Chapter 443 Sold
Declan's relatives were this sweet old couple. When we showed up, they didn't bombard us with questions. After a few polite exchanges, they headed into the dimly lit kitchen to whip up dinner.
Declan said he couldn't just sit around and went to help them out.
I had no idea when Elliot had slipped away. I glanced around the yard but couldn't spot him anywhere.
A wave of fear and regret washed over me.
I remembered reading this report about a freshman who was super close to a sophomore. Their relationship was the talk of the school. One day, the girl just vanished. When the teacher asked the sophomore, he claimed he had no clue but mentioned she had talked about missing her mom and wanting to drop out. He even handed over her diary, which she had left with him, to the teacher.
The last entry in the diary talked about her confusion at college and the pain of being mocked for being poor. She wrote about wanting to travel to clear her head, making everyone think she had gone home.
But when the teacher contacted her family, they found out she hadn't gone home at all and hadn't called them. In fact, she hadn't been in touch since she left.
The school went into a frenzy, searching everywhere and asking around, but no one had any idea where she was.
A missing student was a huge deal for the school, and it would seriously affect future admissions.
The Dean of Students personally called the girl's family, and they confirmed she hadn't called home since starting college and they had no idea she wasn't at school.
To find the girl quickly and give her parents some peace of mind, the school reported the case to the police.
After more than six months of investigation, it turned out the girl had been trafficked to a remote mountain village by the sophomore who had handed over the diary.
She was the seventh girl he had trafficked. By showing empathy and offering help, he gained the trust of girls from remote areas who lacked confidence.
I didn't notice when Elliot had come back. He was standing at the open door with Declan, smoking and chatting, both looking pretty cheerful. Elliot kept glancing back at me like he was worried I'd bolt, which made him seem kinda creepy.
Looking at Elliot's smiling face, I felt a chill run down my spine and regretted my impulsiveness. How could I have come to the mountains without telling anyone? My sense of personal safety was seriously lacking. What if I got sold?
I was freaked out and needed some backup. I quickly pulled out my phone and sent my location to Brad, explaining my situation in detail and sending it all to his Facebook.
If I really got sold, I hoped these messages would give Brad some clues to find me.
The more I thought about it, the more terrified I became. I was so anxious that sweat started to bead on my forehead. Just my luck, after I hit send, the Facebook page kept showing "sending" before eventually displaying "send failed."
Was I destined to be sold?Haunting images flooded my mind: my parents aging overnight, Brad losing it and beating Jenny until she was crippled again, quitting his job at National Capital University, and desperately searching the world for me.
And me, locked in some filthy cowshed by the buyer, surrounded by piles of cow dung, with an ugly, poor, short man trying to convince me to submit to him early so I could suffer less. He promised that if I bore him a son, he'd let me sleep in the house with him.
I seriously thought that if that day ever came, I'd rather die than suffer such humiliation.
Tears welled up in my eyes. I bit my lip to keep them from falling. I was so scared that I secretly clenched my cold fingers, my eyes constantly darting to the door, thinking about my chances of escaping on my own.
But in this desolate mountain area, with a long way to go and no idea of the route, where could I escape to?
As mealtime approached, Elliot was bustling around both inside and outside the house, meticulously serving dishes and rice, showing great attentiveness. But to me, it seemed like he was trying to gain my trust so I would willingly go with him.
The scariest part was that Declan somehow produced a bottle of wine I had never seen or heard of and poured it into several cups.
Could I even eat this meal?
Although wine was just flavored water to me, who knew if there was something added to it? If it was just a sleeping pill, it might at least delay things a bit. But what if it was the kind of drug Jenny gave Brad?
Brad, where were you? I was about to be in big trouble.
"Forgot to introduce, this is my junior, Jane. We went to the same school. Don't be fooled by her delicate appearance; she's a famous painter. Come on, let's eat. Here."
After praising me, Elliot handed me a set of utensils, signaling with his eyes for me to take them.
Facing four potential enemies who were physically superior to me, resistance was futile. I could only look for an opportunity to outsmart them. I forced a smile, took the fork, but stepped back a bit.
"How can you eat from so far away? Jane, why are you acting so strange today? Move closer," Elliot glanced at me.
"Move closer, don't be shy. The duck is freshly prepared, and it smells great. Enjoy! Since you're a lady, the duck leg is yours."
Declan's wife was very enthusiastic, placing a duck leg in my bowl.
I forced a smile and declined, not daring to touch the duck leg.
My stomach was growling with hunger, but I didn't dare eat. I was afraid of being poisoned. I was afraid my life would be lost over a duck leg.
At this moment, I regretted it deeply. Why didn't I practice martial arts with Amelia earlier? If I had started training young like her, I wouldn't be afraid of these four people, even if there were four more. At least I would have the strength to run!
Declan and his wife saw me hesitating and thought I was embarrassed by the strangers. They kept urging me to eat and make myself comfortable, which only heightened my fear.
I couldn't refuse any longer, and my stomach was indeed hungry. I picked up the fork and followed Elliot's lead. Whatever dish he picked, I picked, even placing my fork in almost the same spot. At least he was the one I was most familiar with. If it came to that, he was the only one I could try to reason with.
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