Chapter 2

When Sophie regained consciousness, she found herself tied up in the back seat of a car. The air inside was suffocating, and the cramped space around her felt like a prison.

The drug still hadn't worn off, leaving her too weak to fight back. Her arms had been twisted behind her, and the ropes binding her wrists dug into her skin like tiny saw blades.

"Please, just let me go! You're going to regret this!" Sophie begged.

Turning toward Yale in the driver's seat, she pleaded, "I'll give you anything you want. Please, Yale, just let me go. We used to be a couple. Doesn't that mean anything to you? I'm begging you. You'll regret it!"

There was no trace of the affection Yale had once shown her. His expression was cold and resolute, his eyes as empty and unforgiving as a bottomless pit of ice.

"Regret it?" Yvette scoffed, turning around with a smug, malicious smile. "Have you lost your mind? What could we possibly regret? Once you're dead, everything your family owns will belong to Yale, and the two of us can finally run away together!"

Her smile widened.

"And you? You can rot in that hellhole until you're a disgusting, half-dead wreck. There won't be a shred of humanity left in you!"

Sophie sighed and curled up in the back seat.

The farther they drove, the more familiar the scenery outside became. Despair washed over her in relentless waves as painful memories came flooding back.

The man who haunted those memories was a demon straight from the depths of hell.

His hands were stained with the blood of countless victims, every death another testament to his cruelty. Killing came as naturally to him as breathing, and innocent lives meant no more to him than insects.

Sophie had spent five years by his side. Throughout that time, his eyes had remained as cold as ever, utterly devoid of feeling despite all the death he had witnessed.

Every fireworks display in northern Manchernius had been paid for with human lives. Behind the dazzling bursts of color lay countless deaths, shattered families, and endless grief.

Whenever the fireworks lit up the sky, Gavin Lawson would hold Sophie in his arms and admire his handiwork with her.

Even now, she could hear his voice in her head, whispering like a demon.

"Soph, don't ever be like those foolish little 'piglets' who don't know what's good for them."

"You're such a delicate little thing. It would break my heart if you got hurt."

"Be good, Soph. A girl doesn't look pretty when she's all bruised and battered."

Curled up in the back seat, Sophie looked at the two people in front who were planning to sell her and couldn't help worrying about what would happen to them.

If Gavin found out how they'd treated her, would they end up being thrown to the dogs like Sam?

"Please, let me go," she tried again. "The man who runs that compound is my childhood friend. If you take me there tied up like this, he'll kill you!"

Neither of them believed a word.

Yvette looked Sophie up and down before rolling her eyes in disgust.

"Are you insane? You expect us to believe such a ridiculous lie? The compound boss is your childhood friend? Well, I might as well tell you he's my distant cousin!"

"You're just an orphan. What childhood friend could you possibly have?" Yale added. "If you really grew up with the guy, why hasn't he come looking for you? You're obviously scared out of your mind and making things up."

Seeing that neither of them would listen to reason, Sophie wisely kept her mouth shut.

There was no saving people who were determined to get themselves killed.