Chapter 694:
Abram Deleon kept nodding and smiling meekly. He tugged the girl toward a narrow alley, clamping his rough hand over her mouth.
Her muffled sobs echoed, her tear-streaked eyes locked on Rylie, pleading for help.
“Wait.” Rylie’s tone sharpened. “Where are her parents?”
Patrick wore an apologetic, almost helpless expression as he addressed Rylie.
“That woman really is Abram’s wife. Years ago, she suffered a terrible shock. Since then, her mind hasn’t been steady. She often imagines she’s someone else. We’ve brought in doctors, but there’s nothing more they can do. Some days she’s fine, other days she isn’t. Here’s what I suggest.” He motioned to a man standing behind him. “This is an officer from our town’s police station. I’ll have him escort Abram and his wife to the station. Her mother can collect her later. With an officer present, you can rest assured that nothing improper will happen.”
Patrick cast Abram a meaningful glance. Abram caught it immediately, nodding without hesitation. “Yes, of course. I have nothing to hide. I’ll go with the officer.”
The girl shook her head furiously, but her cries were muffled under the man’s hand. His grip never loosened as he forced her toward the police car.
“Apologies for the trouble,” Abram muttered, his eyes darting briefly to Rylie before he climbed in.
Patrick gave a courteous gesture. “Let’s not allow this small matter to spoil our dinner. Please, Miss Owen, this way.”
Rylie’s gaze lingered on the car until it vanished down the street. Only then did she turn toward the restaurant entrance.
Behind her, Brad brushed a finger against hers, a subtle signal. His quiet gesture carried a warning; the surface had been polished clean, but beneath it, hypocrisy and something far darker stirred. That girl might not be mad. What she said was probably true.
Mₒᵣₑ ᵤₚdₐₜₑₛ ᵢₙ gₐₗₙₒᵥₑₗₛ.𝒸ₒₘ
Meanwhile, in the police car, the girl sat rigid, a blade pressed to her throat, her face stiff with fear. The man holding her hostage never wavered, his eyes fixed on the elegant figure stepping into the restaurant.
“That’s the daughter of the Owen family from Crolens, right? Only one bodyguard with her?”
The junior officer in the front seat gave the terrified girl a careless glance, as if nothing were out of place. “Yeah. She’s here to pick up some rare fabric from the factory. Didn’t bring much backup. But that’s not the point—how could you let your wife escape? Thankfully, we caught her in time, and she didn’t tell too much to that woman. If word gets out we’re still mixed up in things like this, we’re done for.”
“It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.” Abram spat toward the girl, his tone sharp with disdain. “Stupid woman. I thought she’d stay put after carrying my child. Never thought she’d run the second I looked away. If she wasn’t pregnant with my kid, I’d have ended her already.”
The girl squeezed her eyes shut, letting silent tears streak down her cheeks.
“Figures. These trafficked girls usually have tricks up their sleeves when they decide to escape, but I didn’t think this one would,” the officer muttered, eyeing her pitiful state. “By the way, I heard you handed that new house over to your brother? Not to pry, but the guy’s a mess. Just make sure he’s fed—why burden yourself with more?”
“My brother’s leg was ruined because of me,” the man admitted in a low voice. “I owe him, and I’ll pay that debt. Whatever I need for myself, I’ll earn on my own.”
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