Chapter 117 Her Sister Would Find Her
My heart wrenched violently, a wave of endless pain surging through me, nearly drowning me. What kind of pain could keep someone stuck in the past, even when hope finally shows up? I couldn’t find an answer,
I whispered to them softly, “This isn’t a trick. You’re really safe now.”
They didn’t seem to believe me. Helpless, I stepped out for a moment, arranging for clean clothes to be brought to them. Then, with food and clothing in hand, I returned to the basement.
When they saw me return, their faces tightened with fear, but the sight of clean clothes in my hands slowly eased their tension.
Tears shimmered in one girl’s eyes like fragile glass beads. She mustered the courage to ask, “Are you really here to save us?”
I nodded. “Would you like to come outside with me? I promise, no one will hurt you anymore.”
They exchanged glances, their hollow eyes flickering with the faintest spark of life.
Then, I heard someone say, “Yes! I will!”
“What’s the worst that could happen? It’s already rock bottom.”
Without exception, they dressed in silence, smoothing their hair with trembling hands, as if preparing for their first glimpse of freedom.
I felt an inexplicable urge to cry.
Biting back the emotion, I led them out into the sunlight. Sunlight bathed their faces, but their bodies quivered like leaves in the wind, some stifling sobs as if afraid to wake from a dream.
I closed my eyes for a moment. I knew this alone wasn’t enough to dispel the shadows in their hearts.
So, I led them deeper into the underground room, where the air itself seemed to bristle with their shared dread.
They had all been tortured here, and the moment they entered, their bodies instinctively recoiled in terror.
Until…
They saw Philip, curled up in a cage.
Every woman froze, their breaths hitching as they stared at the man cowering in the cage–a predator turned
prey.
Then, one woman lunged forward, her foot slamming into the cage with a metallic clang that echoed through
the room.
Philip let out a piercing scream. Silver pins still pierced his nails, and every movement of the cage jolted his fingers or toes, sending waves of excruciating pain through him.
His eyes met theirs. Humiliation flashed across his face–raw and unguarded.
After all, these women had once been nothing more than pets to him–toys he could summon or dismiss at
will.
Chapter 117 Her Sister Wo.
When he was in a good mood, he’d spoil them. When he wasn’t, he’d beat and curse them.
But now, the women he’d once looked down upon were gathered together, shamelessly reveling in his downfall.
There was no way Philip could handle this.
He lashed out like a madman, his voice raw with humiliation, demanding they leave. His screams echoed in. the room, but no one listened. The hunters had become the hunted.
But he was no longer the man he used to be, and his words fell on deaf ears.
The women closed in around him, their silent stares cutting deep, until a wild, almost manic laugh shattered the quiet.
It was like someone hit play on a frozen screen–suddenly, everyone burst into action.
Tears streamed down their faces as they struck at Philip, their bodies frail from starvation, their strength barely enough to land a blow.
But with their sheer numbers and Philip’s injuries, every hit landed with brutal precision, leaving him howling in agony.
I stood frozen, silent, watching it all unfold, knowing this was necessary.
Philip suffered the beating for a solid thirty minutes until the women, utterly spent, finally stopped.
In that instant, the hunter became the hunted.
Philip, who once ruled with an iron fist, now cowered like a cornered animal.
Even the smallest gesture–a mere lift of an arm–sent him recoiling in terror.
Who would believe this broken man was once the untouchable heir of the Hodge family? This was his
comeuppance.
The women devoured the food in record time, barely five minutes passing before every crumb was gone.
I braced myself for them to turn on Philip again, to unleash years of pent–up rage.
But instead, an eerie calm settled over them.
The leader, going by 0258, turned to me and asked, “Were you one of us?”
I shook my head, my voice soft but desperate. “No, I’m here to find my sister.”
0258 hesitated, her eyes darting around. “Did you… did you find her?”
“No,” I murmured, lowering my gaze. “He gave her away.”
Suddenly, 0258’s eyes lit up, and she grabbed my hand with a fierce grip. “You’re 0687’s sister, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” I admitted, hope flickering in my chest. Perhaps these women knew something about my sister.
Never underestimate the weak; they often hold the pieces you’re searching for.
Sure enough, 0258 started digging through her tattered clothes, her hands shaking with urgency.
She pulled out a pendant–it was cheap, almost pitiful–no glittering gem, just a plain plastic trinket.
But the second I saw it, my heart shattered, and tears flooded my eyes.
Chapter 117 Her Sister Wo
It was my sister’s. A gift I’d scraped together with my first earnings as a kid. Worthless to anyone else, but priceless to her.
In that moment, my ache for her became something I could almost touch.
0258’s voice was gentle as she said, “This was 0687’s. She told me her sister would come for her someday Those few words broke me. I fought to hold back the tears, but they came anyway, unstoppable.
I gripped the pendant tightly, as if I were holding my sister’s hand.
I heard 0258 say to me, “Before 0687 left, she told me that if I ever saw you, I should tell you that she would keep fighting to stay alive. She also said she’s seen our mother. Mom was poisoned with a nerve agent, and her condition is critical. 0687 told me to tell you not to worry–she’ll find a cure.”
As I listened to 0258’s words, it felt as though my sister was whispering them right into my ear.
It shattered me that even in her suffering, she still thought to comfort me.
My chest burned like it was stabbed with needles.
I seized 0258’s hand, my breath came in ragged bursts. “What else? Did she say anything else? Do you know where she is? I need to see her!”
My voice was frantic, and I could hear the tears choking my voice.
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