Chapter 1677

Someone had called Austin a human trafficker for the first time in his life. Nonplussed, he reacted instantly, reaching through the grille to point at Galen. "Hey, you little brat! Who are you calling a human trafficker? Have you ever seen one so good-looking? How dare you accuse me of such a thing?!"

Before Austin could continue, Dominic appeared unexpectedly, shouting, "Who are you calling a little brat, Little Brat?"

Austin's bravado vanished at the sight of his granduncle. "U-Uncle Dom, it wasn't me…"

"Who else? I heard it! I'm doing you a favor letting you stay here; how dare you scold my grandson?" Dominic, arms akimbo, argued vehemently.

Austin hesitated, beginning to retort, "Uncle Dom, I'm your grandnephew. That little brat—" He caught Dominic's glare and quickly amended, "That little thing did it on purpose. Besides, he's not even related to you…"

His voice trailed off.

Dominic stomped his foot. "Why do you care? He's my grandson!" He scooped up Galen, placing the boy on his shoulders. "I'm warning you, stop messing with him! Stay put and wait for your father."

He left abruptly.

Austin called after him, "Uncle Dom! Please open the door! I want to leave and report something to the police!"

Dominic paused, backtracking slightly. Galen, perched on his shoulders, prevented him from tilting his head back fully. "Report what? Since you've been missing, the police have been searching for you. Do you really need to call them? Or do you want them to come here?"

Relieved by Dominic's logic, Austin sighed.

"But not here," Dominic added, turning to leave, then returning. "After your parents get you, you can invite the police to your place."

"Uncle Dom! Uncle Dom!" Austin shouted as they disappeared. 'I haven't even finished speaking! He should at least let me out! Why is he locking me in?'

But Dominic ignored him. As Austin reached to bang on the door, he realized his arm was stuck. Though the space between the bars wasn't wide, he'd extended his arm earlier, and now it was lodged at the elbow.

He tried shifting his position, twisting and pulling, but his arm remained trapped. Soon, pain shot through his arm as his skin scraped against the bars. It swelled, filling with blood, making it even harder to free.

"Uncle Dom! My arm is stuck!" He screamed, but received no answer. Panic seized him as he recognized the symptoms of another attack. 'It's the sickness again!'

Just as during his previous imprisonment, his body rapidly inflated, feeling as though his skin might split. His veins bulged, and a searing pain ripped through his muscles, as if his body were being torn apart. Gritting his teeth, biting his lip, he screamed in agony.