Harrison fixed his gaze on Claire, determined not to miss a single flicker of emotion on her face. He was eager to witness her fear and dread as she stood on the brink of being ravaged. But to his surprise, her expression was nothing like he expected. There was no fear, not even a hint of panic.

“What’s going on?” Claire glanced around, genuinely puzzled. She thought, “What exactly is Crimson Lane? Why has Harrison brought me here?”

“Ah, so you really don’t know where you are? Perfect.” Harrison sneered, a dark amusement creeping into his voice. He realized then that Claire was completely unaware of the place’s reputation. “Let’s give her the grand tour of this lovely neighborhood.”

He thought to himself, “That’s right. She grew up in the Prescott family, spoiled rotten. Everyone in the Prescott family protected her so well that she never had to endure a single hardship. How could she possibly know about a place like this?”

As for her leaving the Prescott family—no! She was exposed as not being a true Prescott member, and later she killed Anna. She was sent straight to prison after that. She never had a chance to experience the real world or face its evil. Yes, she endured a lot of suffering in prison. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have become so restrained. But you can’t change a leopard’s spots.

Claire’s current demeanor is definitely related to the torment in prison, but it’s more about hiding her true nature, playing the victim to gain sympathy. After all, it worked on Frederick, didn’t it? There’s a natural, subtle dynamic between men and women. Claire might be able to manipulate Frederick, but she won’t get to me. We grew up together, so there’s no way that kind of delicate chemistry can exist between us. She won’t get a single ounce of pity or sympathy from me. I want her to suffer to avenge Anna. Since Claire has no idea what kind of place Crimson Lane is, it makes it all the more interesting.

I’m looking forward to seeing how terrified and trembling she’ll be when she realizes the hell she’s about to step into, where life is unbearable and death is impossible.”

At that moment, one of Harrison’s men, having received a nod of approval, began to explain the grim reality of Crimson Lane.

“Ms. Prescott, welcome to Crimson Lane. On the surface, it looks like just a few ordinary alleys cobbled together. Those unfamiliar with this place might think the name comes from the red paint on the buildings. But in truth, it’s about women—red symbolizes both blood and the first night of women. Here, countless women engage in their first transactions every single day. But if you think this is merely a brothel, you couldn’t be more mistaken. This place is also known as the hell for women in Kingstown. No woman has ever left here alive. To be precise, no woman has ever walked out unscathed; even the corpses that emerge are mangled and unrecognizable…”

Harrison’s accomplice meticulously detailed every horrific aspect of Crimson Lane to Claire, painting a vivid picture of the nightmare that awaited her. After hearing all of this, Claire’s face drained of color, leaving her utterly pale. It felt as though all the blood in her body had surged up to her chest, pooling there and stopping its flow entirely.

“You… you’re going to throw me in here?” Claire stammered, her lips trembling as she struggled to form the words. She stared at Harrison in disbelief, feeling as if she might be trapped in a nightmare. This was the same man who had doted on her for over twenty years, her brother, her protector. Memories flooded her mind—his warm voice, his gentle teasing.

“Clai, slow down! Don’t fall! Are you hurt? Let me see!” “Little pumpkin, how can you be so careless? What will you do when I’m not around?” “Clai, you know, sometimes I think it wouldn’t be so bad if you never got married and stayed by my side forever. I really worry that this little princess I’ve held in my hands might get hurt by some other man one day.”

Claire thought back to those moments, wondering how he could have changed so drastically. He had loved her so fiercely, even after discovering she wasn’t his biological sister. She mused, “Do all those years of affection mean nothing?”

Suddenly, Claire felt a wave of self-mockery wash over her. She thought, “How ridiculous of me. How could I still cling to any hope at this moment? After all, he was the one who condemned me to this fate. Haven’t I realized by now what kind of torment Harrison is capable of inflicting?”

Yet, despite all her imaginings of death and despair, Claire never anticipated it would end like this. In that instant, Claire felt utterly drained, as if all her life force had been siphoned away. Claire had fought so hard to survive Frederick’s relentless torment, only to find that a single, careless remark from Harrison could plunge her into a fate worse than death.

She thought, “Ah, how wonderful! Just perfect! Well, I guess this is it. Claire, at this point, what are you still fighting for? Just accept your fate.”