Devin saw that Sophie still wasn’t eating, so he stopped putting food on her te and started feeding her by hand, rough and impatient.


    “Is it wrong for me to make you eat? Hurry up!” he shouted.


    Sophie sat there like a puppet, letting him shove food into her mouth, only chewing a little now and then.


    Devin lost interest in her and turned to Olivia. “This your girl?” he asked Donald.


    “Yeah.” Donald tossed a peanut into his mouth and asked out of nowhere, “Pretty, huh?”


    Devin picked up his ss and nodded again and again. “Pretty. Real pretty.”


    Olivia didn’t say a word. Her hand slipped, and the drink in her ss spilled right onto Sophie’s clothes.


    “Oops, my bad,” Olivia said, pretending it was an ident.


    Devin looked unhappy.


    “It’s fine, I’ll take her to get cleaned up,” Gina said quickly. “Olivia didn’t mean it.”


    She got up to pull Sophie along, but Olivia stopped her.


    “I’ll take her.” Olivia stood, her eyes wide and meek. She added softly, “It’s my fault, after all.”


    Gina hesitated. “But-”


    “I need the restroom anyway.” Olivia narrowed her pretty eyes, looking downcast.


    Seeing her so docile, Gina rxed. She saw Devin nod, then said, “Alright, you go with her.”


    Olivia helped Sophie up, and they walked out side by side. When they were far enough away, Devin, Donald, and Gina kept drinking.


    “How could you let her go? If she slips up, we’re done,” Donald said, worried.


    “Rx. Sophie’s not in her right mind, or I wouldn’t have brought her out,” Devin said, taking a drag on his cigarette and shing his yellow teeth. “If she doesn’t listen, I’ll beat her until she does.


    “As long as the baby doesn’t get hurt, it’s fine.”


    “Even so, be careful,” Gina said, taking a bite. “Do you know if it’s a boy or girl?”


    Devin flicked his ash and shook his head. “Won’t know till five months in. But this time I ordered triplets. If it works, I’ll get three sons at once.”


    11:50 pm


    Donald asked dumbly, “What if they’re girls?”


    Gina shot him a re.


    55 vouchers


    “Girls? I’ll toss them,” Devin said like it was nothing. “Then I’ll have Sophie get pregnant again in a few months.”


    Donald nodded. “That’s what women are for–having kids.”


    “But I gotta say, this chick Nydia found is real pretty, and she looks obedient. I’m happy with her,” Devin said with a smirk.


    “As long as you’re happy. About the money-” Gina’s eyes gleamed with greed.


    “Don’t worry, you’ll get your share,” Devin said, crushing out his cigarette with a hard look. “But that bloodhound who’d been tailing us–keep an eye on him. I don’t want trouble.”


    At the mention of the man, Donald grew cautious and nodded.


    He didn’t know where the guy came from, but he’d followed them all the way to Magnolia Town, saying he’d bring them to justice. Donald thought the man must have a death wish.


    “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing,” Donald said, mming the table. “Looks like he’s a cop- smart and good with his hands. If it weren’t for our numbers, he might’ve pulled it off.


    “He even tried to take Sophie? Once you’re in Magnolia Town, you’re not getting out!”


    Devin lowered his voice. “Still, keep your guard up. Watch him close, and make sure nothing leaks.”


    The three went back <i>to </i>chatting idly, the mood warm and easy.


    Olivia took Sophie to the third–floor restroom. Sophie wanted to talk to her, but there were cameras all over the building, <i>so </i>she didn’t dare say a word.


    She could only squeeze Olivia’s hand again and again, trying to send her a signal. But Olivia just looked at her with a faint smile, as if she didn’t get the hint.


    Does she really not understand?‘ Sophie thought anxiously.


    Watching the two on the monitors, the three downstairs looked pleased.


    “Told you it was fine to let them go,” Devin said smugly, taking a bite. “No one gets away under my


    nose.”


    Ginaughed along. “Yeah, this girl’s way easier to fool than Nydia said.”


    “In the end, it’s just that Nydia’s young and scared of everyone,” Donald said.


    But once Olivia stepped into the restroom, her look changed. Her eyes grew sharp and calcting.


    11:50 pm


    55 vouchers


    She slowly pulled a detector from her bag and swept the room. After making sure there were no cameras, she put it away and gave Sophie a smile.


    “Still ying dumb?” Olivia’s tone was calm, her voice steady. She stood tall, strong, and sure.


    “You? You’re- Sophie stared at her in disbelief, then lowered her voice so no one could hear. “Are you with the police?”


    Olivia shook her head but kept working. She put on a pair of ck stud earrings and synced them with Bluetooth. In seconds, her watch showed full signal.


    “Who are you?” Sophie asked, stunned by what she was seeing.


    When she finished, Olivia opened a virtual screen, logged into the hottest streaming tform, and signed into her ount.


    On the screen, the ID “Mystic Healer” appeared. Her followers had already climbed to five million.


    Olivia lowered her gaze, a faint smile ying at her lips.


    It seemed that Andrew was smart enough to get her hint. With this fanbase in ce, what she had to do next would be much easier.


    “I’m in a hurry. Tell me your situation, short and simple,” Olivia said as she adjusted her gear.


    Sophie hesitated. She was afraid Olivia might be working for the human traffickers, so she stammered. “You…”


    “If you want out, trust me.” Olivia’s voice was low and firm, enough to calm anyone’s nerves.


    At that, Sophie let out a long sigh. Her voice shook a little. “My name’s Sophie Reed. I’m neen. I’m a sophomore inw at Kingtonelle University.


    “A <i>year </i>ago, I was kidnapped on my way out. When I woke up, I was in an unfamiliar operating


    room.


    Her eyes glistened with tears. “They tied me to a bed, hooked me up to an IV, and imnted embryos in me without ever asking if I agreed.


    “They forced me to sign a consent form and promised to give me 30 thousand dors after it was done. But I don’t need the money. I just want to go home.”


    Olivia’s eyes widened. She stayed silent, shocked that the Evans family was secretly running illegal surrogacy.


    Sophie went on. The first imntation failed, so they gave me drugs to end the pregnancy. Not long after, they tried a second imntation. It worked, but when they found out the baby wasn’t a boy, they forced me to end it again…”