Semua Bab Nine Ungrateful Sisters: Bab 211 - Bab 220

"Perfect." Irene gave a satisfied nod. "Then we're set. I'll transfer the money now. Split it however you want."The five men broke into wide grins.Irene caught the look on their faces and added one last warning before she left. "And just so we're clear, if you take the money and do nothing, the Chamberlains have ways of making that very uncomfortable for you."All five of them thumped their chests in assurance. "Relax, Miss Irene. Consider it done."Irene turned and walked back. By the time she returned to where Giana was waiting, the station had nearly emptied. Giana stood alone in the middle of the hall, growing increasingly self-conscious under the curious stares of the station staff. She had never handled attention from strangers well, and standing there with nowhere to look only made it worse."What took you so long in there?" The moment Irene appeared, she latched onto the question just to give herself something to do."I told you, my stomach was hurting. It's fine now.

At first, Oscar had no idea what to do with a camera pointed at him. He rarely took photos, and something about facing a lens made him stiff. The first few shots Rebecca took had her doubled over with laughter as she held up the phone for him to see.The man in those pictures looked nothing like the Oscar she knew. He was tense, awkward, vaguely alarmed. She had never seen that expression on his face before, and she intended to enjoy it for as long as possible.Oscar had no defense for himself. Still, he picked it up quickly.Within a few stops, Rebecca was staring at the screen in disbelief. "Bro, how are you this good-looking?"Once he relaxed, the camera seemed incapable of taking a bad picture of him. Every angle worked. He looked like he belonged in photographs.A few women on the trail noticed too, and the bolder ones actually came over to ask for his number.He turned every one of them down politely and without hesitation.Then it was his turn. He took Rebecca's phone and

Irene had been in the wrong first. She could be willful and sharp-tongued, but Amara had raised her well enough for her to recognize right from wrong when it stood plainly in front of her. Thus, she followed.By the time they reached the top, her legs burned. More than once, her gaze drifted to her backpack, tempted to pull out something to eat, but she stopped herself every time. She was being penalized. People serving penalties didn't sit down for snacks.The trail led them to a small peak beside Luminos Summit. From there, she could look up and make out the silhouettes of hikers moving along the summit trail above. Reaching it from there, however, was an entirely different matter. The two peaks appeared close from this angle, but the actual distance between them meant hours of hiking.At the top of the smaller peak stood a visitor services building, or what had once been one. The paint on the outer walls had long since faded, and the entire structure carried the neglected look of

All Giana could do was watch as they carried her down Kanzeon Summit and started along the trail toward a peak marked on the signs as closed for ecological recovery.'It's over. I'm done for.' She made herself a silent promise. 'If any of these men lay a hand on me, I will spend whatever remains of my life making sure Amara hunts them down. No matter the cost!'That was all her mind had left to hold onto. The rest of her refused to respond.Time passed in blurred fragments while the drug kept her under. Then the men stopped."So guys, how about this place?"They had reached a peak near Kanzeon Summit.Giana tilted her head back and looked up. She could still see the other summit above her, crowded with the small figures of hikers moving along the trail.She should have been up there.She had picked the wrong week to leave the house. She should have stayed at her desk and suffered through her writer's block in peace. At least, that was a problem she could solve. This was somethi

Giana's sisters had all said the same thing after Oscar left: he had changed. He was not the person they remembered.Giana had never believed them. A person's nature ran too deep to change that completely. She trusted what she had seen with her own eyes. Thus, it wasn't Oscar.That left Rebecca, the CEO of the Draconia Group, a woman with both the resources and a clear motive. Everything made sense now."It was a young woman, wasn't it? Around 18 years old?" Giana looked at them steadily. "Whatever she paid you, I'll double it. And I want to go down this mountain right now."The men exchanged glances. Surprise flashed across their faces, the kind that came from being caught off guard.Giana grew more certain. "That expression tells me I'm right. Let me make this clear. I'm from the Chamberlain family in Silverton. You don't want to make enemies of us. Take me down, and I'll go straight to whoever sent you. You won't be my problem."She let the rest hang unfinished, just as she ha