Hiding Behind Her Superficiality novel Chapter 592
The old woman beamed. “Of course, of course.”
Everything felt like a dream. Yelena was untied, and the girl beside her was released as well. “Thank you,” she muttered. The girl didn’t react too much, nor was there any gratitude in her eyes. She only got up and rolled her wrists around.
Finally relaxed, Yelena looked at the woman closely. Her hair was short, and although she wasn’t exactly gorgeous, she was beautiful in her own way. The air around her gave Yelena a familiar feeling, but she had no idea why.
“It’s alright. Come with me.” Federick was a man of few words. He said nothing more and turned around. Yelena and the girl followed him to his place quietly. It wasn’t a big place, but it was cleaner and a lot more spacious than other homes. Officer privileges, I think.
Yelena hadn’t lived in a house like this before, but she knew this man was more than met the eye. She followed him into the house. It wasn’t big, but there were a number of rooms inside. Federick turned around and looked at them coolly. “What’s your name?”
Yelena was quick to respond. “Yelena Sullivan.”
The girl beside her said, “Enna Anderson.” Enna didn’t seem afraid at all. In fact, she looked confident.
Federick nodded and pointed at the rooms beside him. “Pick any room you want. You’ll be staying here temporarily.”
Yelena knew he was a good man, but to go this far was surprising. Moved, she asked carefully, “What’s your name?”
“Don’t ask anything you’re not supposed to.” Federick turned to look at her coolly.
Yelena quickly hung her head low. She swore she saw a lot of emotions in his eyes—surprise, indifference, and a hint of disdain.
Federick had a lot of work to do as an officer. Once he settled the girls down, he left, leaving Yelena and the girls behind.
One of the girls was still unconscious, but Enna was staring at Yelena. Seeing Yelena stare at Federick as he went, she chuckled. “You can’t have fallen for him, can you?”
Yelena shook her head. “No. I just want to remember his name so I can thank him after I leave.”
Enna looked surprised. “You think you can still leave?”
Yelena couldn’t explain it, but she had a feeling she could leave this place soon. Perhaps it was because Federick felt reliable. “I think so. As long as we work for it.”
She’s so naive. Enna chuckled. “Of course, comrade. Of course.”
“You don’t feel scared at all. That girl there is scared out of her wits,” Yelena remarked.
Enna looked at her and smiled. “You’re not afraid at all either.”
I knew she’d say that. Yelena pulled her right sleeve up and revealed her palm. It was filled with fingernail marks.
Enna gave her a look of approval. “You’re great for not blacking out even after that.”
Yelena heaved a long sigh and took a seat.
Enna looked at her in silence, then she gasped. “Oh, my God! You’re Yelena Sullivan!”
Yelena looked at her in confusion. “I thought I told you.”
“No. I mean, you’re a celebrity, aren’t you?”
Yelena nodded. So what? Not like anyone in this backwater place knows me.
However, the girl before her looked even more delighted. “Great! I have a better plan now. One that can make sure we get rescued.”
Yelena thought she just had a stroke of inspiration, but then she realized something was wrong. “Wait, how do you know we’ll be rescued?”
Enna looked awkward for a moment. “Because…”
Yelena stared into her eyes and smiled. “I see. You’re a cop.”
The look on Enna’s face changed, and then she sighed, impressed. “How did you know? I thought I hid it well.”
Yelena shook her head. “No, you didn’t hide it well.”
Feeling defeated, Enna asked, “Care to enlighten me?”
“You’ve been calm since the start, so it’s obvious you’re different. I could chalk it up to your guts, but even when the officer picked you, you weren’t even delighted. Most women would be beside themselves. And then we came here, and you called me comrade. That’s something only a cop would do. Lastly, you said we’d be rescued, which means you have allies waiting out there.”
Oh, I feel much smarter now. Not the time to toot my own horn, though. Yelena looked a little grim. “Why did you come here anyway?” She was sure Enna sneaked into the group of her own volition.
Enna looked around, then closed the door and windows. “Fine, I’ll tell you. I’m part of a team, and we came here today to crack down on this joint.”
Yelena nodded, then realization struck her. “So that’s why the officer picked you. Because you’re a cop.”
She raised her voice a little too much, causing Enna to panic. “Pipe down!”
