A cold, damp chill and the acrid bite of dust and stale tobacco filled Lauren's senses as she struggled to open her eyelids. Reality blurred with the remnants of a nightmare.Blurry and disoriented, she felt a pair of icy hands stroking her skin."Who's there?"Lauren's eyes snapped open, bulging wide like a startled deer. As she shifted her focus, a horrifying scene unfolded before her.Freddy sat by her bedside, his cold hands creeping along her slender waist, inching their way up, touching every inch of her skin."D-Don't touch me!" she rasped, the words laced with raw fear. A surge of adrenaline fueled a frantic struggle, but her limbs met only unyielding resistance. Only then did she realize that her hands and feet were bound. Helpless and trapped, she could only watch as Freddy's hands roamed over her body, feeling the burning humiliation coursing through her veins."Don't touch?" Freddy smirked, his lips close to her ear as his hand continued to roam over her body. His

"Lauren isn't there?"Jasper and Alyssa's hearts sank at Angelina's words. "She's not here! I've combed the place, but there's no sign of her," Angelina choked out, her voice thick with emotion. Alyssa maintained her composure, speaking gently to Angelina. "Angelina, it's okay. You did your best in a difficult situation. Now, tell me everything from the beginning. Who informed you about Lauren's kidnapping and directed you to the abandoned factory in the western suburbs?""Mr. Cyrus and I were hot on the kidnappers' trail, but we were intercepted by the man who previously abducted Lauren!" Angelina recounted."It's him again!" Alyssa's heart hammered against her ribs. Lauren's enigmatic portrait, a doppelganger for Damien, taunted her memory."I was outmatched, so Cyrus decided to stall the man while I went to rescue Lauren," Angelina continued, her tone filled with frustration. "But the man had a female accomplice. "She fought me and deliberately let me stab her, severely in

Lauren's gaze locked onto Betty's hideous face, her eyes now ablaze with defiance. The lifelessness that had marred her eyes after the torture was replaced with a fierce emotion that only fueled Betty's anger further."Don't you dare look at me like that, you stupid bitch!" Betty spat, her eyes flashing with fury, eager to deliver another kick to Lauren before Zoe intervened. "That's enough. Save your anger for later," Zoe admonished Betty, halting her aggression.Mason let out a lazy yawn, breaking the tension. "Zoe, what's the point of dragging us all the way to this godforsaken place from different corners of the world? Couldn't you have chosen a more decent venue for our reunion?"Freddy shot him a cold glance. "Could you have witnessed this anywhere else? After all these years, you still sound like a spoiled brat.""Damn it, you little piece of—"Mason wanted to cuss Freddy out, but the woman in the red dress stopped him with a shake of her head.While the Hodgsons had gai

Jasper and Alyssa arrived at the abandoned factory just as Landon did.Landon stepped out of the car, his complexion pallid, his eyes emanating a chilling intensity. In the glow of the car's headlights, a menacing glint flickered in his gaze. "Where's Lauren? Does anyone have any updates?" Landon's eyes widened in desperation as he spoke, his voice cracking from the strain on his dry, cracked lips. His throat felt hoarse, each word a struggle to utter.Jasper noticed everything, feeling an unspeakable pain gripping his heart. Witnessing Landon's successive blows, he understood that despite his outward appearance, Landon was likely on the verge of an emotional collapse."Angelina has already arrived. She's tracking them, but I can't reach her when I tried calling her just now!"Alyssa whipped out her phone and gritted her teeth. "Phone signals are jammed here. The kidnappers chose this place on purpose! Motherfucking bastards!""Alyssa, stay calm. I anticipated this. Xavier has reached

Angelina lunged forward, seizing their hair in her grip. With a swift and forceful tug, she pulled back as though intent on ripping their hair from their scalps."Ouch!"Silent but lethal, Angelina exerted all her strength, yanking on the heads of these two individuals, consumed by nothing but malevolent intentions. With a resounding crack, she brought their skulls together.Zoe and Betty were instantly knocked out. They slumped to the floor in a heap.Angelina's chest rose and fell as she breathed heavily. Her chest was filled with hatred and pain.It wasn't that Angelina lacked the desire to end their lives, but for these two despicable scoundrels, she believed they deserved to face justice at the hands of Landon and Jasper themselves. That would be the only fitting conclusion for them."Madam Lauren!"Angeline knelt beside Lauren's bruised and battered body. Her bloodied hands lifted Lauren's limp torso into her shaky embrace."Angelina… Angie…" Lauren tried to muster up a smile, bu