. Aria's neighbors gathered around her. "What's happening?" they asked. "Are they Aria's biological parents?"Aria stopped in the middle of her actions once again and turned her gaze to the couple. Grant Renner had dark skin from being exposed to sunlight for too long. He looked humble with the airs of an impoverished man. "Olivia missed you badly. We were afraid that she wouldn't get to see you, so we took an overnight bus here.""You shouldn't have told Aria that!" Olivia said. She pulled on Grant's sleeve, her ey
Grant pushed Olivia, stopping her from going on. However, Olivia's eyes reddened even more, which made it clear that things were difficult in her family.Georgina was sad upon hearing that. She turned to the side and looked at Aria, whose knuckles rapped on the table repeatedly, following a rhythm as she mulled over something in silence.Georgina wanted Olivia and Grant to stay after dinner, but they shook their heads and said they'd booked a hotel nearby. They left the bag to Aria before they departed for their hotel. Georgina considered the matter for a long time. She was so focused on it that she couldn't concentrate on the drama she was watching. "Your younger brother is suffering from a serious illness.""Apparently." Aria spun a teacup with her fingers. This was what she'd do when she had something on her mind. Georgina sat up straight. "Let's go to Uludon, Aria. You should meet your brother.""Sure." Aria smiled. "You're right. I should meet him."Olivia and Grant had
Grant was playing card games on his phone, a cigarette between his lips, as he said nonchalantly, "Okay, okay. Lily didn't lie to us at least—she really does have a pretty face.""The trip back tomorrow must go smoothly no matter what." Olivia frowned. "Lily didn't tell us how smart the girl is. Remember the questions she asked me yesterday? They were all subtle traps!"Olivia and Grant had worked as human traffickers for many years. Olivia was especially skilled in acting. The average person would find it very difficult to see through her disguise—only seasoned criminal investigation professionals would be able to.Grant was much less skilled, and that was why he was often reticent. He was usually in charge of transportation and other tasks. "Don't worry. We'll be taking a path we know well tomorrow. Our reunion with our long-lost daughter is a legitimate reason, so no one will look deeper into it."Olivia felt conflicted. "That one family is to blame. They've been watching us lik
As it rained outside, the raindrops pitter-pattered on the window. Georgina didn't know why exactly, but she felt unsettled. Maybe it was because Aria wasn't here with her. No matter how many patients came to the clinic for consultations, the clinic still felt empty. …While it rained heavily in Southbury, it was only cloudy in the mountains. Olivia woke Aria up. "Aria, do you want to go into the rest area and have a bowl of soup?""Sure." Aria seemed agreeable. However, she carried her bag everywhere she went, which made Grant, who was smoking not far away, pay attention. The driver they'd hired was a man called Shane Jasser. He tilted his chin at Grant, who lowered his voice as he said, "Don't get too hasty."Aria hadn't drunk any of the spiked water they'd prepared. What if she got up again when they were halfway to their destination?It would be dangerous if they tried to subdue her on the highway; they should start only after they were on the roads leading to Uludon.
Olivia smiled brightly. "Aria met someone she knew.""Really? That's great! You should come with us." Grant set his hand on Jonathan's shoulder enthusiastically.Jonathan shook his head quickly. "No, it's fine. I drove here."He turned his gaze toward Aria. "Uh, I'll be going now. While on the way… Take care!"He emphasized the two words at the end. Aria was smart; she would surely realize that something was wrong. However, Aria smiled. "Don't worry, Mr. Brooks. My parents will take care of me, so I'll be fine."She lowered her head and had some of her soup. Upon noticing that, Grant let go of Jonathan's shoulder. He said, looking touched, "Aria—"Jonathan felt anxious upon seeing how obtuse Aria was, but he couldn't say anything, not when they were Aria's parents. He could report this to the police and have them investigate the couple, but he worried he'd be affected if this backfired on him.Everyone else might not know about Perry Town, but not the local citizens of Uludo
The town chief had seen photos of Aria. Satisfied with her looks, he requested to meet Aria soon. Olivia and Grant wanted to take Aria to him as soon as they could, but they had to continue with the act lest Aria fight back. Many female students they'd brought here were initially reluctant, but they had no choice but to stay in Perry Town and care for the children after everything was set in stone. A woman would want to settle down after they'd given birth to children of her own—that was the rule.When they were almost in Perry Town, Olivia contacted the local matchmaker, and they agreed to set up a meeting tonight for fear of anything unexpected happening if they'd decided on a later date. There were few paved roads on the way to Perry Town. The roads to the town were all littered with craters, so the trip there became very bumpy.It was normal for the authorities to accidentally leave out some corners of the country during their construction efforts, and Perry Town was one
"I—" Liam Renner was still a young boy. Upon hearing Aria's statement about his health, his eyes started darting around nervously. Olivia said immediately, "He looks healthy, but he's still coughing a lot." She directed this next question to Liam. "Why did you come out, anyway?"Liam was having a cold—that much was true. He said nasally, "I missed my sister.""Okay, okay, let's go inside," Grant said with a smile, "It's time for Aria to taste our cooking."Olivia and Grant were both very astute. They entered the house together with Aria, holding a conversation all the while.Four generations of the same family lived together in the Renner home. Grant introduced them to Aria one by one, from her grandparents, uncle and aunt to Rainie Spencer, her sister-in-law.Everyone in that house looked relatively normal, save for Rainie. She looked about three years older than Aria and had a head of messy hair. She seemed to be spacing out as she held a baby in her arms.Aria had to call ou
"She knows that she shouldn't have done that now, Olivia. We can't let the baby go hungry, can we?" Geoff tossed a walnut into his mouth. "She's been beaten into submission at this point, so don't worry. We seized her from the town center, so now she knows that it's pointless even if she seeks help from the town authorities. She's given up. She told me that she wants to spend her life with me."Grant was annoyed. "I'm not trying to bring you down, Geoff, but why haven't you managed to subdue her? It's been three years since then.""She was a university student, you know. They're hard to deal with because they know more stuff." Geoff leered. "Speaking of this, the 'daughter' you've brought home this time looks pretty, Grant. She seems meek too. Maybe I can—"Olivia interrupted him, "No, you can't! You aren't allowed to lay your hands on her! The town chief—Mr. Barter—has set his sights on her, and they'll come over to take a look at her later, so you'd better keep your thoughts to yo