If Brianna had been more aware of her surroundings, she would have recognized the man who had offered her a word of advice and maybe wondered why he was also there.
However, she was never one to stoop so low as to know her poor friends’ families. Brianna only knew Rocky because, at a point in ti, Rocky had been like Shelby’s tail, sticking close to her in order to keep other n and admirers at bay.
At that ti, Brianna never associated Marvin with one of the people that she hated in the world at that mont.
She was imrsed in her own misery then. Brianna still could not imagine that a whole prideful person like her had been pushed so low in life that she was in a place like that. The room looked more like a dug-out cave than a normal-looking house. Even if she had a dog, it would have slept in a better place than where Brianna was.
In fact, Brianna had no mind to appreciate or even detest anything. She was battered, both body and soul. She felt disgusted with herself. Even at this ti, and for a brief mont, she still harboured thoughts of teaching her forr friends and that Doll person a lesson.
She knew that in order for her even to do that, she had to survive and find a way to escape. It didn’t take long for that notion to disappear from her mind. Brianna wiped the tears and used the wall as support to stand up. She peeped out the window to find out where she was, and her heart sank like a stone. It all made sense now—the reason no guards were watching her.
Where could she possibly escape when the lonely shack clung precariously to the edge of a towering cliff? The sheer drop stretched below her, unforgiving and endless, and she realized with a bitter clarity that there was no way out. She could never swim through the endless expanse of sea that she could see. Even the drop into the ocean was bound to kill her upon impact!
As if that reminded her, the coldness of the place seeped into her bones, as if the very air carried the chill of isolation. It bit into her skin like a relentless reminder of how far she had fallen too low for her mind to comprehend her condition. She clutched the withered dress and heard a slight tearing sound, making her heart drop!
It wasn’t just the wind that made this place so frigid—it was the hopelessness that ca with knowing she was truly trapped. As that reality began to sink in, she let herself drop and hunched in the shadows of the looming windows, her arms wrapped tightly around herself, but the shivering that had started wouldn’t stop.
Her stomach growled a hollow ache that echoed the emptiness inside her. Tears welled in her eyes, burning hot against her icy cheeks, and she let them fall onto her trembling hands one by one.
Her voice was barely a whisper, cracked and brittle.
"They promised they’d always be there for . Mum and Dad did! But why did they let this happen?"
Brianna choked on a sob, her breath misting in the frigid air. She thought of her parents, their empty words echoing in her mind, promises of love and support that now felt like lies. They had let her down when she needed them most, and the sting of their perceived betrayal was sharper than the hunger gnawing at her.
But it wasn’t just them—it was her, too. She had made her choices and ruthless decisions that hurt people, all in a misguided attempt to prove her worth to that one man! The Devil’s Incarnate!
Now, those choices had circled back, leaving her in this bitter cold, with nothing and no one. Her tears flowed freely now, mingling with the guilt that clawed at her chest.
"I did this to myself," Brianna whispered, the words hollow and laced with regret. "All the hurt I caused—my own hands that built this cage I can’t escape."
Understanding the reality made all co crushing down. She pulled her knees closer, desperate for warmth that would never co, knowing deep down that no one would co to save her—no her parents, not anyone. For the first ti, she understood what it ant to be truly alone.
For days after that, Brianna remained this way until she could not manage anymore. She thought people might pity her and give her sothing to eat or drink, but the reality was very different. Marvin had been kind enough to share his al with her on the first day but never after that.
She eventually joined them to work in the fields, picking so leaves off a large plantation of plants that she recognized so well. This was how she earned her keep. For a girl who had never worked a day in her life, she soon learnt that working more gave her certain privileges and more food. It was a painstaking effort for her, and little by little, ti passed by like wind.
***
Brianna’s parents knew nothing of this and spent much money, sparing no effort to find her to no avail.
Another such person was planning her revenge. It was none other than Avril. She never got used to her life but ca to the startling knowledge that she had sold her life and soul to the one called Big Brother. They worked her to the core in that prostitution ring, but her debts surprisingly increased and never decreased.
Sowhere in the hood....
Avril couldn’t find a way to escape that, making her hatred for Shelby rise through the roof.