Oh right. We’re still in the village. Someone might hear us. “Can you tell me your plan, then?” The fact that Federick was helping them made her feel more confident about escaping.
“Not yet. The fact you saw through my disguise is already making my work hard.” Enna didn’t think Yelena would ruin her plan, but she wouldn’t tell anyone top-secret information.
Yelena understood that, so she said nothing.
A while later, Federick came in. When he noticed their smiles, he thought it was weird.
“She knows I’m a cop, comrade.”
Federick wasn’t surprised. “She has always been smart. That’s not surprising.”
Yelena thought that sounded eerie. “What do you mean? Do you know me?”
Federick gave Enna a look, and she went back to her room, leaving him and Yelena alone. “You don’t remember me?” He studied her expression, trying to see if she remembered him, but she showed no signs of it even after a while, much to his disappointment.
“Should I know you from somewhere? Tell me your name. Maybe that’ll jog my memory.” Yelena smiled awkwardly. “It’s been a while, so I don’t remember.”
Federick quickly composed himself. “I’m Federick Seanzy.”
Federick… That jogged Yelena’s memory. Back in middle school, there used to be a handsome top student everyone loved, and Federick was his name. He didn’t look as sharp as he was now. He only looked cute back then, but now he was handsome. They barely spoke to each other back then, so Yelena slowly forgot about him. “So, it’s you. You’re a village officer now, I see.”
Federick looked at her coolly. “Didn’t think you’d be a star.”
Yelena raised her head proudly. “I have the talent for it.”
Still as proud as ever. Federick chuckled. “How did you get kidnapped?” Good thing she ran into me, or she would have been in trouble.
“No idea. I was hanging around the lake with my friend and boyfriend. I went to the restroom after that, which was when someone knocked me out.”
Federick’s face fell. “You have a boyfriend.”
“Yeah. We’ve known each other for a long time now,” said Yelena, oblivious to the fact that Federick, who was standing behind her, was looking harsher by the second. “So, what’s your plan? I asked her, and she said you’d tell me.” Yelena turned around, hoping that Federick would tell her their plan.
Federick scoffed. “None of your business. Just know that we’ll bust you out of here.” He went back to his study after that, refusing to talk to her.
Yelena saw him off, feeling that he was acting weird. Why did he get mad all of a sudden? Weird. It’s just like how he was back in school.
…
Elspeth and Callum were driving deeper, and they noticed a lot of weird obstacles on their way.
Callum mulled over it. “Probably set up by the villagers to prevent anyone from going in or out.”
It was dark so they couldn’t make big strides. They could only drive slowly just in case the obstacles hurt their car.
As time passed, Elspeth got more and more worried. “She must’ve been taken into the village. If we don’t speed up, who knows what might happen?”
Callum looked solemn. “She might have been…”
“I trust her.” Elspeth took a deep breath to calm herself down. “She’ll protect herself.”
Callum said nothing. He was prepared for the worst-case scenario. About four hours later, they finally got out of the meandering mountain path and entered a village in the mountain depths. In case anyone saw their car, they parked it in the woods outside the village and covered it up. Dawn was breaking, and a few farmers were going to work with their tools in hand. Fortunately, the two of them were swift and easily maneuvered around these people.
“It’s going to be a hassle looking one by one.” Elspeth noticed the houses looked all the same. “At this rate, she might be in trouble.”
“We’ll split up to cover more ground.”
Elspeth observed the buildings, and for some reason, she thought they looked familiar. “Hey, this place looks familiar.”
Callum turned around and gazed at her. “You’ve been here before?”
Elspeth shook her head. “No way. I’m just saying the buildings look familiar. Oh, I remember now. Ever read a book called The Village?”
It was the story of a female college student being kidnapped and sold to the mountains. Callum shouldn’t have read it before, but surprisingly, he nodded. “I have.”
“You have?”
Callum explained, “My friend wrote the book. He asked me to beta read it, so I did.”
“Remember how the book describes the village?”
Callum looked around him and realized what Elspeth was talking about. He looked at the fog in the skies and recited, “Short huts were strewn all across the village, their walls made of red, crimson bricks. On these bricks were spindly, stringy words resembling arcane runes. A great path led into the mountains, and standing on both sides of this path were short poplar…” He stopped reciting. Standing on both sides of the path they were on were poplar trees.
