Henry's only talent was in deception and manipulation. He could get things done in a snap by bribing those driven by greed."Make sure they obey your commands. If Ivy tries anything on me later, make sure they treat her the same way!" Sage's voice was cold and resolute.Henry, who also harbored deep resentment toward Ivy, readily agreed upon hearing her words. "No problem. I'll be the first one to act when the time comes!"Henry was also inhumane and unscrupulous. How could he even entertain such thoughts about Ivy, his distant cousin? But there was no time to dwell on this now.Sage suppressed her disgust. "Quick, get the self-defense weapon from my bag." Ivy's next move was unpredictable. So, even though a few of them outside had been bribed, Sage couldn't afford to let her guard down.Henry was worried Ivy would arrive soon, so he loosened the ropes restraining Sage and handed her the weapon. Before leaving, he cautioned Sage, "You're on your own now. If things go wrong lat
Ivy said," Sage, did you know that people can be sold like livestock here? If luck is on your side, you might end up in the red-light district. Given your figure and looks, you could serve some clients once you shed your pride."Ivy spoke casually. It was as if she were discussing the sale of pets. "But if luck isn't in your favor, you could end up with severed limbs or losing some organs. Who knows, you might become a beggar or a plaything. It all depends on your fate."Sage felt a chill run down her spine as Ivy's words sank in. Her tone was gentle and cheerful. Goosebumps rose on Sage's arms involuntarily."Are you out of your mind? Do you think you can just walk away if something happens to me?""Hmph." Ivy let out a cold laugh as she held an iron rod in her hand. She extended it and pressed it against Sage's slender neck. "Sage, you mentioned Ian earlier. Did you think that he can save you?"The icy touch of the iron rod made Sage quiver involuntarily.Satisfied, Ivy smi
Ivy was boiling with anger. Just when she was about to take another swing at Sage, Henry ran into the room after hearing the commotion. "Didn't I ask you to do a search before tying her up? How was she able to free herself?" Ivy questioned Henry in a frigid tone. The viciousness on Ivy's face made Henry shudder. Immediately, he expressed his loyalty by explaining, "I did search her, Ivy!" He took a quick glance at the blade in Sage's hand. It was only about the length of a finger. He continued, "She might have been holding it in her hands all along, even while she was unconscious. So, I might have overlooked it."I'm guessing that she cut herself free from the ropes with the blade too. I'll tie her up this instant, Ivy. I'll make sure that she's bound properly this time!" Henry hurriedly said as he reached out for the ropes. "No need for that!" Ivy shouted. "What's wrong, Ivy?" Ivy put the iron rod aside. A smile spread across her frigid face. "Have you all had the beer fr
The few men beside them were aroused further by this scene. They quickly joined in. Soon enough, the rag in Ivy's mouth was pulled away. But, before she could make any sound, a different kind of filth was being stuffed down her throat. The warehouse was soon filled with the men's sounds of pleasure and forced groans coming from Ivy. Only a couple of minutes had passed. Sage hid herself in the corner as she held onto the iron rod and mobile phone that Henry had kicked to the ground. Her heart was still pounding. She couldn't calm herself down. She watched as the men tormented Ivy in every way possible. If she hadn't convinced Henry to bribe these few people, she would have been in Ivy's position! Ivy didn't deserve any pity. But Sage didn't dare to let her guard down either. She had paid off the men in the room. Even so, lust did not discriminate. She would never know if they would end up diverting their attention toward her. Ivy's men were also standing guard outside. S
Having read the room, Sage didn't budge. She repeated herself, informing the men that she had money and that she could offer them a higher payment. "Why should I believe that you have money just because you said so?" Then, a middle-aged man with an undercut walked over from the parking lot. His outfit made him look like a big shot. The two men with the batons nodded politely at him. They addressed him as "Mr. Tony" in a flattering manner. Tony Andretti looked Sage up and down. In Elstinian, he said, "Pretty women like you cannot be trusted with their words." He studied Sage with a gleam in his eyes. "Not unless you can whip out tens of billions this instant," he added avariciously. Naturally, Sage wasn't able to offer that amount. Even if she had cards or cash on hand, they wouldn't be enough to satisfy him. A muffled cry came from the warehouse. Ivy had probably heard Tony's voice from inside and tried to cry out for help. Tony took a quick glance through the doors, be
Sage, shocked by the two figures who charged at her, stumbled aside. However, she had nowhere to escape to as she was in front of the wall.Still, she would give the two men a run for their money, even if she was beaten up in the end. Before the batons fell on her, she screamed with her eyes shut and attacked them with pepper spray."Ouch!""Stop it!"The two men screamed at the same time. She also heard a stern chiding from Ian.Although one of the men missed the mark, Sage still felt a blow to her shoulder. After struggling to open her eyes due to the pain, she found Ian standing by the door.Clad in a suit, he seemed to have arrived in haste. There was a worried look etched on his face. Beside him stood a few men in black who looked combat-trained and a few local cops.When the police barged into the place, the two men who attacked Sage scurried away while covering their eyes. The men who were on top of Ivy noticed something amiss and picked up their weapons instinctively.
Meanwhile, Sage's cheeks were flushed from the suffocation. She had a vacant look, perhaps from fear or a reaction to Tony's words just now.Ian felt sorry and worried for her. He stated, "I'm not fooling you. Release her, and I'll give you anything you want!"Tony merely guffawed at the offer. "I don't believe a word from you Elstians! If I release her, you'll have me arrested right away. Even if I die, I'll drag her along!""How about you take me hostage instead?" Ian offered."You are tall and muscular, and I can tell you're good at fighting. Do you take me as a fool? Why would I swap my hostage with you?"Ian then made another suggestion. "We'll not stop you. You can head to your car. You can leave any time if you don't hurt her." After that, he motioned for everyone present to step away and make way for Tony and his gang to leave.Tony dragged Sage with him until he was out of the warehouse. Although the police were equipped with guns, they could not make a move for the ho
A look of surprise flashed across Tiana's eyes when Sage inquired about Shane but not Ian.Observing the fear etched on Sage's face, Tiana chose not to tease her about it and answered, "Shane must be doing some health checkups. I'm not sure about the details of his injuries, but his life is not in danger."Sage let out a sigh of relief. She would never forgive herself if anything happened to Shane."Take your medicine. You can visit him in his room later." Tiana helped Sage to lie down and gave her the medicine. Then, she informed Sage that Tony had fed her a potent drug similar to a sedative, which placed the recipient in a deep sleep. That was why Sage had slept for 10 hours.Sage woke up a few times during her long slumber, but she was unconscious and therefore had no memory of it.Sage fretted, "It's not addictive, is it?""No, it's not. But you'll suffer from some long-term effects. You'll also feel unwell in the short term." Tiana felt sorry for Sage. "By the way, you nee