?Chapter 565:


    Seeing red, Hugh wound up for another blow, but Elliana stepped in, lifting her hand to stop him. “Let me handle things from here.”


    Elliana reached into her bag, pulled out a Golden Needle, and walked toward the fake Milena. “Since you had the nerve to pretend you’re Milena, then you must know what a Golden Needle can do. It can save someone’s life or make it unbearable.”


    Finally, fear flickered across the fake Milena’s face. “What are you nning to do?”


    Elliana’s voice was cold as she stared him down. “I only want you to tell us who gave the order and why they wanted you to impersonate me. You’re just a pawn. I don’t intend to make things worse for you. Cooperate, and I’ll let you walk away.”


    Panic took over, and the fake Milena caved. “Fine, I’ll talk! I really am just a nobody, scraping by with a little clinic in Podgend. One night, a gang of men in ck burst in, took control, and forced me to pretend to be Milena. I had no say in any of it.”


    Elliana asked, “Who are they?”


    Shaking his head, the fake Milena answered, “Their identities elude me, but they seemed to be of significant background. All men in ck were intimidating, but their leader stood out. He wore sses, spoke with a gentle voice, and seemed cultured.”


    As he recalled the details, his whole body began to tremble. “But don’t be fooled by his refined appearance—he’s a monster. He kills without a second thought. He’s terrifying.”


    Elliana probed, “Can you describe what he looked like?”


    The fake Milena shook his head again. “He kept to the shadows and always wore a mask and a hat. I never got a good look at his face, but I could tell he wore sses and carried himself like a real gentleman.”


    Elliana paused and then asked, “What was his purpose in having you impersonate Milena?”


    As Elliana’s words hung in the air, the fake Milena began to tremble. “I swear, I don’t know anything!” His words tumbled out in a panic, voice raw with fear. “Please, I promise, I’m telling the truth!”


    Unmoved, Elliana pressed the Golden Needle against his arm.


    A sharp sting pricked his skin, and the fake Milena jolted. “Okay! I’ll talk!” he screamed, hisposure unraveling. “Just don’t hurt me—I’ll tell you everything!”


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    Elliana halted, the Golden Needle still hovering. A wicked glint danced in her eyes. “Then don’t leave anything out. If I catch a single lie, this goes straight in.”


    Desperation broke over the fake Milena. Tears spilled down his cheeks as he begged, “Please, just promise I’ll be safe! If they find out I talked, I’m toast. I don’t want to die! Please!”


    Cole interjected, his voice as cold and solid as steel, “You have my word.”


    At that, relief washed over the fake Milena. With the Evans family’s head making that vow, he finally seemed to believe he might survive this. He drew in a shaky breath and exined, “They paid me to pretend to be Milena just to lure the real one out into the open. I swear, I don’t know what they’re nning after that.”


    Turning anxious eyes on Elliana, the fake Milena added, “Their target is the real Milena. If you even think about leaving this building, they’ll be waiting. You’re a walking target.”


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