’Not again...’
’They’re back so soon...’
Alice York stopped what she was doing and quickly tried to hide behind the pile of bricks. But the door wasn’t locked this ti, so she didn’t have enough ti to get there. She was only halfway when the door opened and soone ca in.
"Hey, Old Archer, are my eyes playing tricks on ? Is that a person lying over there?"
"Your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you. Not only is it a person, it’s a woman!"
"What? A woman? What’s a woman doing here? Do you recogn—"
"Shh."
The surroundings suddenly fell silent.
Alice York lay on the ground, completely still, her hand tightly gripping the tal ring. Though the talking had stopped, she could feel them approaching her.
Until a face crisscrossed with scars appeared before her eyes.
"AHHH—"
Alice York let out an instinctive scream.
Old Archer was also startled by Alice York’s scream and stumbled back a few steps. The other man nearly jumped out of his skin.
"What’s going on? Wh-wh-what’s going on...?" The other man was so shocked he started to stutter. "Old Archer, why is there a woman here?"
"Shut up. How should I know?" Old Archer looked just as confused.
His gaze fixed on Alice York, studying her carefully. She was a complete stranger; he was sure he’d never seen her before.
After looking her over, Old Archer asked, "Who are you?"
Alice York quickly composed herself and spoke clearly, "I’m here with a group of friends. We’re playing an escape ga. They’re hiding outside, and I win if I can untie myself and find them. I just accidentally tripped and haven’t gotten free yet. By the way... who are you?"
After weaving her lie with perfect clarity, Alice York calmly inquired about their identities.
Before Old Archer could speak, the other man beside him said, "We’re scavengers. This is our territory. You guys really know how to pick a spot."
Alice York said quickly, "I’m sorry, we saw this place was abandoned and thought no one was here. Could you please help untie these ropes? I’ll go tell my friends, and we’ll leave and stop bothering you."
"No problem." The man said, starting to move toward Alice York to untie her.
A flicker of joy sparked in Alice York’s heart, but she didn’t let it show on her face. She first said politely, "Thank you."
Just as the man was about to get closer, Old Archer stopped him with an outstretched arm. "Wait."
The man stopped.
Alice York’s heart skipped a beat.
Old Archer stared at Alice York with suspicion, asking, "How many of you are there?"
Alice York put on a calm and unhurried act. "Six, including ."
Old Archer asked again, "Are you the only girl?"
"Of course not. We all ca with our boyfriends." Alice York thought the look on this man’s face was terrifying.
The eyes of soone who’s been to prison are different from a normal person’s.
She hadn’t believed it before, but seeing it with her own eyes, she had no choice but to believe it now.
"I guess it’s my fault for bragging that I could get out. I didn’t expect them to tie the ropes so tight. I can’t undo them at all." Alice York gave a dry laugh to hide her awkwardness.
Old Archer’s gaze fell on Alice York’s hands behind her back. He suddenly sneered, "A pack of lies."
Alice York froze.
The man behind him asked in confusion, "Old Archer, what did she lie about?"
Old Archer stood up. "There’s no way six people ca here without us seeing them. Think about it, we weren’t that far away. And this chair was over there earlier. She must have been tied to it then. Look at the pull-tab in her hand. She’s trying to save herself."
The man’s jaw dropped as he listened. He looked at the pale-faced Alice York. "So you were kidnapped and brought here?"
Alice York pressed her lips together tightly.
The man chuckled twice, pointing a finger at Alice York. "You were just bluffing."
"..."
The man squatted down again and asked, "Who did you piss off?"
Alice York watched the face get closer and closer, her heart pounding with fear. But she didn’t dare show it too obviously; she couldn’t reveal her terror. "I was being bullied by my colleagues. They want to steal a project I’m working on, so they ganged up and tied up here. They’re planning to let go after the project is secured. I couldn’t accept that, so I’ve been desperately trying to save myself."
This was her second lie, at least more elaborate than the first.
If these two n were just ordinary scavengers, she would have told them the truth. But they had been to prison twice, and she didn’t dare take the risk.
"What if they don’t co back to let you go?" Old Archer said with a half-smile, looking at Alice York, who was clearly terrified but pretending to be calm. "After all, the human heart is the hardest thing to predict."
Alice York’s pupils suddenly contracted. "You..."
Before she could finish, Old Archer gave the man behind him a aningful look. The man understood and imdiately began to search Alice York.
"Don’t touch ! Get your hands off! You..."
"Shut up!"
Old Archer barked.
Alice York instantly fell silent.
"Old Archer, she’s got nothing on her. No phone either," the other man said after searching her.
Old Archer grinned, a sinister smile spreading across his face. "How’d she feel?"
The other man laughed too. "Her skin’s really fair, and her chest looks pretty big. She looks like a fairy."
The two n looked at each other, their eyes conveying the exact sa ssage.
Watching the two n laugh, terror flooded Alice York’s heart. ’It’s over,’ she thought. ’They’re going through with it.’
"Let’s do it," Old Archer said sinisterly.
"You first or first?"
"Together."
Alice York shook her head desperately. "No..."
...
As the sky began to darken, Finn Hawthorne lay on the sofa and checked his phone. It was already six o’clock.
He scrolled through his phone, made a call, and ordered, "Go check on that woman. If she’s crying her eyes out, let her go. But before you do, send a video call. I want to see what a ss she is."
As he said the words "a ss," Finn Hawthorne chuckled.
The person on the other end agreed and hung up.
Finn Hawthorne toyed with his phone, his mind filled with the image of Alice York’s face covered in tears and snot. It must be hilarious, absolutely hysterical.
The place was remote. A woman tied up there alone... no matter how brave she was, she wouldn’t be able to handle the fear.
’Yeah, just thinking about it feels good.’
Finn Hawthorne continued to fiddle with his phone, patiently waiting for the video call. After about ten minutes, the call ca through.
Finn Hawthorne imdiately sat up, adjusted his position, and then answered the video call.
"So? Is she crying pathetically?" Finn Hawthorne asked with a smile.
The person on the other end of the video stamred, as if they were terrified.
Finn Hawthorne turned up the volu and leaned closer to his phone. "Why don’t I hear any crying? Don’t tell she hasn’t shed a single tear? Did she just sit there all afternoon?"
He fired off several questions but got no answer.
Finn Hawthorne got annoyed. "Say sothing! She couldn’t have actually escaped, could she!"
Actually, he believed she had it in her. Maybe she really had escaped.
"Y-Young Master, when we got here, Alice York was already gone..."
"So she ran away, then." Finn Hawthorne scoffed. Sure enough, she really was capable.
But then, the person on the video continued, "But, Young Master, there’s a lot of blood on the ground... and, and a long drag mark. The trail is made of blood. Alice York... she might not have escaped on her own. She might... she might have been killed..."
Finn Hawthorne’s mind went blank, as if he’d been struck with an iron spike. "What?!"
"I said, Alice York... she might, she might have been killed."
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