bChapter /bb45 /b

Groggy and disoriented, Ste slowly pried her heavy eyelids open. Though her body felt leaden, she could faintly make out voices bnearby/bb. /b

Henry asked, “Are you sure her blood is usable?”

A man replied, “Absolutely. Rx, we’ve already run the tests. Her blood’s perfectlypatible”

Henry said coolly, “Good.”

The man said, “Henry, you’re truly something. Always able to find a fresh supply for your precious first love, aren’t you?”

Henry said, “Don’t me me. Those families are just too greedy—throw some money at them and they’ll happily hand over their daughters Especially the first two girls. Although they’re dead, their families got their payoff; they won’t make a fuss.”

The man said, “This one’s different from thest two. I doubt she can survive more than a couple of blood draws.”

Henry sneered, “Draw as much blood as she can take. It’s not like I paid a fortune for her anyway. When she dies, her family won’t see another bcent /bbfrom /b

me.”

The man eximed, “You go all out for your precious first love, don’t you?”

Henry said, “Of course. If she hadn’t saved me back then, I wouldn’t be where I am today. No matter what it takes, I will bring her back. I’ll make sure bshe /bwakes up. We’re going to experience this world together.”

Just then, a voice called out, “Henry, is sheing to?”

Henry scoffed, “Impossible. Didn’t we increase the sedative dose? Hurry up and draw her blood. By the time she wakes up, she won’t remember a bthing/b.”

A man eximed in surprise, “She seems to be waking up.”

Henry nced over and saw that Ste’s eyes were already wide open. He reached out and waved his hand in front of her face. But she remained still.

Henry said, “She must still be out. Look, her eyes aren’t even blinking.”

All eyes turned to Ste. Seeing that she stared unblinkingly at Henry with such terrifying intensity, a cold dread settled in everyone’s heart.

Henry felt uneasy; he barked, “Draw it now.”

A doctor approached, syringe in hand, ready to draw Ste’s blood.

Just then, Ste’s eyes flickered slightly. She hadn’t moved before because her body simply wouldn’t respond. Maybe it was because of the blood draw, but now she was slowly regaining movement. She struggled to sit up.

The doctor shouted, “She’s trying to get up.”

Dozens of hands lunged at Ste, pinning her down in/unison.

Ste struggled weakly, but her bodycked the strength to break free. With thest of her strength, she forced out a hoarse shout, “Let me go. Let me gob, /ball of you.”

Henry nced at the doctor and asked, “How much more?”

The doctor replied, “At least two more vials.”

Henry said, “Okay.”

Ste red daggers at Henry. Her voice shook with brage /bbas /bbshe /bsaid, “I always knew you had ulterior bmotives /bfor bfinding /bbme/bb, /bbbut /bbto /bbuse /bme bas /bba /bbbloo /b

b1/3 /b

b10.56 /bbThu /bb31 /bJuly a

supply for your precious first love? Henry, you’re a monster”

Henry sneered, “Consider it a privilege to be my first love’s blood supply. I’ve already paid your family. Nobody’s losing out here?

“Let me go!” Ste screamed.

Henry said coldly, “Two more vials to go.”

Ste red at Henry and shouted, “Are you trying to kill me? Right, my life or death means nothing to you. You’ll just find another bvictim/b.

“But mark my words: your evil deeds will catch up with you, and you’ll die a wretched death for it.”

Henry pped Ste’s cheek hard, and he snarled, “Shut your damn mouth!”

Ste still red daggers at him. Her limbs were pinned down by multiple hands. Already drained of strength, she stood no chance against them.

Her blood was already a luxury she could ill afford; she was so depleted that she hadn’t even had her period in the past year. She always knew people in this world were cruel, but she never imagined they could be this monstrous.

Ste had no idea how much blood they’d taken. Her head spun, the room tilting around her, and she felt she could ck out any second

Just then, Henry dered, “She knows too much now. We can’t let her leave. Lock her up here.”

A man asked, “What about her family?”

Henry scoffed, “Don’t bother with them. They couldn’t care less if she lives or dies. All they want is money.”

The man replied, “Got it.”

Several hands grabbed at Ste, hauling her off the bed to lock her up in this very room.

Ste could already see what wasing–locked up here, well–fed andfortable, just a blood supply whenever they needed. She knew that it couldn’t be any better than what she had gone through in that small town.

With a sudden burst of strength from deep within, Ste violently shoved her captors away.

Everyone froze in shock.

Ste, without a second thought, bolted for the door.

Henry roared, “Catch her. Don’t let her get away, no matter what.”

Ste couldn’t outrun them. Then she suddenly remembered her phone. She snatched up her phone, about to call 911b, /bwhen Jordan’s name suddenly shed ion /ithe screen. Without a second thought, she answered immediately.

“Jordan!” Ste gasped.

Jordan asked, “Where are iyou/i?”

Ste replied, “Crescent Vi, Help me.”

Ste knew Jordan was just an online acquaintance. Though they’d built a profitable partnership, she had no idea if he’de to her brescue/b. bBut /bbshe /bhad no hope left.

bAll /bbat /bonceb, /bSte’s legs gave way, and she copsed to the floor.

Several figures closed in.

Henry bent down, picked up Ste’s phone, and bgave /bbit /bba /bquick, appraising nce. bHe /basked, b“/bbLatest /bbmodel/bb? /bbWho /bbbought /bbyou /bbthis/bb?/bbh /b

b2/3 /b

10:56 bThu/bb, /b31 Jy

Ste red at him with burning hatred. Her voice trembled with defiance as she said, “Henry, your sick scheme won’t bwork/bb. /bSomeone’sing bto /bsave me, any minute now.”

Henry sneered, “Save you? Your parents couldn’t wait to dump you here. Who’d even bothering for iyou/i? If anyone bcared/bb, /bbyou /bbwouldn’t /bbhave /bhad to escape that small town all by yourselfst time.

“You’re not seriously expecting Eleanor toe save you, are you? From the very beginning, they’ve never told her the btruth /babout meb, /bbnor /bbwill /bbthey /bso tell me, how exactly is she supposed to rescue you?”

Ste thought bitterly, ‘Right. No one’sing to save me. This time, I have no hope.‘

Henry barked, “Haul her back and keep her under tight watch.”

One of Henry’s men stepped forward, handing him a whip. The man said, “I think you should teach her a harsh lesson, so she doesn’t even think babout /brunning again.”

Henry understood the implication. He nced at the whip, a cold smile curling on his lips. He said, “Good idea. She’s far too defiant. It’s time she bgot /bsome proper discipline.”

The whip cracked across Ste’s skin, inflicting the same searing pain she’d felt thest time Andrew hadshed her with his belt.

She thought, ‘They say everyone born into this world must go through all kinds of suffering. But isn’t life being far too unfair to bme/b? What on earth bdid/bb! /bdo in a previous life to deserve all this?

‘If I’d known things would turn out like this, maybe I should’ve just died back in that small town. Wouldn’t that have spared me all this torment?”

Eachsh burned into her skin, instantly dragging Ste back to those brutal beatings she endured whenever she disobeyed after first being sold off bto /bMiddle–South Yaria.

She didn’t dare fight back. She knew resistance was futile. Still, she had to look for a chance to escape. She thought, ‘Would Jordan even risking for me? Probably not.

‘What connection do we even have that would make him risking to save me?‘

Deeming the punishment sufficienti, /iHenry passed the whip to a subordinate, He ordered, “Lock her up. Make sure she doesn’t escape. And no food unless I say yes.”