Callum looked a little hesitant. “It’s been a while since I contacted this friend of mine. Let me see if I can get in touch.” He took his phone out, but the signal in the mountains was bad. When they neared a signal tower, they finally managed to get connected. Callum went through his contacts and made a call, and it went through quickly.
“What is it, Callum?” Callum’s friend asked calmly.
Callum frowned. “It’s about your novel called The Village. Where did you get the inspiration for this setting?”
His friend asked in puzzlement, “Why the sudden question?”
“A friend of ours got kidnapped to a village, and it’s just like the one you described in your book.”
The friend asked coolly, “Is your friend called Yelena Sullivan?”
Callum froze. “How do you know?”
“Where are you now?”
Callum looked around him and told his friend his location.
His friend solemnly said, “You’re in the village, aren’t you?”
Noticing what his question implied, Callum asked, “You’re here too?”
“I’ll pick you up in ten.”
Ten minutes later, a handsome silhouette came out of the cloud of dust before them. Elspeth narrowed her eyes, but she said nothing.
“It’s been a while, Federick.” Callum smiled.
Federick wasn’t fazed. He nodded and looked around, then his gaze landed on Elspeth.
Noticing the gaze from Federick, Callum said, “This is my wife, Elspeth.”
“I know.”
Callum wondered what he was talking about.
“We met at an authors’ gathering.”
She’s an author? Callum shot Elspeth a look, and she quickly looked away.
“Just wrote something out of boredom.”
For the first time since they met, Federick smiled, but it was a mocking smile. “That thing you wrote out of boredom got you the highest award an author can get.”
Elspeth smiled sheepishly.
Callum was not surprised Elspeth had another side he didn’t know about, so he just looked at Federick and asked, “Why are you here?”
“I’m a village officer.”
Elspeth looked at him. He was wearing simple clothes, but he radiated an air of regality. Man. I’d love to chat, but we have work to do. “Where’s Yelena?”
Federick looked in the direction he came from. “She’s at my place. Come with me.” He added, “This village is filled with crude, barbaric people. You guys come here all alone wearing expensive clothes and they’re going to rob you.”
Elspeth and Callum looked at their clothes. If they went into the village wearing these, they would be robbed, but there was no time to talk about that. Before the villagers came in droves, they carefully went to Federick’s place.
Yelena was asleep on the bed when they came. She had been nervous the whole night, and exhaustion eventually overwhelmed her.
Federick poured two glasses of water for them and sat down. “You guys are here to save her?”
Callum nodded. “Yes. She’s my friend.”
“She’s safe. Nobody has laid a finger on her since she got taken here.”
Elspeth shot him a look of gratitude.
“But…” Federick mused over it for a while. “Can you stay back and help us out for a bit?” The fact he used ‘us’ meant there was more to the topic.
Elspeth nodded. “You helped Yelena, which means she owes you one. We’ll do our best.”
Federick looked like he was in a dilemma. “But this might be a difficult task. We can’t be sure about the details yet, and the mission might put you guys at risk.”
Elspeth smiled. “It’s alright. Callum and I can fight well. We can handle ourselves.”
“No, it’s not you guys.”
Elspeth was surprised. “Who are you asking for, then?” It can’t be…
“Yelena.”
Elspeth frowned. “I can’t do that. Yelena’s not a combatant. She wouldn’t have been kidnapped otherwise. If you have to use her, I won’t let you, but I can help in ways I can.”
Federick looked a little sullen. “I know it’s going to be hard for her. She’s a former classmate of mine and I wouldn’t want her to take the risk otherwise, but she’s in a perfect position. She’s a celebrity, after all.”
Federick didn’t seem to be lying, so Elspeth decided to listen to him.
“I’ll shoot straight. I came here to be an officer so I can destroy this human trafficking joint. The human traffickers here are working with the local cops, and we can’t get rid of them easily.”
Elspeth had a feeling that was the case, but she nodded anyway. “And?”
“They’ve sent an undercover cop in as a female college student, who will work with me so we can capture these people. It just so happens that Yelena was captured as well.” Federick noticed the solemnity in their eyes, and he sighed. “The disappearance of a famous celebrity is going to cause an uproar. If I tell the public what happened, we can get them to help. Then we’ll tell them the exact address of this village and get them here to bust her out. Maybe we can capture these traffickers at long last.”
