CHAPTER 161: CHAPTER 161: TALIA IN DANGER

She bit her lip and forced a calm face. "I see."

Without waiting, Talia grabbed Ivy’s suitcase naturally. "Come on, let’s go."

Ivy walked behind her silently, her head heavy. ’Silas... why would you...?’ She pushed the thought down. She decided she would take her suitcase back later, after the meeting with Talia and her fiancé.

They climbed into a military jeep. The ride was quiet, only the sound of the engine filling the air. After a while, Talia’s communicator beeped. She opened it and read the message.

"It’s from my fiancé," Talia said, frowning a little. "He will be late for ten minutes. He told us to wait at the location."

Ivy nodded, staring out the window.

Talia stole a glance at her. Her heart squeezed a little. ’Brother asked me to act this way, but... Ivy really looks hurt. She doesn’t deserve this. Still... I have to follow orders.’

Five minutes later, both of them suddenly felt strange. Ivy pressed her hand against her throat.

’The air... it feels strange. Heavy. Poison?’

Talia’s eyes widened. She looked at Ivy, and their glances met. They both knew it at once.

"Hold on!" Talia shouted and stepped harder on the gas pedal. The jeep raced down the road.

But only a few minutes later, Talia’s hands began to shake. Her grip on the wheel loosened.

"My... my arms..." Her voice trembled. Her legs too felt weak, her body slowly refusing to move.

Ivy’s own vision was spinning. ’Poison is spreading. This is... too fast...’

Talia gritted her teeth, fighting to stay awake, but her eyelids grew heavy. Just before she fainted, one last thought pierced her.

’I should not have brought Ivy... now she will suffer too...’

Darkness swallowed her.

.......

When Talia opened her eyes again, her body ached. She was tied to a chair with thick ropes that cut into her skin. The smell of oil and iron filled her nose. Looking around, she realized they were inside a garage.

Her breath caught. Men stood around them, rough and filthy, their eyes filled with bad intentions.

She turned her head. Ivy was still unconscious, her head drooping to the side.

"Ivy!" Talia whispered in panic. "Wake up... please wake up..."

But Ivy didn’t move.

Talia’s heart clenched with fear. ’No, no, no. She will face the same thing as me... we... we cannot escape.’

Her body shook as she pulled at the ropes, but the knots only dug deeper into her skin.

One of the men laughed, his voice ugly. He had a pot belly and a scar running from his eye to his ear. He leaned closer, grinning.

"Don’t bother. You can struggle all you want, girl, but you won’t break free."

Talia’s face twisted with anger. "If you are truly men, then untie me and fight fair!"

The group burst into laughter.

"Hah! Did you hear her? She wants us to prove we’re men!"

Scarface chuckled, licking his lips. "Don’t worry, girl. We’ll prove it. Just not the way you want."

Talia’s stomach turned. Her chest burned with rage and fear. "You disgusting cowards!"

Her voice echoed in the garage, but the men only laughed louder.

She turned her head desperately toward Ivy again. Ivy still had not woken up.

’Ivy... please... you have to wake up. If you don’t... if you stay like this... they will...’

Her heart raced so hard she thought it would break.

Scarface crouched down, staring into her eyes. "You know, I like fiery ones like you. The fight in your eyes makes it even better."

Talia spat at him. The spit landed on his cheek.

For a moment, silence fell. Then the man’s smile twisted into anger. He wiped his cheek slowly, his eyes sharp like knives.

"You’ll regret that, girl."

He raised his hand.

Talia squeezed her eyes shut. Her whole body trembled. ’No... no... I should not have dragged Ivy here... this is my fault...’

At that moment, Ivy stirred slightly, letting out a faint groan.

Talia’s eyes snapped open. Her heart leaped. "Ivy! Please, wake up! We need you!"

But Ivy’s head only moved a little. Her lips parted, whispering something too soft to hear.

Scarface sneered and reached for Talia’s face. "Forget her. She won’t wake up in time. Tonight, it’s just you and us."

The other men laughed again, their voices echoing in the dim garage.

Talia’s eyes filled with tears, but she glared at them anyway. "You will regret this. You animals will pay!"

The men smirked as they pulled out black cameras from their bags. One by one, they set them up on tripods, pointing the lenses toward Talia. The sound of clicks echoed in the garage.

Scarface laughed loudly. "This way we’ll never forget tonight. A beautiful memory, right boys?"

The others cheered and nodded, clapping each other’s shoulders.

Talia’s stomach turned cold. She wanted to scream, but her throat felt tight. She could only glare at them with hate burning in her eyes.

’So this is it? They want to record everything? Monsters... disgusting monsters...’

One man whistled as he adjusted the angle of a camera. "Smile for us, sweetheart. We’ll make you famous."

The group laughed again.

Talia bit her lip until she tasted blood. She wanted to shout that she recognized the strange marks on their arms, but she held back.

’I know who they are. Black Cultures... so it was them all along. And if I say anything... they will kill me without hesitation. And if I tell them I know about my fiancé’s betrayal, they will silence me for sure. No. I have to endure. Just endure...’

Her fists clenched as she stayed quiet.

Scarface leaned close, brushing her cheek with his filthy fingers. "You’re fiery, but soon you’ll cry like the rest. Don’t worry, we’ll make it fun."

Talia turned her head away in disgust.

More men circled around her, some leaning closer, their rotten breath making her gag. One of them pressed his lips to her hair. Another laughed as he blew into her ear.