CHAPTER 51: CHAPTER 51: TORTURING SOPHIE UNTIL EVEN HER MOTHER CAN’T RECOGNIZE HER

The next morning.

Ivy Summers was still haunted by yesterday’s events, anxiously sending the children to school.

Ella Morgan noticed Ivy Summers didn’t look well, so Ella reached out to touch her forehead.

Sure enough, it was burning hot.

"Do you have a fever?"

Ivy Summers touched her own face and took a bottle of mineral water from the car to drink.

"A little."

"This isn’t just a little; your forehead is hot enough to fry an egg. Let’s go to the hospital quickly."

"I’m fine. I took some fever medicine; it’ll go down soon."

Ella blinked, "How did you suddenly get sick? Could it be from the shock yesterday?"

Ivy Summers pressed her pale lips together.

Because of yesterday’s events, she had nightmares all night long.

They were all about Damien Lancaster and Rachel Shaw, chasing her and the three children with fierce looks, saying she would never see her children again.

She was so scared that she woke up several times drenched in sweat, and by the time she managed to fall back asleep, it was already daylight.

"I see. You care too much about this matter," Ella said as she started the car. "Let’s check it out at the hospital. What will happen to the kids if you collapse?"

Hearing Ella’s words, Ivy Summers stopped being stubborn.

After going to the hospital and getting the medicine, Ivy Summers finally returned home.

"Your flight’s at noon, have you packed everything?"

"I changed it to six in the evening. I’m not at ease with you like this."

Ivy Summers straightened up, "I’m okay."

"It’s already changed, so don’t argue."

Ivy Summers gently pressed her lips together, her eyes filled with gratitude, "Ella, thank you."

"Less mushy, I’m not doing it for you. It’s for my godson and goddaughter."

Ivy Summers chuckled lightly. Having taken the medicine, she felt sleepy and somewhat powerless, leaning on the sofa and slowly closing her eyes.

When Ivy Summers woke up, it was just noon.

Upon touching her forehead, the fever had somewhat subsided.

With Ella’s flight at six, Ivy Summers set off at four-thirty to send her to the airport.

Ella was still worried about her, "Ivy, are you sure you’ll be okay on your own?"

"Yes, you should go in."

Ella pressed her lips, "Okay, then I’m off. I’ll come back to see you often, or hopefully, you’ll come over soon."

"Yes, we will."

With the results of the paternity test out, Ivy Summers felt a little relieved, at least dispelling Damien Lancaster’s doubts, so he wouldn’t constantly watch her.

After seeing Ella go in, Ivy Summers turned and got into the car. Just then, a phone call came in; Ivy Summers saw it was a call from the school.

The pickup time was five-thirty. It was only five; it wasn’t time yet. Why was the teacher calling her?

Ivy Summers answered the phone suspiciously, "Hello, teacher, yes, I’m Sophie’s mother, what’s happening?"

"What? Sophie is missing?"

The teacher hurriedly explained a lot, but Ivy Summers still couldn’t make out how Sophie disappeared.

Without time to ask more, Ivy Summers got in the car to head to the school.

Ella quickly came out with her phone, getting in the car, "Hurry to the school."

Seeing Ella holding her phone, just hanging up, the school must have reached out to Ella too.

Just as Ivy Summers was about to say something, Ella quickly said, "It doesn’t matter whether I go or not, finding the child is more important."

In this emergency, Ivy Summers didn’t say more, starting the car immediately.

The teacher searched all over the school.

No one was found.

The teacher was already going crazy with worry.

Half an hour ago, Sophie had just finished going to the bathroom and was about to return to class when a voice called from behind.

"Sophie."

Sophie turned her head and saw a man in a security guard outfit.

Sophie blinked, asking, "Uncle, do you need something?"

The man took a few steps towards Sophie, crouching down.

Sophie warily stepped back.

Sophie had seen the security guards at the gate and knew they didn’t look like that, plus how did he know her name?

The man smiled kindly, as if without any ill intent.

"Sophie, are you going back to class? How about I take you back?"

Sophie shook her head, "I know where my class is."

"I see, but school’s almost over. Your mom called here saying she’d pick you up early, so come wait at the gate with me."

"Mommy? You know my mommy?"

Mentioning mommy, Sophie’s eyes lit up.

Though school was good, she missed mommy.

"Of course I know her. Your mommy’s name is Ivy Summers, right?"

Sophie’s small face froze, "No."

How did he know her mommy?

Sophie had never said her mommy’s name was Ivy Summers, and her mommy wouldn’t say it either.

Realizing something was wrong, Sophie turned to run.

The man had been disguised as a security guard patrolling and observing Sophie for a while, and now, during class time, the hallway was empty. Seizing the chance, he wouldn’t let her go.

The man pulled out a pre-prepared cloth from his pocket, rushed, and grabbed Sophie, covering her mouth and nose.

"Help..."

Sophie screamed, but her voice was completely drowned out by the noise from the classroom.

Sophie thought she was done for and passed out.

The man swiftly left with Sophie, and his accomplices hidden in the shadows executed a quick departure, having succeeded.

By now, Sophie was taken to a small room.

Sophie’s head felt groggy. She was dizzy and wanted to speak but couldn’t make a sound; her eyes could only barely open to a slit.

Sophie could hear people around talking.

"Miss Shaw, how do we handle this child?"

"Ivy Summers’ kid, killing her is too easy. You specialize in this; do you have a more painful way?"

"How about selling her to remote mountainous villages..."

"No, I remember there’s a more painful one, like cutting off the tongue and breaking legs..."

The woman spoke vaguely, but the man understood, unable to help but glance at Sophie, "You want to cripple her?"

Among those who abduct children, there’s a terribly torturous method: disfigure them, cripple them, then leave them on the streets, using their pitiful state to garner sympathy and beg for money.

But this method is rare now and is usually used on unattractive children. A child like this, fair and cute, is typically sold to families lacking children for a good price.

"Yes, didn’t she help her mom harm me? I want her never to speak again. Isn’t her mom trying to lean on her to return to the Lancaster Family? I want her to stand before her mom, unrecognizable to her mom."

"All right, start working. Remember, the harsher the torment, the more money I’ll give you."