It was a reasonable plan, but there was a flaw. Elspeth asked, “What if the perpetrators take revenge on Yelena?” If they find out Yelena’s the reason they can’t do their business anymore, they’ll try to kill her. Human traffickers are evil, after all.
Yelena woke up while they were chatting. When she came out and saw familiar faces outside, tears fell down her cheeks. “You’re here.” She knew Elspeth would find her, but she didn’t think Elspeth would be this quick.
“Of course. We’re taking you home.” Elspeth walked up to her and patted her head. “You didn’t get bullied, did you?”
“No. He was nice to me.” Yelena smiled, albeit a bit cautiously. “Are we going home today?”
Elspeth was about to say yes, but then she remembered what Federick told her and she had no idea what to say.
Yelena was smart enough to notice the hesitation. “Did you run into something?”
Elspeth gave her a look. “Federick needs your help but it’s risky, so we’re trying to figure out things.”
Yelena paused for a moment. And I thought it was something big. She said, “Sure. It’s risky, but I’m sure I will get out of it fine.”
She’s so easygoing. Elspeth knew she was kind, and now she was worried about Yelena. “You silly girl.”
“It’s alright. If it weren’t for him, I would have been sold to some old git.” Yelena was a grateful person.
Since she insisted, Elspeth said nothing more and agreed to the plan. Just in case anything were to happen to Yelena, Elspeth, and Callum stayed around. Fortunately, Federick’s place was a big one, and there was enough space to house two more people.
In order for the plan to go smoothly, Elspeth and Callum spread the news on a bigger scale. The whole of Damoria knew Yelena was kidnapped in just a day. People thought it was fake at first. They thought it was just a marketing ploy, but when Yelena didn’t come out to clear the rumors, they panicked.
Only then did they realize the rumor was true, and Yelena’s fans quickly rallied and came up with a plan to save their idol. Someone actually found out where she was taken, thanks to Elspeth’s leak.
Since she was taken to a remote village in the mountains, going there without a plan was risky. Everyone agreed to have the female fans stay while the guys went to save Yelena. Noticing the splash they made online, Elspeth wanted to laugh. There were actually people out there who would come to Yelena’s rescue, and there were a lot of them. In just three days, twenty thousand people had rallied.
News of this came back to the village. Now, more and more people knew that the beautiful woman they kidnapped was a celebrity, and her fans were coming over to destroy them. The villagers then started gossiping about how Yelena was an omen.
Almost everyone in the village came to Federick’s house. The first thing Federick saw when he woke up was a big bunch of people outside his house. They were disgruntled villagers, and they seemed indignant. “Who’s that woman you bought, Mr. Seanzy? She’s bringing danger to the village.”
“I say we kill her. I don’t want those idiots saying we kidnapped their idol.”
“We’re all just villagers. If they come after us, what should we do?”
“Kill her!”
“Kill her!”
The villagers demanded that Yelena be killed, but Federick didn’t answer them. Instead, he looked at the villagers. “Who told you she’s a celebrity?”
“Mary and her family did,” one villager answered. He seemed like an honest guy.
“How did they know?”
The villager blushed and muttered, “They go to the city every day and kidnap girls for us to marry. Of course, they know.”
“So, they’re the ones who did the kidnapping. The only ones?”
Oblivious to the fact Federick was trying to wheedle some information out of them, the villagers nodded. “Yes.”
Federick chuckled. “Do you think what you’re doing is right?”
The villagers said nothing. A long while later, one of them mustered up the courage to answer, “We know it’s not right. It’s illegal, but we’re dirt poor and can’t afford a wife. What’s more, we’re uncultured and uneducated. Nobody’s going to marry us.”
All the people here were close-minded. Preserving their bloodline was the most important thing for them, hence they prioritized boys. This misogynistic thinking caused them to lose a lot of girls, eventually leaving nothing but men in the village. If they wanted children, they must buy a woman from the human traffickers and make some with them.
The women they bought were never obedient, however. They would try to escape, but every time they did, they would be abused. These men thought abuse would make the women listen to them.
A burly man in the corner dug his ear impatiently. “What’s my buying a wife got to do with this? We didn’t know that Yelena Sullivan had a lot of admirers, and now a lot of people are coming to rescue her. Shouldn’t we get rid of her right away?”
