CHAPTER 1

The sun had long set, casting a deep, inky darkness over the abandoned forest in Hellish Village. The air was thick with tension, punctuated by a series of desperate shouts.

“Lian!” a sharp voice cut through the stillness.

“Lian!” another voice joined in, more urgent.

The forest was alive with the echoes of frantic searches, the anxious atmosphere palpable. The wife of the Montenegro brothers had escaped earlier that morning, and now the search party was scrambling to find her before nightfall.

“Second brother, are you sure this is where she ran off to?” one of the men asked, his voice laced with both desperation and doubt.

“I’m sure,” came the terse reply.

“But we’ve searched everywhere!” another man protested. “It’s dark, and there’s no sign of her.”

Lilian, who had just woken up moments ago, was bewildered. She remembered being hit by a car on her way to school and had assumed she’d died. Now, she found herself in an unfamiliar place, with no idea of how she got here or why. The disorientation was overwhelming.

The shouts continued, growing louder. “Lian! Where are you?!”

Lilian’s confusion deepened as she struggled to comprehend her situation. Should she call out for help or hide? The voices were drawing nearer, and fear gripped her.

Suddenly, a figure emerged from the darkness, illuminated by the dim light filtering through the forest canopy. Lilian hesitated, unsure of what to do. She saw the man’s startled expression as he spotted her.

“There you are, Lian!” he exclaimed, his voice filled with relief.

Lian? Who was that? Lilian’s heart raced as the man, with a mix of relief and urgency, ran toward her. Before she could react, he grabbed her arms with a vice-like grip.

“You woman! So this is where you’re hiding, huh?!” the man roared.

“Ahh!” Lilian screamed, her mind racing. This was not what she had expected. She tried to pull away, but the man’s hold was unyielding.

“Did you really think you could escape us? Dream on! We’ve already bought you. You’re ours now!” he snarled, dragging her roughly through the underbrush.

“What are you doing? Let go of me!” Lilian struggled fiercely, trying to free herself, but the man’s grip only tightened.

“Let go of you? And let you run away again? No chance!” he growled, his tone menacing.

Panic surged through Lilian. “Let me go! Who are you? I’m going to call the police if you don’t let me go!”

Ignoring her pleas, the man lifted her off the ground, carrying her like a sack of rice. Lilian’s screams grew more frantic. “Help! Help me! Kidnapper!”

“Lian, calm down. We’re not going to hurt you,” a different voice interjected, but the reassurance did little to calm her.

“Who the hell is Lian? You’ve got the wrong person! Just let me go. I don’t have any money. There’s no use in kidnapping me!”

The man carrying her snorted. “You really think we’d let you go? We’ve spent our lifetime savings to buy you. You think you can just walk away?”

Desperation gave Lilian strength. As she saw an opening, she bit down hard on the man’s shoulder.

“Ah! Shit, are you crazy?!” he shouted, losing his balance. They both tumbled to the ground.

Lilian scrambled to her feet, her heart pounding. “You’re the crazy one! Human trafficking is illegal! Let me go, you psycho!”

The man glared at her, bewildered. “What’s with all this talk about human trafficking?”

“Shut it, both of you,” a deep, cold voice commanded.

Lilian turned to see another man stepping into view, his expression unreadable. He studied her with an intensity that made her shiver.

“What do you want?” Lilian demanded, her voice shaky. “I’m getting out of here!” She tried to turn away, but the man who had carried her grabbed her shoulders again.

“Wait, where do you think you’re going? Planning to escape again, are you? What a shameless woman,” he sneered.

Lilian’s eyes welled with tears, her fear overwhelming her. She had been hit by a car, believed she was dead, and now found herself in a nightmarish situation with people who claimed to have bought her. She was terrified and felt utterly lost.

“Why are you crying now?” the man barked. “Don’t think we’ll pity you!”

The words cut through Lilian’s resolve. Exhausted both physically and emotionally, she felt herself weakening. The forest seemed to close in around her, the dark shapes of trees and shadows amplifying her fear.

“Why are you doing this? What’s happening to me?” Lilian’s voice trembled as she tried to make sense of her situation.

The man’s expression softened slightly, though his grip remained firm. “You don’t understand what’s happening, do you? We bought you from your previous owner. You belong to us now.”

Lilian’s tears streamed uncontrollably. “I don’t understand. I was just on my way to school. I don’t know how I ended up here.”

The man’s eyes narrowed. “You’re not in a position to demand explanations. You’re coming with us, and that’s final.”

As Lilian’s strength waned, her vision began to blur. The emotional and physical strain took its toll, and she gradually lost consciousness. The last thing she heard was the sound of the men’s voices and the oppressive silence of the forest before everything faded to black.