One day, Avril heard so of the girls talking about the treatnt Doll had given to a new girl who had disappeared, and that was when Avril pushed out all thoughts of Shelby.
Avril was shocked but smart enough to figure it out. Based on the description, Avril knew! She had always been puzzled as to how Brianna had escaped the grasp of the police, but after hearing of the treatnt and what that girl had been subjected to, Avril knew that she had gotten it lightly.
Ian was not to be trifled with if he was able to get Brianna into that situation. However, that was why Avril liked her adopted brother. He was all-powerful and perfect in all ways.
’I better stay in my corner and find ways out when all is calm....’
No sooner had that thought settled down that Avril got another surprise. A singular thought remained after that: ’Ian sure is cruel!’
***
Detective Leon and Evans shared a look at the email they had received. The sender was anonymous, but they both knew without a spoken word who it was from. Despite that they had been lightly injured in that accident a few weeks back, they had faced surprising backlash from their workplace.
They had lost the major suspect in the case involving the Thornstons. Their branch was quite unforgiving, but one could clearly see that Leon was, especially, being singled out. He had amassed so much fa from the Wendover case that he had made so enemies out of jealousy.
The two Detectives, who had beco even closer after they had been released from the hospital, walked into their chief’s office to discuss the contents of the email with him.
They stayed in there for the longest ti, which drew the curiosity of many of their colleagues, but nothing leaked out. After about an hour and when it was getting dark out, the two walked out, their faces never betraying what was discussed.
They called many sub-divisions for personnel, and a heavy and long bunch of cars moved swiftly through the street towards their destination.
Leon looked into the peaceful night and the silence of the endless shacks stretching out in front of them. It was astonishing to know that the person they had looked high and low for was in there, but he never once doubted the source of his information.
Level-headed and his crew had already evacuated and stood quite a distance away, observing everything. They had taken a few girls away but most of the rest had been left so as not to alarm anyone.
The silence of the night was shattered by the wail of sirens, growing louder and more urgent by the second. Flashing blue and red lights painted the darkness in sharp, frantic strokes. Police cars screeched to a halt in front of the little shacks from all sides.
There were enough cars to surround the whole place as best as possible. Doors flew open as officers poured out in a well-rehearsed rush. Commands were barked into the air, their voices cutting through the confusion like knives.
"Go, go, go!" Detective Evans shouted, and in an instant, they stord the entrances of the individual shacks and all hell broke loose. The heavy thud of boots echoed in the narrow corners between the shacks as officers moved in formation, guns drawn, their faces set with determination. Doors were kicked open with a loud crash, revealing dimly lit rooms filled with startled faces.
Panic erupted inside. Won scread and scattered, their eyes wide with terror as they searched for a way out, their lives and secrets unravelling in a matter of seconds. So tried to hide, squeezing into corners or under beds, while others froze in place, shock rooting them to the spot.
The handlers, including Big Brother and the clients, weren’t any calr; they stumbled in their attempts to flee, caught between fight and flight, but there was nowhere to go.
"Hands where I can see them! Down on the ground!" Officers moved with precision, cuffing those who resisted and pinning them against walls or floors. The air was thick with desperation, a blur of movent and the rustling of clothes as people were pulled out of hiding places, faces pressed to the ground.
Every corner of the ring was exposed, no longer hidden in the shadows. The cries of protest and the sobs of the trapped filled the space, mingling with the static crackle of police radios. It was over in minutes, but to those inside, it felt like an eternity—a mont that shattered lives in an explosion of light, sound, and the suffocating weight of consequence.
In that crowd, was Avril. Evans shared a smirk of victory with Leon as they led her cuffed among the many people. It was a prostitution ring sweep but the two knew of whom they had co for.
Not far from there, Brianna’s parents stared, shocked at that developnt. However, they were even numb to the fact that their daughter was not found there. Later search after the police had cleared there, found so of her unique jewellery.
That was the last clue Brianna’s parents ever got of her. Ian’s lesson had been well-thought. Abi, especially was so tired that she had no mind to do anything. All her bravado was lost! Abram also felt so frustrated that even with all their money and connections, they were helpless to do anything in the disappearance of their daughter!
*********
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