There were only a few hundred families in the village, totaling up to a few thousand people. Yelena’s fans amounted to a few times more. If they were to invade the village, these people would be done for. The thought of a big army coming over to destroy them filled the villagers with fear.
“I’m telling you this for one reason. Yelena’s fans are enough to trample you guys. What if you kidnap those who are more powerful and famous than she is?”
One of the villagers muttered, “Well, we can just keep it a secret from everyone.”
Federick was about to lecture him, but the man in the corner—Buck Teeser—dusted his clothes off and stood up. Federick knew this man. He was arrogant and short-tempered, and he was one of the biggest thugs around. He dropped out of school in fourth grade and went around doing petty crimes. Even so, none would stand up to him, all because he was a brute. He sneered. “This is all your fault, you know.”
“What do you mean?” Federick narrowed his eyes.
Buck cleared his throat and turned around. “People, think about it. Nothing of this sort has happened so far, but this time, they found out. Why do you think that happened?”
“Why? The villagers were stupid and ignorant. They were easily led to the wrong conclusion.
“Someone ratted us out, and it might just be this officer here.” He turned around to point at Federick. “There’s a reason he picked Yelena. He knows her. She’s the spy he planted among us!”
A spy? The villagers realized what he was talking about. “So, you’re saying he knows who Yelena is? It wasn’t a coincidence she got taken here. He wants to take us all out.”
“Yes. And if I’m right, he must have been the one who told the public Yelena is here.” He turned around and looked at Federick coldly. “Want to explain how she got to this village and how the public found out?”
Noticing the anger rising in the villagers, Federick quickly said, “This has nothing to do with me. I wasn’t the one who spread the news.”
“As if we would believe that. Prove that you’re not the one who spread it.”
He wants me to prove a negative? What is he, an idiot? Federick knew Buck didn’t like him very much, but now he had no idea how to prove his innocence.
The villagers took his silence as an admission of guilt, and they screamed murder.
“Mr. Seanzy, we’ve shown you nothing but respect, and this is how you treat us?”
“Disappointing. You’re the same as those women. You’re an accomplice!”
“Tie him up! Punish him!”
“Punish him!”
Federick might be a calm person, but even he frowned at this scene. “You’re trying to stage a rebellion?”
Buck burst into laughter. “A rebellion? No, we’re just getting rid of outsiders.”
The villagers had no idea what that meant. All they knew was that this man had been lying to them for a long time, and he must be punished. The people in the front row were ready to attack.
“Stop resisting, Mr. Seanzy. You can’t run.” Buck whistled and shot the house a leer. “I heard Yelena is a beauty. Why don’t you give her to us? We can show her a good time.”
The man beside him raised his hand. “I’ve seen her. She’s as beautiful as a goddess. Very petite and fair.”
None of them had ever slept with a woman that beautiful. Noticing the lust in the villagers’ eyes, Federick knew things would go bad. Suddenly, someone opened the door and pulled him back into the house.
It happened in a split second. Federick was gone before the villagers could do anything, and they shouted.
“Where did he go? Did he run away?”
“Someone pulled him back into the house. I bet Yelena’s inside.”
Buck was now the leader of these people. He played around with the grass in his hand, imagining all the lewd things he would do to Yelena. Oh, I’ll have a taste of her, I swear. “Calm down. He won’t be escaping easily. We should figure out how to force him to come out.”
Someone shouted, “It’s a wooden house! I say we burn it down!”
That woman is still inside. Buck frowned. “That’s going to constitute arson and murder. What if his boss starts investigating?”
Another villager said, “I say we smash this whole place down with some shovels.”
Buck nodded and patted his shoulder. “Good idea. Get the tools. Make sure they’re hard enough.”
The villagers went back to gather their shovels and axes. The people here were united, and soon enough, they came back with weapons.
“Smash it down!” Buck ordered, and they started smashing the walls of the house.
Noticing what was happening outside, Elspeth and her team frowned.
“Are they mad? What are they doing? How stupid can someone get? This is criminal, don’t they know that?” Yelena shouted as she panicked. She had never seen something like this before. Before this, she never thought there would be people this foolish, idiotic, and ignorant.
“They don’t. Nobody has ever told them this is criminal.” Federick sighed in resignation. It had been six months since he came, and this was his first time seeing a real case of human trafficking. At first, these people would be on guard against him, but eventually, they opened up. When Federick knew about the intricacies of this case, he felt powerless to stop it.
