<b>Chapter </b>64
“Oh, just back in town to see family,” Olivia replied in aid–back tone, shooting Gina a quick <b>nce</b>, Afraid Olivia might slip up, Gina hurried over to greet the woman. “Hello, I’m Olivia’s mom.
There was something odd about Gina<i>, </i>but the woman couldn’t quite put her finger on it. As a psychologist, she was used to solving cases by analyzing the minds of criminals.
Years of training kicked in the moment she met this “mother,” and something felt instinctively wrong. When she looked into Gina’s eyes, she saw no trace of warmth or affection for Olivia, only a calcting glint.
“Nice to meet you,” the woman replied politely, nodding slightly before turning back to Olivia. “Which town are you heading back to? Maybe we’re going the same way.”
The woman seemed friendly enough. And with her current assignment being mind–numbingly dull, tagging along with Olivia sounded infinitely more interesting.
“Yeah, Magnolia Town,” Olivia replied.
At the mention of Magnolia Town, the woman tensed, her focus sharpening on Gina. Her mission required infiltrating that very ce, and running into Olivia was an unforeseenplication. Worse, Olivia appeared to have been deliberately deceived intoing.
“Girl, just hear me out…” The woman wanted to warn Olivia, concern flickering in her
eyes<b>. </b>
“It’s gettingte. We should get moving,” Gina cut in with a strained smile, a warning glint in her eyes.
The woman caught Gina’s look and awkwardly fell silent.
“What’s wrong?” Olivia asked, not seeming to notice anything off. “What’s up with Magnolia Town?”
‘Magnolia Town is a ck hole for young women–college students and fresh graduates vanish without a trace,’ she thought grimly. But voicing this warning wasn’t an option; one wrong word couldpromise her entire operation.
She forced a strained smile, her voice heavy with concern. “It’s nothing serious–just that the area’s remote. and dangerous, with wild animals roaming freely. Please… take extra care.” Her eyes flickered briefly toward Gina as she spoke.
Gina noticed the woman’s growing suspicion and quickly intervened. She draped an arm around Olivia while offering the woman a water bottle with exaggerated concern. “You must be thirsty after talking so much. Here, have some water.”
The woman didn’t miss the threat in Gina’s overly sweet tone. Swallowing her words, she fell silent, but her eyes were locked onto Olivia’s, silently urging her to be careful.
“No, thanks. I’m in a rush,” the woman replied, edging away from Gina but keeping her eyes locked on Olivia. “Be careful out there, okay? We’ll be waiting for you toe back and help us out.”
Olivia’s eyes softened as she gave a gentle nod. “Don’t worry. I’ll be careful.”
<b>20:07 </b><b>Wed</b><b>, </b>Sep <b>3 </b>
Hearing that, the woman finally felt a bit more at ease. She’s sharp. If anything goes wrong, she’ll catch <b>on </b>1. just can’t call the cops, or I’ll blow my cover and tank the whole operation, she thought to herself.
Magnolia Town appeared to be just another sleepy rural town to outsiders, but beneath the surface, it <b>thrived </b>with wealth. Cutting–edge medical facilities and modern homes dotted the area, far surpassing <b>anything </b>found in nearby cities. Such development undoubtedly pointed to powerful backing.
For years, every missing person case connected to Magnolia Town would hit a dead end. The woman had been sent here this time to see if she could uncover anything.
She was still torn about whether to warn Olivia again, but Gina had already grabbed Olivia and hustled her into the truck.
Olivia kept her eyes downcast, her face the picture of calmpliance. She just let Gina pull her along as if she hadn’t noticed anything wrong at all.
Before the woman could catch up, the little truck was already rumbling off.
AD
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