Chapter 328: Found the Mastermind

Suddenly, a soft knock came at the door. Carter’s voice echoed, “Chloe, are you in there?” My pulse quickened, and I answered quickly, “Yes, I’m here.”

“I need to talk to you about something.”

“Come in,” I replied.

I glanced nervously at the pregnancy test pack in my hand, noticing there was only one stick. Carter was right. I wasn’t pregnant after all. At that moment, instead of relief, I felt a sense of letdown. Part of me had hoped to be pregnant.

As he opened the door, his gaze immediately caught the disappointment on my face. “What’s the matter?” he asked.

“I just took the pregnancy test, and it came back negative.”

He didn’t seem shocked. Gently, he patted my head. “It’s okay, you’re still young. You’ll have children one day.”

He said “you” instead of “we.” The way he phrased it made me uneasy, so I quickly corrected him, “It’s us.”

He hesitated. “Yes, it’s us.”

I shifted my attention to a small pot of green plants on the table. It was a small Bodhi tree, with plump, rounded leaves, and the small fruit it bore was charming—a mix of green with a hint of red. What was especially intriguing was that this plant doesn’t bloom; it goes straight to fruit.

I glanced at him and asked, “It’s so cute. By the way, what did you want to tell me?”

Carter gently pulled me down to sit. “I went to the police station this morning.”

“What did you find out?” I asked.

“Well, something pretty big.”

The moment I heard those words, I felt a surge of energy, my eyes widening with excitement. “Really? What did you find?”

“That secret underground base is linked to a notorious international criminal organization, Bloodshade.”

The name was unfamiliar. “Is this organization involved in selling human organs?”

Carter explained, “It’s much more than that. They engage in nearly every illegal activity imaginable—organ trade, human trafficking, fraud, the sex trade, drug smuggling, arms dealing, and more.”

My heart raced. “So, they’re only driven by money, without any regard for lives?”

“You could say that. This organization is heartless, profiting off human suffering, yet they have some of the world’s top high-tech and medical experts.”

“Do they also get involved in these activities?” I asked.

“Silly girl, do you think their organ trade and other twisted dealings are just for pleasure? The people at the top have wealth and power, and their biggest fear is aging and death. That leads them to create services designed just for them, with no morals, only the pursuit of indulgence and pleasure.”

I was aware of some of these facts. The Sanders are just a minor player among the rich and don’t have the standing to interact with the elite. Because of this, I don’t know all the details.

“So, what about you?”

Carter didn’t hold back. “Yes, someone did invite me, but I turned it down. I’m not even interested in women, so I wouldn’t be caught dead in such a strange place. What surprised me was that this organization reached out to us. This underground base in the country is just one of their numerous locations around the world.”

The thought of these places existing, where darkness thrives beneath the surface, and innocent people are trafficked and slaughtered like livestock, filled me with deep sorrow. Not everyone is granted a second chance in this life. How many lives vanish without anyone ever knowing?

“Have they figured out who runs this base?”

Carter replied, “Some refer to her as Dark Rose.”

“Is that just an alias?”

Carter remarked, “Yes, no one knows her real age or looks, only that she’s a woman and a cruel one at that. This person probably has a vendetta against both the Boltons and Sanders, which is why she set up this trap. Anna and Silas are nothing more than her tools.”

“If they know who she is, why haven’t they arrested her yet? She couldn’t have escaped, could she?”

“When the underground base was raided, someone tipped her off right away. By the time the authorities arrived, it was already empty.”

“What about Anna? Surely the nearby security cameras would have caught her leaving.”

Carter shook his head. “They managed to slip away. She used a fake license plate car and vanished. The latest reports say they’ve already left Snowville. The consequences of this incident are huge, and the higher-ups are furious. Dark Rose had to abandon her operations and flee in haste.”

Hearing this, I let out a soft sigh. “They’ve taken so many lives, and yet they just walk away? The dead can’t return.”

“She will return. The Sanders and Boltons are her obsession. Once the storm settles, she’ll be back, and then…” Carter’s voice turned icy. “I want her to return and never leave.”

No matter who the person behind this truly is, at least we’ve found some leads now, and we won’t be so defenseless next time. Although I felt reluctant, there was nothing I could do.

Carter reassured, “Chloe, don’t worry. I’ll get justice for you!”

“I believe in you.”

After Silas’s body was examined, it was sent back to the Bolton Residence. Due to his unique status, the family didn’t make a spectacle of it but instead arranged a modest and private funeral for him and Sheila. There were no photos, no records, just his code name.

I watched as the man who had once killed me was laid to rest in the burial grounds carefully chosen by the Boltons. Adam knelt there, crying uncontrollably, but I felt nothing.

Adam stared at me with bloodshot eyes, and I spoke coldly. “He loved Anna so deeply. He must want to be buried beside her, with Anna.”

Adam’s face turned red with anger. “Zocy, how can you be so cold-hearted! He was a life, and now he’s gone. Can’t you feel any sympathy?”

Sympathy? I let out a bitter laugh. When Silas plunged that knife into me, he didn’t show me a shred of sympathy. I didn’t scatter his remains or desecrate his body; it was already a great mercy on my part.

“Adam, there’s no love without reason in this world, and there’s no hatred without reason either.”

Adam grumbled angrily, “You’re out of your mind!”

I paid no attention to him. Eventually, he’d realize what his son had done to me.

I approached Silas’s grave and spoke softly, enunciating each word, “Don’t worry, Anna will be with you soon.”

Despite Adam’s ongoing muttering and insults, I pushed Carter forward before turning and walking away, not sparing a glance.

“Carter, let’s set up a few hidden cameras around here.”

Carter quickly caught on. “You think Anna hasn’t really gone?”

“Silas’s death must have shattered her. Even if she did leave, she’ll return, at least to light a candle for him.”

I tried to imagine Anna’s feelings. Losing someone she loved so deeply, she must be having a hard time coming to terms with it.

“When she comes back, we’ll catch her by surprise. After that, everything will change.”

Carter gazed at the setting sun. “It’s time for us to seize control of everything.”