Chapter 3

My breath caught in my throat. I had repeatedly warned my family not to come anywhere near the psychiatric hospital.

The only thing I could do was turn away and blend into the crowd.

Rachel stood at the hospital entrance with a selfie stick, livestreaming to her followers.

"I'm a single mother, but I've never given up on life. I'm honored that the videos I've worked so hard to create have been so well received.

"I came to the psychiatric hospital today mainly to do some charity work and give back to the community.

"And there's someone else I'd like to thank—my sister-in-law. She's the female lead of the AI drama and works here as an orderly."

I froze.

Cold sweat soaked through my back as I prayed Rachel wouldn't accidentally ruin everything.

Shirley immediately jumped in.

"Why bring her up? She's just a buzzkill. Everything you've achieved came from your own hard work, Rachel."

Daniel heard the commotion and came over.

Rachel eagerly stepped forward to greet him.

"Dr. Warren, I'm here to make a donation to the hospital."

Daniel shook her hand and thanked her. After asking her to end the livestream, he invited them to his office to discuss the donation in private.

As Rachel passed through the crowd, she spotted me instantly.

"Anna!"

I didn't dare turn around.

My fingers tightened around the signal transmitter until my knuckles turned white.

I could feel Daniel's gaze pinning me in place through the sea of people.

Rachel leaned toward Shirley and whispered, "Mom, doesn't Anna work here as an orderly?"

A smile remained on Daniel's face as he casually asked, "Isn't your sister-in-law the female lead from that drama? I think her name was Anna Hall."

Rachel eagerly moved closer to him and began chatting away.

"That's right. She works right here at your hospital."

"The forty thousand dollars we're donating today is actually on her behalf. We were hoping she'd be here to witness it.

"My sister-in-law is the hardest worker you'll ever meet. If there's any dirty work nobody wants to do, you can always count on her."

Daniel's smile deepened with meaning.

"Of course," he said without hesitation.

I listened to Rachel's little scheme and trembled with anger.

I wanted nothing more than to walk over and slap some sense into her.

Just then, the transmitter in my hand vibrated twice.

I immediately understood the signal.

The operation was beginning.

I quickly put on my earpiece and slipped away from the crowd.

"Police! Nobody move!"

Almost the instant the command rang out, the seemingly ordinary pedestrians around us sprang into action.

Undercover officers closed in from every direction.

The psychiatric hospital erupted into chaos.

Patients and staff scattered in every direction, scrambling to escape.

Amid the confusion, Daniel suddenly grabbed Rachel before she could react and pressed a sharp knife against her throat.

I took advantage of the distraction and led the officers assigned to support me down to the basement.

There, we successfully rescued the seven children and five women who were about to be trafficked.

After that, I rushed to the archives room and uncovered years' worth of trafficking records.

When I handed the evidence over to the task force commander, I saw that Rachel was terrified out of her mind, her face drained of all color.

Rachel noticed the way I interacted with the police and immediately pointed at me with a trembling finger.

"She knows the police! She's the one who called them!"

Shirley burst into tears and screamed, "Please let Rachel go! Anna, do something! Trade places with her!"

"Don't come any closer!" Daniel shouted.

"One more step and I'll kill her!"

Daniel and the attending physician held Rachel hostage as they backed toward a deserted alley behind the hospital.

With a hostage's life at risk, the police had no choice but to temporarily give ground.

When they reached the mouth of the alley, Daniel turned toward me and flashed a sinister smile.

Then he dragged the scalpel across Rachel's neck.

Rachel was kicked violently toward us.

Blood poured from the wound on her neck.

That brief moment of chaos was all Daniel and the attending physician needed. The two ringleaders behind the entire operation turned and fled.