Callum understood why he was in this position, and he said, “This isn’t something you can change by yourself.”
Loud bangs kept coming from the door. “What now?” Yelena thought it was scary. “They’re chopping down the door.” She had never seen something this abhorrent.
Elspeth patted her back to calm her down and turned to Callum. “How many are out there?”
“About twenty to thirty.”
She looked down. “Why don’t we kick their butts?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. There are too many of them. Even if we defeat these people, there will be more after that.”
“I have a better idea.” She took out a bottle of drugs. “My master gave this to me. He said it could temporarily knock people out, but I have never used it.”
Callum’s eyes shone. “That’s a good idea. Any spray cans here, Federick?”
I see what they’re getting at. He took a bottle of insect repellent from the windowsill and poured everything out. He then rinsed it and handed it to Elspeth. “Only one, but I think it’s enough.”
Elspeth took the bottle and poured her drug into it, then she added some water and shook it. “I’ll do it. They’ll be knocked out in a minute.”
She was about to go out, but someone held her hand. “No. That’s too dangerous. I’ll go.”
Callum wouldn’t let her risk herself, but Elspeth wasn’t that weak. “I’m a better fighter. Don’t forget that I’m a karate champion.”
Oh my! They look intimidating. At that moment, Yelena panicked. “How are they ahead of us? We are the ones driving, yet they caught up to us.”
“They have lived here for a long time. Thus, it is normal that they know their way around here,” Federick explained patiently.
“What are we going to do? Are we going to surrender just like this?”
Elspeth gripped the steering wheel tightly and said, “Of course not. How can we return to that hellhole when we have just escaped from it? Plus, Federick’s life is in danger. If he isn’t treated any time sooner, he will die.”
Hearing her words, Yelena looked at Federick. Still, she voiced out her worries. “There are many of them, though. Even if we were to fight them, we wouldn’t stand a chance.” She was devastated. She had never expected that she would be abducted and couldn’t escape.
At that moment, Elspeth opened the car door and exited the car. “What are you doing, Elspeth? Why are you leaving the car when there are so many of them?” Yelena was shocked.
“Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing,” replied Elspeth as she smiled at Yelena, trying to calm the latter down.
Callum also exited the car to prevent anything from happening to Elspeth. The duo stood in front of the car while facing the villagers.
“You sure are a capable man, chief. I didn’t expect you to chase us all the way here.”
Elspeth looked calm as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. Looking at her reaction, Don was angry. He would never forget how Elspeth had kicked him to the side like a dog. After I get my hands on her, I will make her pay the price, he thought.
Since the villagers had outnumbered them, Don was harsh with his words. “Don’t try to act tough when you have nowhere to escape. Let’s see if you can be as calm as you are now once I get my hands on you.”
“Get them,” she said.
The men in black obeyed her orders and sprinted toward the villagers.
Don didn’t expect her to bring along reinforcement. In that split second, his face turned pale. “How did they get here?”
“I left some markings on the way here. It’s only normal that they’ve arrived now since several days have passed. Now, it’s time for you to pay for your sins.” Elspeth smirked coldly.
When Don looked at the men in black, all of them were strong and bulky. Thus, he cowered in fear and begged, “This is just a misunderstanding. We are just here to bid farewell.”
Hearing his words, Yelena couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“You sure know how to talk nonsense.” Elspeth raised her eyebrow. “Since you are here to bid your goodbyes, shouldn’t you act like it?”
Don immediately searched his pocket and found a few bucks. “Is this enough? I only have this much money on me.”
Although Don didn’t want to give his money to Elspeth, he knew this was an exchange for his life.
Elspeth signaled the man beside her to take the money. However, as soon as she got the money, she threw it on the ground and said, “Whom are you trying to fool with such a small amount of money? I don’t want this.”
When Don saw that she had thrown the money he cherished to the ground, he was heartbroken. “What do you want?” he asked.
Elspeth pointed at the mountains and said, “I want you to let go of all those women you have abducted.”
At that moment, Don was in denial.
“But it was the villagers who bought them; I have nothing to do with it. If I let them go, the villagers would be furious.” Don shrugged, seemingly as if he couldn’t do anything.
“If you can’t handle this matter, I don’t think there is a reason for you to become the chief anymore.”
