She stared at the phone that was in his hands, her thoughts completely disoriented before she looked up at him.
"And why would you want to help escape?" Anastasia’s voice trembled, but her words carried weight. Her sharp gaze locked onto Julian. "You’re involved in this illegal business. You’re Xander’s friend, so why are you helping find freedom from here?"
Julian froze, the confidence in his posture faltering for a brief mont. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it again, realizing he had no imdiate answer that wouldn’t raise more questions.
"I have my reasons," he finally said, his voice quieter, almost reluctant. "Reasons that don’t concern Xander or this business. Let’s just say... I’ve done things I regret, and helping you might be the only way I can live with myself."
Anastasia remained silent, her expression unreadable, though her hands slowly clenched into fists.
She desperately wanted to believe he wasn’t a trap set by Samantha and Xander. His eyes were indeed filled with regret, but she couldn’t help but wonder why it had to be her.
She was sure he’d seen several girls who’d been tortured right before his eyes and he wasn’t compelled to help them? Now, he wanted to help her because it was the only way to nd things.
"This is..." She trailed off, unable to find words to complete her sentence.
"I promise you I’ll get you out of here before Samantha and Xander succeed with what they plan to do to you. You don’t have to worry about the plan, I have everything ready and when it’s ti, I’ll give you a phone call so you will be ready."
Anastasia wanted to believe him, but everything was moving too fast. Her mind raced with questions, doubts, and fears, tangling together into an overwhelming knot. She couldn’t bring herself to trust him—not yet.
"Once you’re out of here, I can take you to your husband, Xavier, do you understand?" He asked her, but she made no attempts to nod or reply.
This was Samantha and Xander’s friend, after all. The sa man who had once intended to buy her like she was so commodity at an auction. The sa man who had smirked in amusent when Samantha recounted her failed escape attempt during the Crimson, treating her desperation as a punchline to a cruel joke.
"Take this." He stretched out the phone towards her, and still, she didn’t make any attempt to take it.
She weighed the possibilities of what would happen if she decided to listen to Julian.
Judging from his attire, Julian was rich and must have connections that would assist him in making her untraceable if she successfully fled from here. He would bring her to her husband.
Husband. Dirty. Disgusted.
Michelle’s words from the night Anastasia had snuck into Samantha’s room echoed in her mind.
She averted her mind away from the possibility of her husband accepting her back.
The worst-case scenario was clear: if Julian was indeed working with Samantha to bait her into trying to escape, it would be a death sentence. If she failed, the punishnt would be unimaginably cruel—perhaps even fatal if they deed it necessary.
Anastasia’s heart pounded as her mind raced through the possibilities. She wanted to believe there was so truth in his words, so glimr of hope in his offer, but the risks lood too large. Samantha’s sadistic nature and Xander’s ruthless control made failure too dangerous to even consider. Trusting Julian could very well an sealing her own fate.
If she were to be caught and killed, they had given her the freedom she desired.
Slowly, Anastasia took the burner phone as if she was still contemplating about the plan.
Julian sighed in relief after she took the phone from his hands.
"We’ve been here for too long. I’ll be heading out. A couple of minutes later, you can co out so no one finds anything suspicious," he explained and Anastasia vigorously nodded in understanding, her hands clenched on the phone as if it was the sliver of hope that kept her sane at the mont.
Julian snuck out of the restroom after making sure no cara was positioned at the entrance of the restroom.
Anastasia decided to open the phone, only to find one contact was saved on it. She assud it must be Julian’s phone number.
A tear stread down Anastasia’s eyes. The only reason she’d used the downstairs restroom was because her room was upstairs, and climbing those flights of stairs just to get to her room was a lot of work.
Now, she wondered if she hadn’t used this one, would Julian have seen her and offered to help her escape.
Quickly, Anastasia kept the phone hidden in her bra. She was no longer wearing the ragged clothes she’d worn when she’d been brought there.
She was currently wearing a similar gown to the surrogates, but hers was in purple with two front pockets but it would be stupid of her if she hid the phone in those pockets. So, she hid it in her bra.
Just when Anastasia was about to step out, the sa surrogate she’d t on her first day barged into the restroom.
"There you are, I thought you were lost again," the woman teased, her smile stretching on her lips.
"Of course not, Nadine," Anastasia replied, subconsciously wiping off the sweat that coated her forehead. She was glad she’d hid the phone before Nadine would see it, else, she would be in trouble. "Let’s go."
Nadine’s nurse was right outside and the trio left the restroom.
They went to the garden to take in so evening fresh air before they retired for the night. Just like the house, the factory also had a curfew for the won and they were forbidden from going outside as from 9pm.
They could still roam inside the house if they wanted to take so walks, but stepping outside the house after the curfew was activated was highly prohibited.
Anastasia learned this from Nadine, who shocked Anastasia by telling her she’d been in the factory, being a couple’s surrogate for three whole years.
All of a sudden, she saw the very sa car she’d been dropped off from on her first day. Two girls were dragged out, and once Anastasia’s blue eyes landed on those familiar empty dark ones, a cold chill ran down her spine.
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