SWNOVELS Chapter Stay Away 384
The faint moonlight gently poured in. 10 Free Cons
At the entrance stood a rather short man, sporting a buzz cut. He was sizing up Lenora with the same scrutiny one would use on merchandise. Turning toward the person behind him, he said, "Judging by her looks, she should fetch a good price." Lenora's heart immediately sank.
I encountered a human trafficker?
Lenora found her thoughts drifting to past instances of women who were kidnapped and sold to remote areas. Their experiences were each more tragic than the last. If it were truly as such, she feared that a fate worse than death awaited her. The man behind her looked worn and disheveled, his hair and beard appeared to have not been tended to in a while. His tone was somewhat impatient as he said "Give me the money, quick." Lenora felt a sense of familiarity.
A spark flashed through her mind, her pupils abruptly constricting as she stared at the disheveled man- outside.
Richie!
Due to the police manhunt and investigation, they had placed informants at various train stations, bus stations, and highway intersections. Richie found it impossible to leave Jacaster and had no choice but to keep hiding from place to place. A couple of days ago, someone had discovered his hideout. They proposed a deal to him-
pull off one last job, then sell the target to human traffickers, who would take the target to a remote mountainous region from where the target would never be able to return. This way, just like a decade ago, he could escape the country and evade capture.
Of course, Richie remembered. It was when Lenora uncovered new clues and reopened the investigation that he ended up in this miserable state.
He was filled with resentment. He despised how, after all these years, this wretched woman was still obsessing over this matter.
He agreed immediately, seizing Lenora to sell her to human traffickers, condemning her to a life trapped in the mountains, destined to be nothing more than a child-bearing tool for some old bachelor.
Richie should have accompanied the human traffickers in transporting Lenora out of Jacaster, and personally witnessed her being sold off to said remote mountainous region.
However, he was no fool. The police weren't naive. With Lenora's sudden disappearance, the authorities would only intensify their surveillance. It made it even more imperative for him to stay hidden. That was why he planned to take the money and lay low for a while, waiti The short man pulled out a wad of cash from his pocket "Here."
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Chapter 384 Rescuing Herself
Upon seeing it, Richie snatched it from his hand. "Is this all?"
"It's quite a lot. Do you still want it or not?"
"You...
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Richie glared at him, his annoyance flaring into anger. However, fearing a delay, he ultimately swallowed his pride. He tucked the money into his pocket and cast a glance at Lenora in the room, "Remember what you promised. Sell her far, far away, and make sure she neve "Don't worry: I know what to do."
The short man spat in the direction of Richie's retreating figure.
Does he really think I'm clueless about what I've always been doing? If we sell her somewhere too near, she could run
away!
The man's gaze fell back onto Lenora, a hint of astonishment flickering in his eyes, revealing a lewd
expression.
He had been in this line of work for quite a few years. Due to the recent increase in scrutiny, he planned to pull off one last job before retiring for good.
However, he hadn't expected the last girl to be this stunning. She would surely fetch a good price, and he was certain to make a hefty profit.
In the past, every time he received new merchandise, he would always toy with them before selling them
off.
This time, there was even less chance of letting that chance slip him by
Lenora discerned his intentions, and her body filled up with wariness. She tensed up, swallowed hard, and tried to control her trembling frame as she asked, "What... what are you planning to do?" "You, obviously." The man's words were coarse and broken, as he excitedly lunged toward Lenora.
"S-Stay away from me... Don't come any closer..." Lenora's face was deathly pale as he slowly moved backward.
"I'd advise you not to waste your energy. We're in the middle of nowhere, so no one's coming to rescue you. It'd be wise to cooperate with me, or else you're in for a world of trouble!" he warned.
A sensation of coldness washed over Lenora, as if a bucket of icy water had been poured over her head. A chilling sensation seeped into her core, snapping her into a heightened state of alertness. No one would come to save her.
All she could do was hope that the driver would notice her absence sooner rather than later, and alert the authorities promptly.
In the meantime, she had to figure out a way to save herself.
Lenora managed to calm herself down, taking a deep breath as she said, "You bought me just for money, didn't you? My family is wealthy. As long as you let me go, you can name your price."
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"Do you think I'm a fool? Don't waste your energy!"
The short man glared at Lenora, smirking coldly.
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This girl is indeed quite attractive, with a certain elegance about her. There is indeed a chance she actually comes from a teealthy household, but it's still safer to just sell her off. There's no telling if she'd call the police to arrest me once she's free.
The man advanced, forcefully pushing Lenora aside. With her hands and feet bound, Lenora was utterly
unable to rise.
"You could only sell me off to some remote farming village, full of bachelors who can't find wives. How much could you possibly get for that? But if you let me go, I can give you five hundred thousand, even a million!" she exclaimed.
Upon hearing this, the man halted in his tracks.
She makes a valid point. Why are those people buying wives?
this girl
No one was willing to marry me due to my family's poverty and my own lack of talent. Despite her beauty, could only fetch tens of thousands at most. Any more than that these bachelors wouldn't be able to afford it. This might just be the sum of all the money they've painst As soon as Lenora quoted numbers like five hundred thousand and a million, it truly teased out the greed hidden in the man's heart.
If I could really secure a million, coupled with my family's savings, I wouldn't have to worry for the rest of my life!
Lenora saw the interest in his eyes and decided to strike while the iron was hot. "If you doubt me, you can check my handbag. It's genuine leather and could fetch twenty thousand even in a second-
hand market. Also, my phone, it's an Apple 15 plus model with 2 terabytes of storage. It could easily sell for ten thousand."
She was bluffing about the handbag.
She wouldn't usually spend that much money on a handbag. The bag was over two thousand, not cheap but not overly expensive either. However, she could tell that the man in front of her had no experience with designer handbags and didn't understand their value, so she However, she wasn't lying about her phone. Inspiration could strike at any moment, so she had a habit of capturing those moments on camera. That necessitated a high-quality device. Additionally, she was accustomed to saving those images immediately. Upon hearing this, the man furrowed his brows. "Your handbag isn't with me."
Richie must've taken it along with her phone. If her financial situation is really as she claimed, then her phone should be quite valuable.
He was already halfway convinced, feeling a tinge of regret in his heart. If he had known earlier, he wouldn't have paid the money. Instead, he would have simply dismissed Richie right away.
Lenora sighed. "That's a shame. But I assure you, I'm not lying. If you agree to let me go. I promise my family will pay you a hefty sum. It's a better deal than if you were to sell me. After all, they are aware of my
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Chapter 384 Rescuing Herself
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disappearance and they will search for me. But they will also seek vengeance on those who have sold me."
The man hesitated for a moment, growing increasingly uncertain.
She's right in what she said. If I had trafficked her, her family would surely go to great lengths to investigate the matter, and the police would spare no effort in searching for her. In the past, it was difficult to locate those who had been kidnapped, but now, with the advancem door, but I would also live in fear of retribution from her family day and night.
I retired for the sake of leading a peaceful life. Taking such a risk for this last job simply wasn't worth it.
At that time, he was left with only two options. One was to kill her outright, leaving no survivors, thereby avoiding any trouble.
She was procured by Richie, and their transactions were all in cash, leaving no trace of evidence. Thus, the police couldn't possibly track him down.
But if he did that, then his efforts would turn out to be in vain, and he would have ended up handing over twenty thousand to Richie for nothing.
He really couldn't bring himself to accept such an outcome.
The second option was just as she had mentioned-to use her as a means to demand money from her family, and then leave immediately after receiving it.
The man already had an inclination in his heart, yet he remained cautious. "Is your family truly that wealthy, able to just casually hand out a million? What's your name?"