The man beside Elspeth immediately raised his knife toward Don.
“No! I’ll do it, alright?!” Don lowered his head in devastation.
“Okay. Yelena, take Federick to the hospital. I’ll rescue those women with Callum.”
“Okay.” Yelena nodded. Then, she looked at them nervously. “Please be careful.”
After Yelena and Federick left, Callum and Elspeth returned to the village. On the way back, Don looked around sneakily, seemingly as if he was waiting for something. Elspeth noticed it and told Callum to stay alert.
Many women had been abducted, and some older women were reluctant to leave after they had given birth. Thus, Elspeth told them she would give them some money if they insisted on staying. However, some troublemakers were unwilling to let the women leave. After all, they had spent their money on those women for them to bear their children. Thus, how would they be willing to let those women leave?
“If you want to take her away, you must step over my dead body first.” A man was throwing a tantrum on the floor. He knew he was no match against those men, so he threw a fit.
“Well then, I guess I have no choice.” Elspeth took out a knife and threw it on the floor. “Do you want me to help you with that?”
The man never expected her to take action since he didn’t mean it. At that moment, he quickly got up and said, “I was just joking.”
Elspeth looked at the miserable girl behind the man and waved at her. “Come here.”
The girl quickly smiled and ran toward Elspeth.
Soon, Elspeth had gathered dozens of women. Looking at their faces filled with fear, she took a deep breath and said, “Don’t worry, I’m going to get you guys out of here.”
Among the women, there were teenagers and middle-aged women present.
When they heard Elspeth’s words, their eyes lit up for a second before dimming once again.
“Can we really escape from here?”
“Of course. I will keep my word and get you guys out of here.” Elspeth nodded her head confidently.
“But we are not the same anymore. Even if we were to get out of here, we’ll always be mocked by others.” One of the women voiced her concerns as she lowered her head.
Initially, she was a college student with remarkable grades. However, she was abducted because she had talked to a stranger on a trip. Just like that, her life was ruined.
“Why would they look down upon you? As long as you live your life to the fullest, no one will ever say anything bad about you.” Elspeth walked toward the girl and held her hands. She was heartbroken when she saw the scars on the girl’s delicate skin. “You are a student, right? You can continue studying if you want to.”
At this moment, Callum stepped forward and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “It’s time to leave.”
Hearing his words, Elspeth nodded. She had already ordered those men to get more cars, so there would be enough space for everyone to sit.
In the end, Elspeth left the village with a bunch of people. After they left the mountain, she ordered her men to send the women back to where they came from before returning to Evil Wind Sect. Then, she went to the hospital with Callum.
Since Federick’s chest wasn’t severely injured, they admitted him to the ward once he was fully bandaged. At that moment, Yelena was taking care of him.
“Does Hank know about this?”
Yelena nodded and replied, “I just called him. He should be here any moment.”
When Federick heard the unfamiliar name, he smiled and asked, “Is he your boyfriend?”
“Yes. We have been together for a year.” Yelena nodded with a smile.
Hearing her words, Federick lowered his head and looked at the white sheets, seemingly in deep thought. “That’s great.”
“How about you, Federick? Have you been in a relationship with anyone after all these years?” Yelena teased.
“No. I have never been in a relationship before.”
“What? Are you sure?” Yelena said exasperatedly.
“Yes. I’m too busy to have a girlfriend.”
Elspeth suddenly burst out laughing.
“I’m just laughing because someone is lying.”
When Yelena heard her words, she knew whom Elspeth was talking about. Then, she turned around and looked at Federick. “Did you lie to me?”
“Yes.” Federick felt embarrassed when his bluff was exposed.
“Why haven’t you been looking for a girlfriend?” Yelena couldn’t understand why Federick was reluctant to tell her the truth.
“That’s because—” Just as Federick was about to say something, someone entered the room. When Federick noticed this, he immediately stopped talking. On the other hand, Yelena’s attention was already on the person.
“You’re here, Hank!” Yelena rushed into his arms quickly.
Hank’s cold expression softened as he hugged her tightly. “Don’t you dare enter such a dangerous place alone next time, do you understand?”
“Okay. Still, the toilet isn’t a dangerous place,” Yelena mumbled. When Hank heard her mumbling, he pinched her nose and asked, “What did you just say?”
