Yelena Hughes had been on edge for several days because of Madeline Forest.
That girl was carefree and had long since forgotten about the signature matter.
After getting off work, Yelena went ho, and after dinner, she intended to take Anne for a walk downstairs but unexpectedly received a phone call.
The caller ID showed it was Madeline Forest; as Yelena answered, she walked toward her room, "Hello, Madeline."
"Hello... I’m her roommate."
On the other end, the girl’s voice was trembling, as if she’d just experienced sothing, "Can you co over? Sothing’s happened to Madeline."
"What’s going on?"
"A lot of people ca to the house... Ah, help—"
"Hello!" Yelena heard a thud on the phone, as if it had hit the ground, but soon a man’s voice ca through, "I advise you not to call the police. It won’t do you any good."
With that, the call ended with a snap.
Yelena grabbed her bag and rushed out. Madeline Forest lived in an apartnt she had visited before—a simple two-bedroom apartnt that she shared with another young girl.
She looked up at the sixth floor; the bedroom light was on. Anxiously pacing back and forth downstairs, Yelena soon heard soone calling her.
Yelena’s tense nerves relaxed a bit, "Officer Xavier, I’m sorry to bother you this late."
She had dealt with Officer Xavier before, having interviewed him previously.
"Has sothing happened?" The man was still in his police uniform.
Yelena led him inside, quickly arriving at the elevator, "I’m not sure, so I didn’t dare call the police, afraid of wasting resources. But my friend just called, and she didn’t seem well..."
The two reached the sixth floor, and Officer Xavier stood aside as Yelena rang the doorbell.
Soone soon ca to open the door and, seeing Yelena, greeted her familiarly, "Yo, you finally ca."
Yelena walked inside, and Officer Alden also erged from behind the door, wiping the smile off his face and quickly hiding the ferocity in his eyes.
"What’s going on? The police officers are even here."
Yelena saw two tall, imposing n standing in the living room.
"Madeline!" She rushed to the bedroom door, and upon pushing it open, saw Madeline and her roommate sitting inside. Both displayed fear, visibly shocked and unmoving.
Yelena went over and took her hand, "Are you okay?"
Her face was pale; she dared not speak or shake her head.
Officer Xavier was interrogating the n, "What are you doing here? IDs?"
"Officer, we’re good people. That person inside owes a lot of money. If we don’t get it back, my wife and kids will starve..."
Yelena, hearing this, wanted to leave, but Madeline grabbed her hand.
"No..." She was scared, truly terrified.
Yelena cald down and squeezed her hand, "Do you really owe them money? How much?"
Madeline’s eyes reddened, tears streaming down, "No, I didn’t borrow any money, but they have an IOU in their hands, and I don’t know how it happened."
"Stay here; don’t move. I’ll go take a look."
When Yelena returned to the living room, she saw Officer Xavier examining the IOU. Noticing her presence, he handed it to her.
Yelena glanced at it, feeling a chill run down her spine as she saw Madeline’s na clearly written at the bottom, along with her fingerprint.
"Officer, this is in black and white. I lent out a million."
Yelena examined the paper back and forth but couldn’t find any flaws. She held it up to the light, while the man smirked, "You don’t think I’m framing her, do you? Paying off debts is a rightful duty."
With shoulders slumped, Madeline slowly ca out, hands tightly clenched.
"Yelena, this money is what I owe."
"What are you saying?"
Madeline gripped the door fra; the sudden million burden was beyond her ability to bear, but she saw the man’s warning glance.
Her voice trembled, "I borrowed the money, but I can’t pay it back right away."
Officer Xavier was in a difficult spot too; this was just a standard debt repaynt, not high interest, so he had no ground for intervention.
Yelena glanced at Madeline’s expression and understood.
She folded the IOU several tis, sothing hidden in her lowered eyes. Yelena accompanied Officer Xavier to the door, "I’m sorry for making you co out for nothing, but if she truly owes this money, it’s her responsibility to repay it."
"Why don’t you leave with ?"
Yelena knew she couldn’t leave; she pressed the elevator button for Officer Xavier, feigning a relaxed appearance, "I need to stay here and plead for leniency. Look at how scared she is; we have to resolve this."
After seeing Officer Xavier off, she walked heavily back inside.
A man brushed past her at the elevator door, ensuring the police were really gone.
Yelena saw Madeline being dragged away by the man, receiving multiple hard slaps to her left cheek, the sharp sound filled with the scent of blood.
Yelena rushed over and grabbed his arm, "Stop it!"
"You’ve got guts, daring to call the police?"
Yelena pushed him, attempting to shield Madeline. But the man was strong, with one hand pulling Madeline back over.
A slap split the corner of her mouth; her nose bled, her face covered in blood.
Yelena tried and failed to pull them apart, summoning unexpected courage, she returned a fierce slap to the man.
Everyone in the room was stunned by this.
The man’s face swelled lividly, and he raised his arm, but was held by a companion. "Don’t ss up her face. Are you worried you’ll never get another chance at her later?"
From these words, Yelena gleaned a clue, "Who are you, really?"
The man focused on Madeline’s face, "This girl loves to play the hero, and now she’s neck-deep in debt. Doesn’t she realize if her dear friend will really help her?"
So, this was targeted at Yelena Hughes.
"Just tell what you want to do."
"Go back to The Sovereign Club, and you two will earn your freedom only after you make a million." The man touched his face, this woman sure hit hard.
"I know you’ve got Master Thorne backing you, but it’s not in your favor for him to find out. We can’t touch you, but targeting her is more than easy enough."
The man nodded at Madeline.
"Master Thorne wants to play gas with you; just cooperate, and maybe when he’s tired, your way out will co."
The apartnt lighting lent a honeyed warm tone, but only made Yelena’s face look as pale as a sheet.
Shawn Thorne hadn’t forgotten them; he was laying traps slowly.
Without Madeline’s night visit to The Summit Gardens, Yelena wouldn’t have escaped The Sovereign Club’s fire pit.
Even so, it was a trap; she’d climbed out, but by standing on Madeline’s shoulders.
And then? Could she just watch as Madeline plunged deeper, getting humiliated and utterly destroyed?
"Alright."
Yelena closed her eyes, "I agree."
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