"Fine, whatever you say." Dean Rutgers glared at Aria. "There's no baby formula here. If you need it, go borrow it elsewhere."Aria left immediately, as if terrified, but in reality, she was moving to take photos so she could better explain the situation to the train marshals onboard.This was because she'd noticed something unsettling. It wasn't just this carriage that felt off; there were many women with babies in their arms, and they'd all boarded at midnight. She had also noticed the tattoo on Dean's arm, a design only worn by criminals willing to risk their lives for money. This wasn't something the train marshals could handle alone.At least ten people in this carriage were under Dean's control. The middle-aged man with glasses, smoking between carriages, was in charge of keeping watch. The men playing poker and drinking were only there to distract the authorities. Their rowdiness kept attention away from the women and their babies. It was all part of a premeditated sc
"What's he saying?""As if I know what he's talking about."The passengers craned their necks to look at Dean. Soon after, another man on the train put his arm around Dean's shoulders. "We're from the same hometown. He's saying weird things because he's drunk."Bart Taggart punched Dean in the abdomen. He asked in a low voice, "What's wrong with you?""Bart, I—" Dean was just about to say something when he saw a pale-faced baby on Bart's shoulder, staring at him creepily.That baby was one of those he'd trafficked.Dean was so scared that he collapsed on his seat, muttering, "This place is haunted, Bart, it's haunted! Those little ghosts are coming for us!"Ghosts?Almost all the passengers in the carriage woke up, and pandemonium ensued.Marna and the other women with babies looked at Dean. Bart slapped a bracelet on the table with a ferocious glare. "He's gotten so drunk that he's rambling."That bracelet was a rare one. It was a thread of sandalwood beads with a special fr
"I suspect that some of them are foreign mercenaries," Aria said.The train marshal was stunned for a moment. "You've read too many of those novels, young lady. We inspected everyone onboard very strictly so foreign mercenaries couldn't have boarded the train.""Usually." Aria opened a photo on her phone. "Look at the weird position of their hands. Also, the babies in these women's arms were all drugged."The train marshal shot up instantly after seeing the photo. It was obvious that this young marshal hadn't encountered something so serious before. "I'll report this to my superiors immediately.""You don't have time to. Where is the broadcasting system? Take me there," Aria said.The young train marshal was still hesitating. According to regulations, passengers couldn't enter the driver's compartment and the broadcasting room.Noticing that, Aria made a call immediately. "Have the conductor and person in charge of train K122 issue a command to every staff member onboard. Inform
"Yeah, that was weird as hell. He was saying something about how the hospital sold them, not him, and that they shouldn't come to him. What did this hospital sell?""Sounds dangerous. It's probably some shady hospital."Carriage 6 was instantly filled with a cacophony as everyone discussed what had happened. Under such circumstances, it was normal for people to develop curiosity about current events. However, some of the passengers didn't join the conversation; they were watching where Dean was taken away to, as if waiting for an opportunity to strike. Luckily, the train stopped temporarily, giving them time to devise a plan again. Pandemonium hadn't ensued because they were exposed but because Dean had suddenly spiraled into madness. Under such special circumstances, the last thing they wanted was for their plan to unravel halfway.Meticulous preparation was necessary prior to delivering a batch of goods. Not only did they have to bribe various authorities, but they also had to
The train marshal dealing with Marna was conflicted for a moment. Had the higher-ups made a mistake? After all, not every woman with a baby was involved in this case. While the officer hesitated, Marna started crying piteously. "I'm just taking my baby back to my hometown with me. Please, sir, you can't just arrest innocent people like me!"I'm so unlucky! Oh, dear! Why did I take this train? I should've gone back one day later. My son's grandparents wanted to see him badly, so I decided to rush back. Little did I know this would happen to me!"The authorities were most wary of people like her, with kind faces and little education, because they couldn't determine her alleged innocence.Even the other passengers were vouching for her. "Is there a misunderstanding, sir? She had been holding this baby in her arms. She wasn't talking much, and she didn't board the train with these men.""Exactly, sir—"The passengers onboard tended to be kind. Whenever something like this happened,
Even the members of the organization thought Bart was the leader. They didn't know Marna's true identity. She'd thought that she could escape from this unscathed. Even if she was arrested, she had prepared an excuse—she'd claim that she was doing this under coercion. However, this wouldn't happen, not when Aria was here. She was skilled in analyzing the logic behind people's actions as well as mental profiling, and she'd noticed, way earlier on, that Bart would look at Marna first whenever he spoke.Marna looked like a woman holding a baby, someone even Bart could be aggressive toward. However, that was only the surface. She had remained calm since the arrest started, and unlike everyone else involved, she was yet to be haunted by vengeful spirits.Like Bart, she carried an item that repelled vengeful spirits, which was why they dared not approach her. Aria yanked on the length of red string around Marna's neck, and the older woman suddenly turned pale. In front of her stood a
The train marshal didn't believe her. "You'd better tell the truth. Serenity Hospital is very reputable.""I'm telling the truth," Marna insisted, her voice shaky as she stared at Bart. She feared the ghost child might also start perching on her shoulder. The train marshal looked at Aria. "But Serenity Hospital…""Just because it's reputable doesn't mean there aren't immoral doctors," Aria replied flatly, not dwelling too much on this issue. After all, the Gunther family was a prime example in Southbury. Besides, one might lie when faced with others, but they couldn't do so when facing their inner fears.Aria leaned forward, her hands pressing into the table as she asked Marna, "Did they only provide the birth certificates to you, or did they also do something else? Did the parents not question the hospital when their babies died?""Some questioned, and some simply accepted it." Marna's hands trembled. "The hospital judges the parents by their financial situation as well. If the
Lucas' life took an unexpected turn when he met Aria, though Lily, confident in her knowledge, remained blissfully unaware.When Aria called, Lucas was packing up at the office, preparing to leave with one last glance around. Outside his door stood his secretary, Micah Wattiby, holding his phone.Micah knew Lucas had been inundated with requests for favors since his recent promotion. With more people seeking his attention, Micah hoped to leverage this moment to secure a position alongside Lucas in Janovin, which would greatly advance his career.Eager to discuss this with Lucas, Micah struggled to conceal his ambitions as he answered the call. "Mr. Murray is in a meeting and cannot take your call. Please leave a message, and I will relay it," he said curtly.Aria raised an eyebrow, curious if Lucas had replaced his secretary. "Can you tell me when the meeting ends?""I can't do that," Micah replied, frowning. Who did she think she was?Noting his attitude, Aria smirked. "Does Mr.