“I got it. It won’t ever happen again,” said Yelena softly as she lowered her head.
“While you guys are being all lovey-dovey, can you please think about us?” Elspeth said in amusement.
Hearing her words, Yelena realized she was being clingy at an inappropriate time. Thus, she got off from Hank.
“It looks like you have a good relationship.” Federick smiled.
When Hank entered the room, he immediately noticed Federick lying on the bed. At that moment, he sensed that something was different about him. Then, he saw the love in Federick’s eyes when the latter looked at Yelena. Thus, he deliberately showed affection toward Yelena the moment he entered the room. As expected, he saw the pain in Federick’s eyes.
Although Hank was happy, he felt slightly annoyed that Yelena had many admirers.
“Of course.” Hank raised his head like a proud peacock.
Hearing their conversation, Yelena realized the two men didn’t know each other. Then, she dragged Hank toward the bed and introduced, “This is Federick, my high school classmate. He’s the one who saved my life.” Yelena was grateful as she told Hank about Federick’s doings.
When Hank heard that Federick was Yelena’s lifesaver, his expression softened despite knowing that Federick had feelings for Yelena. “Thank you for saving Yelena. If you need any help, just let me know. I will try my best to fulfill it.”
Federick didn’t need anything. However, he couldn’t help but joke when he saw Hank’s expression. “If that’s the case, I have something I want.” He looked around and landed his gaze on Yelena. “Why don’t you give me your girlfriend, Mr. Damazio? I’m pretty interested in her.”
Hank didn’t expect him to say such words in public. In that split second, his face turned grim, and his voice was stern. “Some jokes aren’t meant to be said, Mr. Seanzy.”
Federick knew this, but he didn’t back down. “It’s just a joke. Why do you care so much, Mr. Damazio?”
On the other hand, Yelena sensed that something was wrong and seemed to realize something. Then, she stood between them and said, “Alright, guys. Federick was just kidding, Hank.”
Initially, Hank was going to repay Federick for what he did, but he changed his mind right then.
“Alright.” Hank had a grim expression, but he could only suppress his anger since many people were in the room.
Noticing the tense atmosphere between the two men, Elspeth gave Yelena a look and said, “You have done so much, Yelena. Why don’t you head back with Hank first? He spent a lot of time and effort searching for you.”
Federick curled his fingers slightly when he heard Elspeth’s words.
“Alright, then.” Yelena immediately knew what Elspeth meant. Then, she wrapped her arms around Hank and left.
Hank hummed in satisfaction before leaving with the woman.
When the duo left, the atmosphere lightened a bit. Callum sat beside the bed and started talking to Federick.
“Why did you suddenly become a secretary at such a place, Federick?”
Callum and Federick were childhood best friends. He remembered that Federick had studied abroad when he was young. After some time, he returned and immediately opened a publishing house. Hence, Callum never expected that he would become a secretary at such a remote place.
Federick smiled and replied, “Here’s the thing. Our company is writing a series of novels of the same genre, and we need some inspiration. Hence, I asked my dad to help me become a secretary for a village.”
“And he just sent you there?” Callum was shocked.
“Well, not quite. Initially, he refused my request. However, after begging him for some time, he obliged and told me to return within two years.”
“Won’t he be worried sick if you went home injured?” Callum asked worriedly as he looked at Federick’s wounds.
“You can’t tell him about this matter. Otherwise, my company will be gone.” Federick knew what his father was capable of. Although his father was strict, he loved Federick to the fullest. Thus, if his father were to know that he had been severely injured, he would do anything to avenge Federick. Moreover, he might think Federick was unsuitable to start a business and forcefully shut down his company.
“I’ll keep this a secret. If your father asks about it, just tell him you are unwell due to the environment. In the meantime, I happened to be traveling, so I brought you with me.”
“Thanks.” Federick bumped his fist with Callum’s. He knew that Callum was a friend he could count on.
“No worries. What are you going to do next? Are you going back to the publishing house?”
Federick nodded and replied, “I will return to the publishing house. I promised my dad I would accept the family’s engagement after two years.”
“Engagement?” Callum was in disbelief. “How are you willing to marry someone you have no feelings for when you are such a carefree and wild person?”
Federick had the most freedom among them. At times, Callum even envied him. However, he never expected Federick to accept his family’s engagement.
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