Chapter 167: No Need to Look

As soon as the basement door opened, Fabian bolted out. “Chelsea’s not going to make it! Please, save her!”

Miriam smiled. “So, you’re agreeing to be my kid now?”

Suddenly, Fabian went quiet. Her smile vanished. With a cold glare at the guard, she snapped, “If you’re still hesitating, forget it!”

She turned to leave. Panicked, Fabian shouted, “Where are you going?”

He tried to follow, but the bodyguard blocked his path like a wall—tall, muscular, with a scar across his face and tattoos up his arms. He was terrifying. Fabian looked up at him, wondering if he could ever be that strong.

Just as the door started closing, he shouted, “Wait! I agree!”

Miriam paused but didn’t turn around. “You sure? You won’t change your mind again?”

Fabian struggled with the words. “No. But I’m not the one who needs to agree.”

Her brows furrowed. “Then who does?”

Though she was already starting to guess. He turned to the basement. “The one who should agree… is her.”

Realization dawned on her. “So you still won’t accept me as your mother?”

He didn’t answer, but his silence said it all. Miriam’s face twisted in anger. “So you like being difficult? Fine. Be difficult.” Her voice went ice-cold. “Take the girl with me. Leave the brat here to learn what happens when you cross me.”

“Understood!” the bodyguard replied, lifting Chelsea and walking off without hesitation.

Fabian instinctively took a step forward, then stopped. This is fine, right? At least Chelsea can get help now. She’ll survive. But… now she’ll have to live with a trafficker as her “mother.” She’ll probably hate me for that…

He hugged himself in the dark, closing his eyes.

Chelsea had only fainted from hunger. After a simple treatment, she quickly woke up. The moment her eyes opened, she asked, “Where’s Fabian? What did you do to him?”

Her fear of Miriam was nothing compared to her concern for her friend. She fired off questions nonstop, eyes locked on Miriam.

“Dead,” Miriam said flatly.

Chelsea froze. “No way! He was fine before I passed out! What did you do?!”

Miriam laughed. “He’s really dead. Don’t believe me? Go check the basement.”

Chelsea leapt up barefoot, not even grabbing her shoes. She didn’t know this place—how was she supposed to find the basement?

Miriam strolled after her, watching with mild amusement. Then, she casually said, “No need to look. He’s not dead.”

Chelsea’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

Miriam grew irritated. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”

Chelsea quickly nodded. “How is he?”

“About that…” Miriam began to laugh. “I locked him back in the basement. If he lasts a few more days, we’ll see.”

Chelsea was stunned. “How could you…”