Chapter 315:

Despite a gag of rags, Mabel refused to yield. In a desperate attempt to fight back, she jabbed the man beside her with her shoulder. This provoked a harsh response; he cruelly slapped her.

As the dizziness subsided, the stark reality of her situation became clear. She had orchestrated a similar fate for Elyse, but now she faced the same—would she be sold? This realization plunged Mabel into despair, and she wept.

Elyse, however, seethed at her involuntary involvement in Mabel's plot. Mabel's cries only intensified her irritation. In a fit of frustration, Elyse roughly bumped Mabel's head and barked, "Shut up!"

Further distressed by Elyse's harsh treatment, Mabel couldn't understand why she was being treated this way. They had been driving for about three hours in the darkness. Exhausted, Elyse and Mabel eventually fell asleep, still bound to their seats.

When Elyse awoke, they were in a new place. Darkness enveloped them, with only a sliver of moonlight filtering through a window, casting ominous shadows. A foul odor permeated the air.

Sitting up, Elyse noticed her hands were free, but a chain clanked around her ankle, securely fastened to a heavy iron pipe. She tugged at it; it wouldn't budge. As she considered escape, Mabel stirred, her awakening marked by restless movements and pained cries.

Unable to contain her frustration, Elyse snapped, "Quiet! Do you want to hasten our demise?"

Feeling attacked, Mabel retorted, accusing Elyse of unkindness and suggesting their situation could have been avoided with more compassion. Elyse scoffed, "I'm stuck here because of you. Do you think I asked for this?"

Mabel fell silent. Realizing the gravity of their predicament, Elyse searched for an escape route but found none. Isolated and without their phones, their situation seemed hopeless.

Elyse sighed, settling on the cold ground. Her eyes hardened as she fixed a stern gaze on the still-sobbing Mabel. "How did you get involved with these people? What did you promise them? I need to know everything."

Mabel's tears gradually subsided. She sensed a strange energy radiating from Elyse, as if confronting a different person entirely. Unable to meet Elyse's piercing gaze, she hesitantly stammered, "I was strapped for cash, so someone suggested I contact a loan shark. But the sum I needed was too large, and they were hesitant to lend directly."

Elyse narrowed her eyes. "What made them reconsider?"

Mabel replied, "They targeted you. They mentioned your high value on the black market. They promised to loan me eighty million dollars if they could capture you."

Elyse paused, composing herself before replying deliberately, "You know, I think I'm more interested in severing our sisterly ties than you are."

Mabel scoffed, "I don't need a sister as selfish as you. Kaelyn has cared for me more than you ever did. She's raising money to help me."

Elyse initially dismissed Mabel's mention of her advisor; dealing with loan sharks wasn't something she approved of. But then it dawned on her, prompting her to ask, "Who is Kaelyn?"

"Kaelyn Bennett. She's practically a sister to me. Whenever I'm in trouble, she's there to help, unlike you, who just embarrasses me," Mabel hissed venomously, her eyes brimming with bitterness.

A chill ran down Elyse's spine. Could Kaelyn Bennett be orchestrating this? She realized the men weren't simple loan sharks; they resembled Jayden's bodyguards. They were clearly after her. But why Mabel? Was she collateral?

Engulfed by these thoughts, Elyse wrestled with them.

Mabel, observing Elyse's quietude, suspected she might have a plan, which calmed her slightly. Though Elyse seemed detached, Mabel knew she wouldn't abandon her. She believed Elyse would plan their escape.

Meanwhile, Mabel's mind buzzed with malevolent schemes. Once they escaped, she would expose Elyse while remaining undetected. If Elyse were recaptured, she would face severe consequences—Mabel's opportunity to escape.